Gougères (pronounced goo-zhair) are French cheese puffs made with a simple pate a choux dough. Serve them plain like a roll or cut them open and fill for an appetizer.  Don’t tell anyone how easy they are to make.  “Oh, they are FRENCH you know!”

Ingredients:

• 1 c water
• 6 Tab butter cut into pieces
• ½ tsp  salt
• ⅛ tsp pepper
• pinch nutmeg
• 1 c all purpose flour
• 4 large eggs
• 1 c cheese, grated (Gruyère, Comté or Emmentaler, Swiss, cheddar, etc.)
• 1 large egg

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or butter it generously.
3. In a heavy bottom pan, bring water, butter, salt, pepper and nutmeg to a boil.
4. When butter is melted and water is boiling, remove from heat.
   With a wooden spoon stir in flour.
5. Cook over medium high heat for 1-2 minutes. The dough should leave the side of the pan clean and a slight film on the bottom.
6. Remove from heat.
7. Some recipes suggest moving the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer and adding the eggs with a paddle attachment.  You can also leave it in the pan and beat it with a hand mixer.
8. Make a well in the center of the dough.
9. Add one egg.
10. Beat in egg until incorporated.
11. Repeat with three more eggs, stirring each one in completely before adding the next.
12. Stir the cheese into the warm dough.
13. Place dough in a pastry bag (or plastic bag with a corner cut out) or use a soup spoon to make 1 inch diameter and 1 inch high mounds (optional: for a true Julia Child touch, make a small peak on the top of the mound).  We use a cookie press with a die with a 1/2 inch hole.  Use scissors to cut the dough off the press.
14. Drop the dough on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between the mounds.
15. SECRET – don’t tell: At this point you can put the cookie sheet in the freezer.  When the little treasures are frozen about one hour, slide them into a bag and, voila!, you have gougeres instantly – day or night.  Keep Champagne in the fridge and you have a party.
16. In a small bowl combine remaining egg and ½ teaspoon of water. Brush the egg mixture lightly on top of the puffs without letting it drip all the way to the parchment paper. This will prevent the puffs from rising.
17. Bake the Gougères for 10 minutes at 450°.
18. Then turn the oven down to 350° and bake for an additional 17-23 minutes, until they are nicely golden brown and feel firm when tapped.
19. Let the Gougères cool slightly on a wire rack before serving. (The Gougères are best served warm.)
20. They also freeze (unbaked) incredibly well.

Serves:  25-30 gougeres

Source: thatrecipe.com/blog/gougeres-french-cheese-puffs-a-la-julia-child-ourfamilytable and several others