Gougères - Easy French Snack (with video!)

Directions 

Preheat the oven to 400°. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine All-Purpose flour and baking powder. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine the water with the butter, cayenne, cup of the milk and the salt and bring to a boil.

Add the flour and baking powder mixture and, while over moderate heat, stir the mixture constantly with a wooden spoon, until it becomes a dough and pulls away from the sides of the pan.

Transfer the dough to a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add 1 cup (105 grams) of the cheese gradually, and mix at medium speed until the dough cools slightly - about 1 minute. Then the eggs one at a time, mixing well between additions. After all the eggs have been added, mix the dough until shiny, about 5 minutes.

Using a pastry bag or plastic ziploc bag with a corner cut out, pipe the dough into 3/4-inch mounds about 1/2 inch high on the prepared baking sheets. Gently brush the gougères with the remaining 2 tablespoons of milk and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake for about 15 minutes, until puffed and set. Rotate the baking sheets from top to bottom and back to front and bake for about 5 minutes longer, until the gougères are golden brown. Serve hot or warm.

MAKE AHEAD The gougères can be baked up to 3 hours in advance. Reheat before serving. They also freeze beautifully - once cooled, simply pop them in the freezer. When you need a quick snack, pop the frozen gougères in your toaster oven for about 7 minutes to heat and crisp them right back up. Enjoy!