Choux Pastry or Pâte à Choux

Prep Time:

Bake/Cook Time:

35m - 40m

Yield:

About 20 Choux Paste

Choux Pastry, or Pâte à Choux, is used to make eclairs, cream puffs, croquembouche and is perhaps the most popular dessert made at home by Europeans. Fillings can be pastry cream with or without fruit, whipped cream, ice cream and savory such as chicken salads and others. In professional bakeries, choux paste is often made only once a week and the non-filled pastry “shells” are frozen. When needed they are defrosted, placed briefly in oven, and filled as required. You can successfully do the same at home.

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Products Used

Extra Fine Granulated Pure Cane Sugar Bag

Ingredients

1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, in slices
1 cup + 3 tablespoons bread or all-purpose flour*
4-5 Large eggs

*Spoon & Sweep method: Use a spoon to fill measuring cup with flour until required amount is obtained. Scooping measuring cup directly into flour bag will firmly pack flour resulting in too much flour required for recipe.

Directions

Preheat oven to 380°F. In a saucepan, large enough to hold all ingredients bring milk, water, salt, sugar, and butter to a boil.
Remove boiling mixture from heat source and rapidly stir in flour with a wooden or firm heat-resistant rubber spatula.
Return mixture to heat source and stir over heat for at least 2 minutes or until mixture forms a ball and leaves a dry-looking dough film on bottom of pan.
Remove from heat. Incorporating eggs can be done using a stand mixer or handheld mixer. Either drop batter in a mixer bowl fitted with paddle attachment or in a regular bowl.
Quickly mix in one egg, once fully incorporated add next. Keep repeating until 4 eggs are added. Mix until mixture is smooth and shiny. Batter should be glossy and be slightly firmer than mayonnaise. If it is still a little too firm, beat remaining egg and add just enough for mixture to be glossy yet firm enough to hold a piped shape.
Fill a piping bag with a plain tip of about 1/2-inch diameter. Pipe batter evenly into 1.25-inch diameter domes, about 1 inch apart. Alternatively, drop in 2-3 tablespoon amounts onto cookie sheet.
Sprinkle with a thin even coat of powdered sugar. This trick will provide a much smoother and even surface cream puff or éclair.
Place in oven, after 10 minutes reduce temperature down to 350°F, bake until very dry and crisp and deep golden. About 35-40 minutes. Do not underbake as this will cause puffs to collapse. When you believe they are done, take one (ugly) puff out oven and feel its sides, it should feel crisp. Let sit for 1-2 minutes, if puff dies not collapse, remove all others from the oven.
Once cold, puffs can be frozen and later filled. Defrost and place in oven at 375°F until crisp, about 4-5 minutes.