Choux pastry is a marvel: It comes together in a matter of minutes and is the basis of cream puffs, profiteroles, éclairs, croquembouche, French crullers, and the airy, cheesy, eggy delights called gougères. Here the gougères are flavored with cheddar and pickled jalapeños as a nod to jalapeño poppers (shout-out to contributor Aliza Abarbanel for the idea!). You can use any color cheddar you like, but orange will give you the most dramatic look. A word on the method: While an electric mixer makes the job easier, you can definitely do this whole process by hand if you have the arm strength (and patience)—you’ll need to beat vigorously after each egg. An electric mixer, though, is likely to get you a more dramatic rise.

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 425°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Once you turn on the stove, the dough comes together fast—so get prepared: Grate 6½ oz. sharp cheddar, preferably orange, on the large holes of a box grater. Set 2 Tbsp. aside for sprinkling over gougères later (you should have about 1½ cups left). Finely chop ½ cup sliced pickled jalapeños on a cutting board. Place 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour in a small bowl.

Step 2

Cut ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter into tablespoon-size pieces. Transfer to a medium saucepan and add ½ cup whole milk, 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper, and ½ cup water.

Step 3

Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, add flour all at once, then stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until mixture balls up and no spots of dry flour remain, about 30 seconds. Continue to stir with gusto, smacking the dough along the sides and bottom of the saucepan (you’re looking to dry it out without it taking on any color), 3 minutes. You’ll see a film develop on the bottom of the saucepan that will mostly be reabsorbed as you keep stirring. Let cool slightly, 1–2 minutes.

Step 4

Continuing with your wooden spoon or switching to an electric mixer, add 4 room-temperature large eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition until fully incorporated (about 30 seconds). Don’t worry if the mixture looks curdled or broken. Separate yolk from remaining 1 room-temperature large egg over a small bowl to catch egg white. Reserve yolk for another use; add egg white to pan and beat until mixture comes together into a smooth, glossy, shiny, and thick batter, 1–2 minutes. Add cheese and jalapeños and stir or beat just until evenly distributed.

Step 5

Using a 1½ Tbsp. (#40) cookie scoop or a (heaping) tablespoon, portion scoops of batter onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 1″ apart. Sprinkle a little of the reserved grated cheese over each gougère.

Step 6

Place in oven and immediately reduce oven temperature to 375°. Bake until super puffy and golden brown all over, 22–28 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Do ahead: Gougères are best the day they’re made but can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature. Reheat in a 350° oven until crisp, 5–7 minutes. Gougères can be formed 1 week ahead. Arrange on baking sheets, ½” apart, and freeze until solid. Transfer to a resealable freezer bag or freezer-safe airtight container and keep frozen. Arrange on baking sheets as directed and let sit at room temperature while oven preheats. Top with cheese and bake as directed.