Pâte à Choux

By danyell923

chouquettes - Sprinkle each mound with 1/2 teaspoon pearl sugar. Bake for 30 minutes, until browned and puffed.

Gougeres - Sprinkle the mounds with 1 cup shredded gruyere cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, until browned and puffed

Cream Puffs - Bake the Choux for 30 minutes, until browned and puffed. Let cool completely. Using a serrated knife, halve each puff horizontally. Fill each one with 2 tablespoons sweetened whipped cream and 3 fresh raspberries, or 2 tablespoons chocolate pastry cream. Replace tops and dust with confectioners sugar.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 stick plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 200 grams all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 8 large eggs

Details

Servings 36
Cooking time 75mins
Adapted from foodandwine.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400°. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large saucepan, combine the water, butter, sugar and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to moderate. Add the flour all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until a tight dough forms and pulls away from the side of the pan, 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.

In a bowl, beat 7 eggs and add to the dough in four batches, stirring vigorously between additions until the eggs are completely incorporated and the pastry is smooth. The dough should be glossy and very slowly hang, stretch and fall from the spoon in thick ribbons. If necessary, beat in the remaining egg.

Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip. Pipe 1 1/2-inch mounds onto the baking sheets, leaving 1 inch between them. Proceed with Step 4 of one of the following three choux recipes: Chouquettes, Gougères, or Cream Puffs.