Pâte à Choux (Cream Puffs or Eclairs)

By kbwinson

From my sister, Teresa. They're good filled with ice cream and topped with Dulce de Leche Sauce (included).

Ingredients

• Pastries:
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick/3 ounces/85g) unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• Dulce de Leche Sauce:
• 1 can of sweetened condensed milk

Preparation

Step 1

Pastries:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 C).

In 2 quart saucepan, combine the butter and water.

On a piece of wax or parchment paper, sift together the flour, salt and sugar. Bring the water and butter to a rolling boil, remove from heat and dump the flour mixture in all at once. Stir with a wooden spoon or paddle to incorporate.

Return the saucepan to high heat and cook, stirring, for about one minute. The mixture will form a ball and coat the pan with a thin film.

Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl or stand mixer equipped with the paddle attachment. Mix the dough for a minute or so, on low speed, to release some of the heat. Add the eggs, one at a time, completely incorporating each one before adding the next. Beat until the dough gets thick and ribbony.

Fit a pastry bag with a round #5 tip and fill with the warm dough. Line a heavy cookie sheet with parchment paper and anchor it to the tray with a little dab of the dough at each corner. Pipe about 40 to 45 (1 1/2-inch) mounds (or 15 to 20 3-inch strips for éclair shells) about 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden and puffed. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F (180 C) and bake for another 10 minutes or until they are golden brown and there are no droplets of moisture in the crevices. Turn off oven and leave the choux to dry for another 10 minutes.

To fill, cut the puff in half around the equator, fill with ice cream (a small ice cream scoop or disher works best), and put the top back on. Other fillings: pastry cream, whipped cream (chocolate or plain), or ice cream when cool. You can also freeze the shells, wrapped in a plastic bag, for 2-3 months.

Makes 40 to 45 cream puff shells or 15 to 20 éclair shells.

Dulce de Leche Sauce:
Remove the label from the can, then completely remove the top of the can.

Set the can in a small saucepan and pour water to cover the bottom half of the can.

Bring the water to a simmer; simmer the can for 3 hours, stirring the sweetened condensed milk occasionally so that it heats evenly. The heat will slowly caramelize the sugars in the milk, turning it into caramel sauce.