Directions

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. If you want to bake all the puffs at once, position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and line two baking sheets with parchment. If you’re going to freeze half or more of the batch, center a rack in the oven and line just one baking sheet.
• Put 1/2 cup water in a medium saucepan with the milk, butter, salt and ground cumin and bring to a boil over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the flour all at once, grab a sturdy flexible spatula and begin beating. Beat until you’ve got a dough that pulls away from the pan and leaves a film on the bottom (you might not get a film if your pan is nonstick), about 4 minutes.
• Turn the dough out into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or into a large bowl that you can use with a hand mixer. Start beating the dough, while adding the eggs one by one, and beating for a minute after each goes in. You’ll have a smooth, shiny dough. Lastly, beat or stir in the cheese.
• Scoop out balls of dough with a small cookie scoop (one with a capacity of 2 teaspoons) or use a spoon to get balls of that size, and arrange them on the baking sheet or sheets, leaving a scant 2 inches between them. (Note: You can make the puffs ahead to this point and freeze them on the baking sheets until solid, then pack airtight and freeze for up to 2 months.)
• Sprinkle the tops of the puffs with a few flakes of sea salt. Bake the puffs for 30 minutes; if you’re baking two sheets, quickly rotate the sheets from top to bottom and front to back after 15 minutes. Turn off the oven, open the door a crack — prop it slightly a jar with a wooden spoon if it won’t stay — and let the puffs dry for about 10 minutes; they should feel firm, and you should be able to peel them off the paper easily.
• Serve immediately — although these are delicious warm or at room temperature, they are really at their best when they’re hot. If you must hold them, you can give them a few minutes in a 350-degree oven to refresh before serving.