116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Mad About Food: Perfect your pate a choux to make delicious pastries like cream puffs or eclairs
These little puff pastries can be made sweet or savory
The Gazette offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
It’s February and so many changes are being made already. Yet, I’m staying true to my plan to try new things. This month’s article features my first attempt at pate a choux, also known as cream puffs.
If you’ve been following my articles, first of all, thank you. Second, you know that I love versatility in my recipes and this one definitely hits the mark. These puff pastries come from very simple ingredients, but make a grand impact if done properly. You can create sweet or savory cream puffs from this pate a choux dough.
Although the fillings can vary in vast ways, you have to follow the directions to the letter or risk having eggy, hard and or dense puff pastry. I researched a lot of recipes before I tried my hand at it. I love watching cooking challenges and bake-off challenges, so that’s where I learned the most.
I had a great time making these and here is where I tell you what I learned.
- Each recipe requires a wooden spoon to mix the dough, but I didn’t have one so I used a rubber spatula.
- Remember to stop your mixer to scrape the sides down to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated.
- When piping your dough on to the baking sheet or mold be sure that you don’t leave gaps as they will show when baked.
- Stir flour into the boiling water quickly.
- Know that your pastry will puff up twice as big so be sure and calculate for that.
- Your filling should be sturdy.
- Baking temperature matters.
Recipe
Pate a Choux (Cream Puffs)
Ingredients
4 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 stick of butter cut into tablespoons
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup water
Directions
In a medium saucepan on medium high heat, boil the water, salt, sugar and butter.
Remove from heat then add flour and stir, preferably with a wooden spoon quickly until incorporated.
Add saucepan back to heat and stir constantly until dough pulls away from sides of the saucepan and a light film forms on the bottom of the pan, about 3 minutes or so.
At this point you want to transfer the dough to a stand-up mixer and mix about one minute to cool the dough before adding the eggs. (If you don’t have a stand-up mixer, let the dough cool for 5 minutes before adding the eggs.) Add the eggs one at a time on medium speed being sure to fully incorporate each egg before adding another one.
Once the last egg is incorporated, use your finger to tap the dough to see if a stiff peak appears — that’s the indication that your dough is ready for the piping bag.
You can simply cut the tip from a plastic bag or use a large piping tip like a number 10 or use a spoon.
The shape you use is up to you.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees and bake the pastries at 425 degrees for 15 minutes and then decrease the heat to 350 degrees and bake another 10 minutes.
Make sure to let them cool completely before filling them with the sweet or savory filling of your choice.
You can make this dough and store it in the piping bag or an airtight container for up to 2 days before baking.
Source: Michelle Madden
In trying new recipes give yourself grace and patience. Follow the directions to the letter and be mindful of what you noticed you could change or do better next time — practice makes perfect.
Now let’s get started rolling up our sleeves, washing our hands and get started making our very own version of pate a choux puff pastries.
Reach Michelle Madden at Da Munchie Plug LLC on Facebook.
Daily Newsletters