Gougeres

Forget about the croquembouche - this was the first thing I ever made with choux pastry. It proves just how easy it can be and will help take your cooking to the next level.

Ingredients

200 g	Water
100 g	Butter
½ tsp	Salt
100 g	Flour
4 large	Eggs
½ cup	Grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp	Rosemary, finely chopped

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 220C.
2. In a medium pot, bring the water, butter and salt to a boil over a high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, add the flour and stir briskly. A soft dough will form. Continue to stir for another 2 minutes to evaporate the water and ensure the flour is cooked. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. You can speed this up by cooling the outside of the pot with cold water, or by placing the dough in a mixer and beating it until no steam remains.
3. Add the eggs one by one and mix until they are completely combined before adding the next. It will look split and as though it will never come together, but keep mixing and it will. Add the parmesan and rosemary and stir until combined.
4. On a baking tray covered in baking paper, pipe or spoon on golf ball sized portions of the dough. Wet your finger and dab down any peaks so they do not burn.
5. Bake for 10 minutes at 220C, then lower the heat to 180C and bake for a further 15-20 minutes until done.
6. You can pipe a savoury mousse or goat's cheese inside if you want to make them even more exciting.