Cheese Puffs

These cheese puffs (aka gougères) are a triple threat: easy to make, impressive looking, and wildly delicious. And the good news is you probably already have most (or all) of the ingredients.

Ingredients

• 1/2 c. water
• 4 tbsp. butter
• 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. granulated sugar 
• 1 tsp. freshly ground white pepper (optional)
• 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 c. freshly grated Gruyère, plus more for topping

Directions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step 2

In a medium saucepan, combine water, butter, salt, sugar, and white pepper if using, and bring to a boil. Add the flour all at once and stir with a wooden spoon until a smooth dough forms. Continue to cook until dough pulls away from the pan and forms a ball, and a film develops on the bottom of the pot, about 2 minutes.

Step 3

Transfer dough to a bowl and continue to mix with a wooden spoon to cool slightly, 1 minute. Beat in eggs, one at a time, mixing until smooth and fully incorporated after each addition. Fold in gruyere.

Step 4

Transfer batter to a piping bag or use a small (2 teaspoon capacity) cookie scoop to create small, inch-wide mounds on prepared baking sheet, about an inch apart. Top with more gruyere and bake until puffed and golden, 20 to 25 minutes.