Gorgeous Gougère

I've been busy.

Busy looking at a computer screen, waiting for the phone to ring, or watching a LOT of TV.  And not busy playing in the kitchen.

I guess you could say I've been in a funk.

Today, I vowed to slap myself out of my pity party and try to create one of my favorite San Francisco treats.  Not Rice-O-Roni.  But those delicious gougères from Tartine.  These fluffy, eggy pastries are one of my absolute must eats when I go to the City by the Bay.  Tartine makes them with just enough Gruyère and black pepper to keep things interesting and savory.  I didn't have any of that nutty cheese around, but I did have some Asiago...

Flecks of pepper and thyme make this a purty dish, too!

Asiago, Black Pepper, and Thyme Gougère

These tasty bites are a great little nibbley for a cocktail party or with Pesto Chicken Salad.

1 cup water

1 stick of butter

pinch of salt

1 cup of flour

4 eggs
1/3 cup Asiago, grated plus 2 tsp. reserved
2 Tbl cracked black pepper
1 Tbl thyme, minced

Preheat oven to 425 and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a sauce pan, bring water, salt, and butter to a simmer. Once heated, add all of the flour at once and stir in the same direction with a wooden spoon. It will look freaky to begin with, but it will turn into a lovely little ball of dough in no time. You want to cook it until it dries out quite a bit. Take off heat and cool slightly

Transfer dough to food processor or mixing bowl, and add the eggs one at a time until dough is completely mixed and glossy. Stir in cheese, pepper, and thyme.  We're moving the dough again...this time to a piping bag. Or in my case, a gallon freezer bag with the end snipped off. Pipe out golf ball sized little poofs of love onto baking sheets.

Damp your finger and give the little poofy tops a push down so they don't burn. Pop 'em in the oven for 10 minutes on 425, then lower temperature to 375 for 20 minutes. During the last 7 minutes of cooking, sprinkle these poofy puffs with the reserved Asiago.