Description
This classic Choux Pastry (Pâte à Choux) recipe produces light, airy pastries perfect for éclairs, cream puffs, or profiteroles. The dough is cooked on the stovetop, then baked until golden and puffed, creating an ideal shell for a variety of sweet or savory fillings.
Ingredients
Scale
Liquids and Butter
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup unsalted butter
Dry Ingredients
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
Eggs
- 4 large eggs, beaten
- 1 large egg, beaten, for brushing pastries
Instructions
- Prepare Oven and Baking Sheet: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and brush the parchment with water to prevent sticking.
- Combine Liquids and Butter: In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the water, milk, unsalted butter, salt, and sugar. Bring this mixture to a rolling boil.
- Add Flour: Remove the saucepan from the heat and immediately add the flour. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the dough forms a smooth ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Return to low heat and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 more minutes to dry the dough slightly.
- Cool and Add Eggs: Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl and allow it to cool enough so the eggs won’t cook on contact. Add the beaten eggs one at a time, stirring thoroughly after each addition until the dough is smooth, glossy, and well combined.
- Pipe Pastries: Fit a piping bag with a round tip (1-2 cm wide) and fill it with the choux dough. Pipe the dough onto the prepared baking sheet in desired shapes like éclairs or small balls.
- Brush with Egg: Lightly brush the piped dough with the beaten egg to give a shiny, golden finish. Smooth down any peaks gently with your finger.
- Bake: Place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes at 425°F. Then reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and continue baking for 15-20 minutes more, until the pastries are puffed and golden brown.
- Cool and Pierce: Remove the pastries from the oven and quickly pierce each with a small knife or toothpick to release steam, preventing sogginess. Let the pastries cool completely on a wire rack.
- Fill and Serve: Once cool, fill the pastries with your choice of whipped cream, vanilla custard, jam, or any preferred filling before serving.
Notes
- Ensure the dough cools sufficiently before adding eggs to prevent scrambling.
- Piercing the pastries after baking is crucial to maintain their crispness.
- You can freeze baked pastries and fill them when ready to serve.
- Use fresh, room temperature eggs for better incorporation.
- Experiment with different fillings to customize your pastries.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
