Light, golden mouthfuls of choux pastry, crispy on the outside and smooth on the inside. The creamy texture and tangy flavour of the Comté is perfectly complimented by the hint of fresh sage. These are perfect served with aperitifs and, because you can make and freeze them in advance then bake them as needed, they’re an ideal nibble to serve for a crowd or for impromptu drinks with friends.

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200℃ normal / 180℃ fan. Put a medium-sized bowl in the fridge.
2. Put the butter and water in a heavy pan and bring it slowly to the boil – you want the butter to have melted before the water boils. Turn up the heat and, as soon as it’s boiling fast, quickly tip in the flour and pinch of salt, then remove the pan from the heat.
3. Beat the mixture fast and hard with a wooden spoon until it becomes thick and smooth and is leaving the sides of the pan. Tip into the pre-chilled bowl and leave to cool.
4. Once cool, beat in the eggs one by one, with a pinch of flaky sea salt and a few grinds of black pepper, until the mixture is soft, shiny and smooth – it should be dropping consistency – then mix in the Comté and sage.
5. Using a teaspoon, put small blobs of the mixture (weighing about 15g each) onto baking trays lined with non-stick baking paper, leaving a gap of about 2cm between each (they can be frozen at this stage to use at a later date. Just lay them out onto a lined baking tray to freeze, then transfer into bags or Tupperware to store in the freezer. When you want to bake them, lay the blobs of mixture onto a lined baking tray and leave them to defrost in the fridge or at room temperature before cooking as usual).
6. Cook for 17 to 18 minutes until golden brown – test one to check it is cooked through and serve immediately.

Comté Recipe 2020 © Laura Pope 2020