What’s a gougère?

Why, nothing more or less than a little blob of pâte à chou flavored with gruyère cheese and chile powder. They’re small, about the size of cream puffs (which are, not coincidentally, made from the same type of pastry) and are one of the world’s all-time great wine accompaniments. Though they’re rich they’re quite light, being mostly air on the inside. They are one of those sorts of things which, once they’re put out on an appetizer table, disappear in seconds. So it’s best to make a lot.