Easy hors d'oeuvres I picked up on Smitten Kitchen. Next time I'd use a teaspoon to dole out smaller dollops, and maybe cook them a minute longer. Ours were so good, but soft & flaky in the middle (I think I'd like them more cripsy). Why is that first picture so awful!!?Gougères (Jacques Pépin, Food & Wine, June 200)
1 cup milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash cayenne pepper (or more!)
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups grated Swiss cheese (Emmenthaler or Gruyere)
Coarse salt to sprinkle on top
Bring the milk, butter, salt, and cayenne to a boil in a saucepan. Remove from the heat, add the flour all at once, and mix vigorously with a wooden spatula until the mixture forms a ball. Return the pan to the heat and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 1 minute to dry the mixture a bit. Transfer to the bowl of a food processor, let cool for 5 min., then process for about 5 seconds.
Add the eggs and paprika to the processor bowl, and process for 10 to 15 seconds, until well mixed. Transfer the choux paste to a mixing bowl, and let cool for 10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a cookie sheet with a reusable nonstick baking mat or parchment paper. Reserve 1 Tbsp. of the grated Parmesan cheese, then add the remainder and all the Swiss cheese to the choux paste. Stir just enough to incorporate. ...Scoop out a level tablespoon of the gougère dough, and push it off the spoon onto the cooking mat. (Next time I'd use a teaspoon - smaller balls should mean more crunch). Continue making individual gougère, spacing them about 2-in. apart on the sheet. Sprinkle a few grains of coarse salt and a little of the reserved Parmesan cheese on each gougère. Bake for about 30 min., until nicely browned and crisp.
