These little cheese-flavoured choux buns are delicious served warm as a canapé or with pre-dinner drinks. You can also fill them with a spoonful of Mornay sauce.
MAKES 40–50
1 quantity choux pastry
100g Gruyère or Comté, grated
A pinch of cayenne pepper
A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
A pinch of sweet paprika, plus extra to finish (optional)
Eggwash (1 medium egg mixed with 1 tsp milk)
Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment.
Make the choux pastry (following the method), and when the last egg has been absorbed and the mixture is smooth, add three-quarters of the grated cheese, the cayenne, nutmeg and paprika, if using, without working the mixture too much.
Put the pastry into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm plain nozzle, and pipe small mounds in staggered rows onto the lined baking sheet.
Brush with the eggwash and mark with a fork, then sprinkle the remaining grated cheese over the top. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes until the choux buns are dry and crisp on the outside and base, but still soft inside. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly.
Arrange the gougères on a serving dish and serve warm, as they are or dusted with a light sprinkling of sweet paprika, if you like.
It isn’t practical to make a smaller quantity of choux, but you can freeze the cooked gougères as soon as they have cooled if there are more than you need here; simply defrost at room temperature and reheat for 2 minutes in an oven preheated to 180°C/Gas 4.