GOUGERES FRENCH CHEESE PUFFS

Gougeres French Cheese Puffs image

Provided by CarolAnn

Time 30m

Yield 3 dozen

Number Of Ingredients 9

5 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 cup water, plus
1/2 teaspoon water, divided
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup grated gruyere cheese
5 large eggs, at room temperature (very important)

Steps:

Preheat oven to 425.
Add butter, salt, pepper and nutmeg to 1 cup water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
When butter melts, reduce the heat to low.
Add flour to saucepan all at once and beat with a wooden spoon over low heat for about a minute until mixture pulls away from sides of the pan.
Remove pan from heat.
Add cheese to pan and beat with wooden spoon until thoroughly mixed.
Add 4 eggs, one at a time, beating each into the batter until well mixed before adding the next.
Continue beating mixture until it is smooth, shiny and firm.
Drop batter in small spoonfuls onto a lightly greased baking sheet.
Beat remaining egg with 1/2 tbsp water, then brush tops of uncooked gougeres with egg wash.
Bake in upper third of the over for 15-20 minutes or until golden and doubled in size.
Remove from oven serve hot or can be served at room temperature.