Gougeres French Cheese Puffs

These are wonderful little cheese puff appetizers that are great for parties (or anytime!)

• Ready In: 30 mins
• Yields: 3 dozen

Ingredients

• 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)

Directions

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