Gougères

I can't bake, and I have no food processor, so I thought these were going to turn out terribly. Turns out, they were delicious!

Gougères

Jacques Pépin, Food & Wine, June 2002

(thanks to artisanalcheeses dot com for the photo!)

1 cup milk

4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick)

1/4 teaspoon salt

Dash cayenne pepper

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 Gruyère)

Coarse salt (fleur de sel or kosher 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 1minute to dry the mixture a bit. Transfer to the bowl of a food processor, let cool for 5 minutes, 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. (Alternately, chop/mix the dough with a pastry cutter until it's smooth and your arms are about to fall off)

Preheat the oven to 375. Line a cookie sheet with a reusable nonstick baking mat or parchment paper. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the grated Parmesan cheese, then add the remainder and all the Swiss cheese to the choux paste. Stir just enough to incorporate. Using a tablespoon, scoop out a level tablespoon of the gougère dough, and push it off the spoon onto the cooking mat. Continue making individual gougères, spacing them about 2-inches 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 minutes, until nicely browned and crisp. Serve lukewarm or at room temperature with drinks.