These sausage-studded cheese puffs are a Cajun take on a classic French appetizer.

　　

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter

　　1/2 tsp kosher salt plus more

　　1 cup all-purpose flour

　　5 eggs

　　2 1/2 oz Gruyère, grated

　　4 oz andouille sausage, chopped

　　

Step 1

Preheat oven to 425° with racks in upper and lower thirds. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

　　

Step 2

In a large saucepan, combine 1 cup water, butter, and 1/2 tsp salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. When butter has melted, add flour all at once, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon. Reduce heat to medium; keep stirring until mixture has formed a smooth, thick paste and pulls away from sides of pan, about 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or to a large heatproof bowl.

　　

Step 3

If using a stand mixer, add 4 eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed until egg is incorporated and dough is smooth before adding the next egg.

　　

Step 4

If mixing by hand, add 4 eggs, 1 at a time, stirring with a wooden spoon until egg is incorporated and dough is smooth before adding the next egg. The mixture should be very thick, smooth, and shiny. Stir in Gruyère and andouille.

　　

Step 5

Use a tablespoon measure to drop dough into 1" rounds about 1 1/2" apart on prepared baking sheets. You should have about 24 gougères.

　　

Step 6

In a small bowl, whisk remaining egg with a pinch of salt. Brush the top of each gougère with egg wash.

　　

Step 7

Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven to 375°, rotate baking sheets, and continue baking until gougères are puffed and browned, about 15 minutes more. Serve warm or at room temperature.

　　Cooks' notes:

　　Dough can be made 1 day ahead. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

　　Baked gougères can be frozen for up to 1 month. Reheat at 350° for 8-10 minutes.

　　Excerpted from Brown Sugar Kitchen: New-Style, Down-Home Recipes from Sweet West Oakland by Tanya Holland with Jan Newberry, copyright 2014. Published by Chronicle Books. All rights reserved.Buy the full book from Amazon.