I discovered gougères quite by accident when I was a teenager curious in the kitchen, though not at that point by the name gougères. I found a recipe for cheese pastry puffs in a cookbook or a magazine and gave them a try. They were such a hit, particularly with one family we used to have for dinner, that I made them over and over and over again. I think I wanted that family to come to dinner so I could make the little puffs and bask in the praise. Years later, when I really got serious about cooking, I discovered that those simple little bites where in fact a classic of French cuisine. It’s a traditional choux pastry with the added cheese, which will impress your guests when you say “oh, it’s just a basic choux puff.”

My original version used parmesan cheese, more traditionally gruyere is the cheese component. Gougères are spectacularly adaptable. I include a pimento cheese version in Pimento Cheese The Cookbook, and I vary the combinations frequently. This particular version has become a favorite, but honestly it was born from the ingredients I had on hand in the fridge. Making gougères takes a little elbow grease, but it is not difficult by any means. And they are a perfect holiday appetizer, as they can be made ahead, frozen and baked just before serving. And they never fail to impress. They are traditionally served with wine or champagne, and there is nothing better than a warm, cheesy gougère with a cold glass of bubbles, so it makes an elegant sanck on New Years Eve.