Gougères

The small, light, and airy gougère of the afternoon tea tray is rooted in Burgundy, where it first appeared in the seventeenth century and continues to be the preferred accompaniment to wine tasting in the local cellars. These pastries grew in prominence in the nineteenth century, spreading beyond central France and taking on new flavorings. But traditional cooks kept their classic composition of alpine cheese (typically Gruyère, Comté, or Emmentaler) and rich butter-and-egg choux pa