"I never had a cookbook until I moved here in my twenties to do some graduate work at the University of Oregon," writes Fanny Carroll of Eugene, Oregon. "I fell head over heels for this guy (now my husband), and he gave me Pellaprat's Modern French Culinary Art for Christmas. Still, many of the everyday dishes I made when I was raising my daughters are recipes I learned from my mother while I was growing up in the suburbs of Paris. She was quite a cook, and with a husband and seven kids to feed, everything had to be fast."
Called gougères in French, these cocktail snacks are irresistible.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes about 40
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 425°F. Butter and flour 2 large baking sheets. Combine 1 cup water, butter, salt, and pepper in heavy medium saucepan; bring to boil over medium-high heat. Add flour and stir vigorously with wooden spoon until mixture forms smooth ball. Continue stirring until film forms over bottom of saucepan, about 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Beat in mustard. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Beat in cheese.
Step 2
Drop batter by heaping teaspoonfuls onto prepared sheets, spacing about 1 1/2 inches apart; bake 15 minutes. Reverse position of sheets and bake until puffs are golden brown, about 5 minutes longer. Serve hot.
