Red Pepper, Garlic & Pecorino Gougères

• MAKE-AHEAD
• VEGETARIAN

Ingredients

1. 1 large red bell pepper—stemmed, seeded, deribbed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2. 1/2 cup water
3. 2 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
4. 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
5. 3/4 teaspoon salt
6. 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
7. 1 cup all-purpose flour
8. 4 large eggs
9. 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
10. Pinch of cayenne pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 425°. Butter 2 large baking sheets.
2. In a food processor, puree the red bell pepper with the water and garlic until the mixture is as smooth as possible, about 2 minutes. Strain the pepper puree through a fine sieve set over a measuring cup, pressing hard on the solids with the back of a spoon to extract as much of the pepper juice as possible; you should have 1 cup. Stir in a little more water if necessary.
3. Transfer the red pepper juice to a medium saucepan. Add the butter, salt and pepper and cook over moderately high heat until the butter melts. Add the flour all at once and beat with a wooden spoon until the dough pulls away from the side of the pan and forms a smooth, shiny ball on the spoon. Scrape the dough into a bowl. Using an electric mixer at medium speed, beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well between additions. Beat in the Pecorino Romano and cayenne.
4. Drop rounded teaspoons of the dough about 1 inch apart onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake the gouéres on the upper and middle racks of the oven for about 20 minutes, or until puffed and browned; shift the baking sheets from top to bottom and back to front halfway through baking. Serve the gougéres hot, warm or at room temperature.