Gougère

Gougère is a French specialty of the Burgundy region. Usually, it is served after a wine tasting either as they are or stuffed with mushrooms, beef, ham or they can be served warm filled with Mornay sauce as a starter. It is actually a savory choux pastry with cheese, traditionally Gruyère. Somehow, I do not like to prepare choux pastry, and frankly, I do not even know why. It is really simple, fast and the basis for my absolute favourite dessert the éclair. I think it is time to change that!

Ingredients:
(recipe by Michel Roux)
125 ml milk
100 g butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
150 g flour
4 eggs
100 g Gruyère
1 pinch of cayenne pepper
1 pinch of nutmeg


Preheat the oven to 200°C. Bring the milk, butter, salt and sugar to the boil. Add the flour and use a wooden spoon to beat until well combined. Put it back to the heat and stir until it begins to come away from the side of the saucepan and you see a light white film on the bottom of the saucepan. Take it again away from the heat and stir in the eggs one by one. Stir in 3/4 of the grated cheese, cayenne pepper and nutmeg. Fill it in a piping bag and pipe circles on a baking paper, use a milk-egg wash for brushing, sprinkle with the rest of the cheese and bake for 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle with paprika powder and serve lukewarm.