Cheesy Gougères and Champagne

I love these cheesy, lightly salted little bites. Treat yourself and enjoy them with a chilled glass of Champagne. The bubbly sharpness of the Champagne cuts nicely with the richness of the gougères.

“Come quickly, I am tasting stars,” ........Dom Perignon

Gougères

1 cup whole milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (½ stick)
¼ Tsp Kosher salt
Dash cayenne pepper or white pepper

1 Tsp fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped

½ Tsp paprika   

1 cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
½+ ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 ½ cups grated Swiss, Emmenthaler or Gruyere

Egg wash: 1 egg lightly beaten with 1 TBS of cold water
Coarse salt (fleur de sel or kosher salt) to sprinkle on top

·              Bring the milk, butter, salt, pepper or cayenne, paprika and thyme to a gentle boil in a 2 QT saucepan over medium high heat.

·              Remove from the heat, add the flour all at once and mix vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a ball.

·               Return the pan to the heat and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 1 minute or until the bottom of the pan looks coated.

·               Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle or a food processor fitted with a plastic blade. Let it cool for 5 minutes, then mix on low speed for about 5 seconds.

·               Add the eggs 1 at a time. Mix each egg in well before adding another egg, then mix on low speed for 10 to 15 seconds. Let the paste cool for 10 minutes.

·               Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a cookie sheet with Silpat or parchment paper.

·               Reserve the ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese. Add the remainder of the Parmesan and all the Swiss cheese to the paste. Stir on low speed just enough to incorporate.

·               Using a piping bag with a wide tip, pipe the gougères onto the prepared baking sheets about 2” apart.   
           Brush each gougère
with egg wash and sprinkle lightly with coarse salt and top each with a good pinch of the reserved Parmesan cheese.

·                 Bake for about 30 minutes, rotating the pans from front to back and top to bottom about ½ way through, until nicely browned and crisp.  

·                Turn off the oven, open the oven door and prick each gougères on its side with a toothpick or the point of a paring knife.  
           Leave the baked gougères in the oven until they cool.

·          
Serve lukewarm or at room temperature.

Yield: 2 ½ to 3 dozen.