Target: 6 × 4 inches · landscape

Parmesan Gougères

60 min · 6 amuse-bouche portions

Ingredients

□ 1 cup water

□ 8 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces

□ 1 tsp kosher salt

□ 1 cup all-purpose flour

□ 4 large eggs, at room temperature

□ 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

□ 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

□ 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1. Heat oven to 425 F and line two pans. Grate Parmesan, measure flour, and set eggs out to reach room temperature.

2. Boil water, butter, and salt. Stir in flour, then cook 1 to 2 minutes until dough leaves a light film on the pan.

3. Cool dough until warm, beat in eggs one at a time, then mix in Parmesan, pepper, and nutmeg until glossy.

4. Pipe 1-inch mounds. Bake 10 minutes at 425 F, then 18 to 22 minutes at 375 F without opening the oven.

5. Vent puffs and leave in the turned-off oven 5 minutes; check for hollow, dry centers and serve warm, about four per guest.

Cook’s note: Deep color and a dry hollow center mean the choux shells are set enough to stay puffed.