Sweet Choux Pastry Recipes

CHOUX PASTRY (FOR CREAM PUFFS, ECLAIRS, ETC)

Steps:

• Chop butter, melt in water and just bring to boiling. Immediately add flour, and mix well with wooden spoon, until it forms a dough that leaves the side of the pan (it looks really gross and clumpy at first, but as you keep stirring it fixes itself). Remove from heat and cool 2 minutes.
• For a sweet pastry, add the sugar to the beaten eggs. Stir in the eggs, mixing until it look like dough again (this is gross at first too).
• Now you have many choices: using a pastry bag or spoon, shape the dough as desired (for puffs: use a spoon or pipe a mound, eclairs: pipe a line, rings: pipe a circle, profiteroles: pipe a mound w/star tip) onto a greased cookie sheet. Keep in mind that it will grow to aprox 3xs its size when done.
• Bake at 425 'til it looks crisp and golden, about 30 mins for half dollar sized puffs. Cut in half, or cut a slit in the side to let the steam escape- if you don't do this fairly quickly they get soggy inside.
• They save for a while in tupperware, unless they're filled. You are supposed to fill them with freshly whipped cream that has a touch of powdered sugar and vanilla or almond added in, but I just fill them with buttercream frosting because its cheaper and tastes pretty good too.

SWEET OR SAVORY PATE A CHOUX

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Boil water, butter, and salt or sugar. Add flour and remove from heat. Work mixture together and return to heat. Continue working the mixture until all flour is incorporated and dough forms a ball. Transfer mixture into bowl of a standing mixer and let cool for 3 or 4 minutes. With mixer on stir or lowest speed add eggs, 1 at a time, making sure the first egg is completely incorporated before continuing. Once all eggs have been added and the mixture is smooth put dough into piping bag fitted with a round tip. Pipe immediately into golfball-size shapes, 2 inches apart onto parchment lined sheet pans. Cook for 10 minutes, then turn the oven down to 350 degrees F and bake for 10 more minutes or until golden brown. Once they are removed from the oven pierce with a paring knife immediately to release steam.

CHOUX PASTRY

Steps:

• Sift the flour and salt together
• Put the water and butter into a saucepan. Heat slowly until the butter melts, then bring to a brisk boil.
• Remove from the heat and tip in all the flour. Stir briskly until the mixture forms a soft ball and leaves the sides of the pan clean.
• Remove from the heat and cool slightly. Add the eggs very gradually, beating hard until the mixture is smooth, shiny and firm enough to stand in soft peaks when lifted with a spoon. It is important to beat the mixture vigorously at this stage to trap in as much air as possible. A hand held electric mixer is ideal for this purpose.
• If not baking immediately, leave the mixture in the saucepan and cover with a lid to prevent the pastry drying out.
• Bake in an oven preheated to 200 - 220‚°C (400 - 425‚°F) mark 6 - 7. When the choux pastry is removed from the oven it should be pierced immediately to make a small hole to allow steam to escape.
• Storing Choux pastry isn't recommended however, you can freeze either, uncooked, piped into the desired shape, or cooked but left unfilled and undecorated

LIGHT CHOUX PASTRY WITH SWEET CUSTARD FILLING AND FRESH STRAWBER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine the water and butter in a large pot and bring the mixture to a boil. Add in the flour and salt, stirring until the mix takes on the shape of a ball. Move the dough ball into a bowl, and rapidly beat in the eggs, taking care to mix quickly as to not cook the eggs. Use two spoon to roughly mold and transfer the dough to an ungreased baking sheet. Be sure not to use an ice cream scooper, because it will cause your pastries to be too dense and take on a doughnut-hole texture. Bake the pastries for 22-25 minutes until puffy and golden. While still in the oven, use a toothpick or chopstick to poke a whole in each of the pastries. This will allow the hot air to escape, and keep the cream puff from collapsing. Allow to cool completely.
• To make the egg yolk custard, combine the flour and cornstarch in a small bowl and set aside. On medium heat, combine the milk, vanilla, and butter, allowing it to simmer, but stirring constantly to keep from burning the milk and creating lumps. Beat the eggs and sugar together until frothy. Stir in the mixture, whisking constantly. When combined, add in the flour and cornstarch. Stir constantly until thickened. Add more sugar and vanilla to taste, you want the custard to be sweet.
• Allow the custard to cool completely. When cool, cut the pastry almost in half. Use a piping bag to pipe the desired amount of custard into the pastry. Add in cut strawberry halves, then pipe just a little more custard to the top to hold the pastry together. Garnish by drizzling melted bakers chocolate over the top with a fork and a dusting of powdered sugar.
• Best served slightly chilled!