(Gruyère Cheese Puffs)

　　

Ingredients

Makes about 40 gougères

　　1 tablespoon dill seeds

　　1 1/2 cups coarsely grated Gruyère

　　

For pâte à chou (Cream-Puff pastry)

1 cup water

　　1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

　　1/2 teaspoon salt

　　1 cup all-purpose flour

　　4 to 5 large eggs

　　

Make pâte à chou

Step 1

In a heavy saucepan bring water to a boil with butter and salt over high heat and reduce heat to moderate. Add flour all at once and beat with a wooden spoon until mixture pulls away from side of pan.

　　

Step 2

Transfer mixture to a bowl and with an electric mixer on high speed beat in 4 eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Batter should be stiff enough to just hold soft peaks and fall softly from a spoon. If batter is too stiff, in a small bowl beat remaining egg lightly and add to batter, a little at a time, beating on high speed, until batter is desired consistency.

　　

Make Gougères

Step 3

Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets or line with parchment paper.

　　

Step 4

In a small heavy skillet dry-roast seeds over moderate heat, shaking skillet, until fragrant and slightly darker, being careful not to burn them, 3 or 4 minutes. Transfer seeds to a small bowl and cool. With a mortar and pestle or in an electric coffee/spice grinder grind seeds coarse.

　　

Step 5

Stir Gruyère and 1 teaspoon ground seeds into pâte à chou and arrange level tablespoons about 1 inch apart on baking sheets. Sprinkle tops of gougères with remaining ground seeds and bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching positions of sheets halfway through baking, 30 minutes, or until puffed, golden and crisp. Gougères keep, chilled in sealable plastic bags, 2 days or frozen 1 week. Reheat gougères, uncovered, in a preheated 350°F. oven 10 minutes if chilled or 15 minutes if unthawed frozen. Serve gougères warm.