via Chef Todd Gray and The New Jewish Table - Warm out of the oven, these make an elegant start to a summer brunch—actually, they’re very good any time of year! Makes about 4 dozen 2 3/4-inch puffs.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), cut into pieces
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 8 to 10 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups Gruyere cheese
MIX THE BATTER
Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a medium saucepan, bring the water, milk, butter, and salt to simmering over medium heat; stir to completely melt the butter. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to boiling; then add the flour all at once, stirring with a wooden spoon until the mixture is smooth, a film forms on bottom of pan, and the dough pulls away from sides of pan. Transfer the dough to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle. Mix on low for 2 to 3 minutes to release moisture. Then beat in 8 eggs one at a time—the mixture should be shiny, golden, and slightly sticky; if it looks dry, add another egg, and then another if it still looks dry. When the mixture is smooth, beat in the cheese.
BAKE THE PUFFS
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (the paper will adhere better if you lightly spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray before laying the paper on it). Spoon the dough into a pastry bag fitted with round tip about 1/3-inch in diameter (if you don’t have a pastry bag, use a sturdy plastic food storage bag with one corner cut off). Pipe the dough onto the prepared baking sheet in a spiral motion, forming rounds about 1 1/2 inches in diameter spaced 3 inches apart. Place in the oven and bake for 5 minutes; then lower the heat to 350°F and bake until the puffs have risen and turned a deep golden brown—15 to 20 minutes more.