Cheese choux puffs

Preheat the oven before you start anything, to 200C or 400F -- if the oven is not hot enough the puffs will not pop.

Step one: put all the water in a saucepan with the butter, salt and pepper on medium low and bring it to a simmer, melting the butter into the water.

As soon as it starts to boil, turn the heat off.

Step two: with the heat off, sift the flour in all at once.

Mix it with a wooden spoon, like a porridge, until it comes together as a ball of dough -- the panade.

Turn the heat very low and roll the ball of dough round the pan three minutes to dry out the excess moisture; that drying is what makes the puffs puff. A thin dry layer in the bottom of the pan means it is ready.

Transfer the dough to a clean cold bowl and let it cool a little before the eggs go in.

Beat the three eggs together in a bowl.

Step three: add a little of the egg first, up to half, and mix; it takes very quickly.

By three quarters of the egg the dough starts to take shape; stop when a spoonful flows in ribbons and makes a soft peak, not too runny.

Fold the cheddar in, then a grating of fresh nutmeg.

Use it straight away, or rest it in the fridge an hour if it looks too runny -- the puffs work even better.

Load a piping bag with a star tip, standing it in a container with the sides folded back.

Pipe onto a cookie sheet lined with baking paper or a silicone mat, holding the bag vertically rather than swirling.

Wet a finger and flatten the pointy tip on each piped puff.

Put cheese on top.

Bake hot, 180 to 200C, for 20 to 25 minutes, until puffed and coloured.

Then reduce to 150C to dry the puffs out, without ever opening the oven door.