Blue cheese gougères

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200°C fan/gas 7 and line 1 large or 2 medium baking sheets with baking paper. In a small bowl, weigh out the flour and mustard powder. Put 160ml water, the 55g butter and a pinch of salt in a pan over a medium heat and cook until the butter has melted and the mixture comes to a simmer.
2. As soon as the butter mixture simmers, add the prepared flour mixture, turn the heat down to low and beat quickly with a wooden spoon to make a smooth dough. Keep stirring for a few minutes until the dough pulls away from the sides of the pan. Scrape the dough into a bowl and set aside to cool for 1 minute. Meanwhile, lightly beat the eggs in a jug.
3. Beat most of the eggs into the dough gradually, a little at a time, until the mixture reaches dropping consistency (it should fall off the spoon within a few seconds) – you won’t need all the egg, so keep checking (reserve any leftover egg for later). Crumble in three quarters of the 110g cheese and beat well. Transfer to a piping bag and pipe tablespoon-size mounds on the lined tray(s), leaving space between each as they’ll puff up. If you don’t have a piping bag, you can also use 2 tablespoons to shape dollops of the dough onto the tray. Brush the gougères gently with the remaining egg and sprinkle with the reserved cheese.
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4. Put the gougères in the oven, then immediately reduce the temperature to 190°C fan/gas 6½ and bake for 25 minutes until puffed up and golden.
5. While the gougères bake, make the sauce. Heat the butter in a medium pan and, once melted and bubbling, add the flour. Cook for a few minutes, stirring until the flour is light golden. Gradually add the milk (while stirring) to make a paste which will eventually turn into a glossy sauce. Continue to cook for a few minutes until simmering, then add the 40g Saint Agur and remove from the heat. Season.
6. You can now either transfer the sauce to another piping bag, pierce a small hole in the base of each gougère and pipe it inside or serve the sauce on the side for dipping. Either way, the gougères are best served warm.