GOUGèRES, FOUR WAYS

Makes: 36 gougères

1 cup (250 mL) water

3 tbsp (45 mL) unsalted butter, diced

3/4 tsp (4 mL) kosher salt

1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour 4 large eggs

Classic Gruyère Gougères:

3/4 cup (180 mL) grated Gruyère cheese

2 tbsp (30 mL) minced fresh chives

1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) crushed black pepper

Olive and Parmesan Gougères:

1/2 cup (125 mL) finely chopped pitted green or black olives (or a combination of the two)

1/2 cup (125 mL) grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour 4 large eggs

Fresh Herbs and Comté Gougères:

1/2 cup (125 mL) finely chopped fresh herbs (a combination of chives, flat-leaf parsley, basil, marjoram or oregano, and thyme)

1/2 cup (125 mL) grated Comté cheese

Bacon and Emmental Gougères:

1/3 cup (80 mL) finely diced and sautéed bacon or pancetta

2/3 cup (160 mL) grated Emmental or Swiss cheese

1 tsp (5 mL) Dijon mustard

1. Position 1 rack in the upper third of the oven and 1 rack in the bottom third. Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a medium saucepan, bring the water, butter and salt to a simmer, whisking until butter melts (no need to let it come to a full boil).

3. Lower the heat to medium and then add the flour all at once. Stir quickly with a wooden spoon until the flour absorbs all the liquid and the dough forms a ball, pulling away from the sides of the pan (this should take 30-60 seconds).

4. Keep stirring vigorously until a film forms on the bottom of the pan and dough is no longer sticky, 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat.

5. Transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or to a large mixing bowl if using a hand mixer. Let the dough cool for 5 minutes, beating it for a few seconds every minute to let some steam out of the dough.

6. Crack 1 egg into the bowl with the dough. Beat until the egg is incorporated, about 2 minutes. The dough will first look curdled, but then it will come back together.

7. Repeat to add the remaining 3 eggs, making sure you fully incorporate each egg before adding the next. At the end of the process, the dough should be smooth, thick and sticky. Use a spatula to fold in the flavour ingredients of your choice.

8. Using a mini cookie scoop, shape gougères and set them 2 inches (5 cm) apart on the prepared baking sheets.

9. You can also drop the dough by heaping teaspoonfuls on the parchment paper.

10. The dough should be thick enough to keep its rounded shape. Using damp fingertips, pat down peaks of dough to create round puffs, if desired.

11. Set 1 baking sheet on each oven rack. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through.

12. Using a small paring knife, pry open one gougère to check for doneness: the centre should be slightly eggy and moist. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack. Allow to cool completely.

13. After cooling, store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 12 hours or refrigerate for up to 2 days.

14. If desired, reheat in an 350 F (175 C) oven for 5-10 minutes before serving.