PATE A CHOUX - CHOCOLATE CREAM PUFFS

By porklion

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.

Chocolate pastry cream - In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, flour and cornstarch. In a saucepan, bring the milk and cream to a simmer; whisk 1/2 cup of the mixture into the eggs, then whisk the egg-milk mixture into the saucepan. Cook the pastry cream over low heat, whisking constantly, until thick, 2 minutes. Off the heat, whisk in the dark chocolate until melted. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cool, about 2 hours.