Pâté a Choux

 Choux Paste is an incredibly versatile pastry dough that can be used for both savory (think popovers) or sweet (think cream puff or eclair).    This recipe has been derived from one of Julia Childs, and works really well.  Once cooked, these little morsels have a crisp outside and a soft, hollow interior.  Fill these as you like, but they are delicious filled with our Chocolate Mousse recipe and the tops dipped in our chocolate ganache.  YUM!

• 1/2 C milk
• 1/2 C water
• 7 T unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 T sugar
• 1 t salt
• 1 1/2 C flour
• 5 to 6 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 egg beaten with 1 T water, for egg wash

Bring milk, water, butter, sugar, and salt to a full boil, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon.

While continuing to stir, add all of the flour all at once.  Keep stirring and cooking until the flour is completely incorporated and forms a ball, and a light crust forms on the bottom of the pan.

Right away, if you have a stand mixer, add the flour mixture to the bowl, if not, remove the saucepan from the heat and add the eggs to the pan. 

(With the stand mixture, use the paddle attachment and keep the speed low.)  Add the eggs one at a time making sure that they are incorporated before you add the next egg.  

Be sure to check the mixture before you add the last egg, because you may not need it.  The mixture will be ready when you pull up the paddle attachment or the wooden spoon and it pulls along with it some of the batter, then it detaches and forms a slowly bending peak.  If this does not happen, add the last egg.

Fill a Ziplock bag with the dough, and snip off the corner.

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.  For Cream Puffs, while the dough is still warm, pipe 3 or 4 inch coins on a parchment paper covered jelly roll pan.

Wet your finger and gently press the little "tails" down gently.  Brush the egg wash over each of the puffs.

Bake for 15 minutes, and then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and cook for another 10 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown and sound hollow.  Once you take them out of the oven, poke a small hole in them with the tip of a sharp knife to let out the steam.

Click here to print the entire recipe!