Gougeres

1. 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
2. Large pinch of coarse salt
3. 1 cup all-purpose flour
4. 4 large eggs
5. 3 1/2 ounces shredded Gruyère cheese (1 cup), plus more for sprinkling
6. Freshly ground pepper
7. Freshly chopped rosemary

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium saucepan, combine the water, milk, butter and salt and bring to a boil. Add the flour and stir it in with a wooden spoon until a smooth dough forms; stir over low heat until it dries out and pulls away from the pan, about 2 minutes.
2. Scrape the dough into a bowl; let cool for 1 minute. Beat the eggs into the dough, 1 at a time, beating thoroughly between each one. Add the cheese and a pinch each of pepper and nutmeg.
3. Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip and pipe tablespoon-size mounds onto the baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Sprinkle with cheese and bake for 22 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown. Serve hot, or let cool and refrigerate or freeze. Reheat in a 350° oven until piping hot.
4. Eat as is or use as slider bun with braised duck or beef. Also try piping the gougere out to the size of a baseball and bake at 350, use as a burger bun. Try stuffing baked gougeres with salmon mousse or cheese filling. Experiment with different cheeses such as blue cheese or sharp cheddar. The better the cheese the better the gougere.