Lunch: Salt-and-Pepper Cheese Puffs (Gougères)

People are raving about this extremely appealing appetizer. Make these puffs in advance and freeze them for whenever you are planning your party. They will still taste great!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup (1/4 lb.) butter, cut into chunks
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
6 large eggs, beaten to blend
1 1/4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (see notes)
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh-ground pepper
Coarse sea salt (see notes)
Parchment paper

Instructions

In a 3- to 4-quart pan over high heat, bring 1 1/2 cups water and the butter to a full rolling boil. Remove from heat, add flour all at once, and stir until mixture is a smooth, thick paste with no lumps. Add a quarter of the beaten eggs at a time, stirring vigorously after each addition until dough is no longer slippery. Stir in cheese and pepper.
Spoon dough into a large pastry bag fitted with a plain 1/2-inch round tip. Pipe in 48 equal mounds on two cooking parchment-lined or buttered 12- by 15-inch baking sheets. (Alternatively, drop dough on sheets in slightly rounded tablespoon-size portions.) Sprinkle each mound with a few grains of coarse sea salt.
Bake in a 400 ° regular or convection oven until dry and well browned, about 30 minutes. Serve warm (see notes).
Nutritional analysis per puff.

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