Gougères with Ham and Comté

• 250 ml Whole milk
• 80 g Unsalted butter
• 1 tsp Fine sea salt
• 140 g Plain flour
• 4 Egg, room temperature
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• ½ tsp Black pepper
• 120 g Aged cow’s milk cheese
• 120 g Cured ham

1. Heat the oven to 200°C (390°F) and set a baking tray aside. Grate the cheese and dice the ham into small pieces so they fold through the dough evenly.
2. Put the milk, butter and salt in a saucepan over medium heat and bring just to the boil, stirring to melt the butter. Tip in the flour all at once and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until a smooth paste forms and pulls away from the sides.
3. Keep the pan over low heat and cook the paste for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly, to dry it out slightly. Tip the dough into a mixing bowl and leave for 3 minutes so it cools a little.
4. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition until the dough is glossy and falls from the spoon in a thick V-shape. Stir in the Dijon mustard and black pepper.
5. Fold in most of the cheese and all of the ham, keeping a small handful of cheese back for topping. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag and pipe 24 small mounds onto the baking tray, spacing them apart, then sprinkle with the reserved cheese.
6. Bake for 22 to 26 minutes until well puffed, deeply golden and crisp, without opening the oven for the first 18 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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