Comté Gougères

Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Sift the flour onto a sheet of parchment and measure out all remaining ingredients so everything is ready before the dough comes together.

Combine the water, milk, butter, salt, mustard powder, and cayenne in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat and bring to a full rolling boil, stirring occasionally until the butter is completely melted.

Remove the pan from the heat, tip in all the flour at once, and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until no dry flour remains and a smooth dough forms, then return to medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the dough pulls cleanly from the sides of the pan and a thin starchy film appears on the base — about 2 minutes.

Transfer the dough to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl if using a hand mixer) and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes to cool the dough slightly — it should be warm but no longer steaming.

Add the eggs one at a time on medium speed, beating for 30 seconds after each addition until fully incorporated before adding the next; the finished dough should be glossy, smooth, and fall from the paddle in a slow, thick ribbon.

Add the 120g finely grated Comté and the nutmeg, and fold in with a flexible spatula until evenly distributed.

Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a 1.5cm plain round tip and pipe mounds roughly 4cm in diameter onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 5cm apart.

Lightly brush the top of each mound with egg wash, taking care not to let it drip down the sides, then use a wet fingertip to smooth any peaks and sprinkle each mound with the reserved 30g of grated Comté.

Bake for 22 minutes until the gougères are deep golden brown, fully puffed, and sound hollow when tapped on the base — do not open the oven before 20 minutes or they will collapse.

Transfer to a wire rack and rest for 5 minutes before serving warm.