Cream Puffs (Choux Pastry)

Helga Glaesel de BlandingFebruary 9, 2012

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There are a few recipes I’ve been wanting to make, some of them for years. One of them in particular, which has even become an inside joke with Kitty. I’ve been wanting to make a croquembouche for at least 3 years now, I always plan to make it for the Holidays, but never get around to do it. As God is my witness, I will make a croquembouche!

This year, Christmas came and went… No croquemboche. As a consolation prize, I made cream puffs. I figured I could at least try to make part of a croquembouche and see how that goes.

With much fear, I followed Martha Stewart’s directions on how to make choux pastry. I had already made cream puffs before, but the last time I tried was probably 12 years ago. The recipe is a success! I am a Martha Stewart believer again. (You know I’ve had my disappointments with her baking recipes).

You can fill your choux pastry puffs with whipped cream, as a variation use pastry cream or ice cream. You can dust them with confectioner’s sugar, drizzle with melted chocolate or… my favorite, but I was too lazy to do it, with caramel.

Valentine’s Day idea:
Use a little red food coloring to give your whipped cream a pinkish color. Try using just one drop, you can always add more.

Cream Puffs (Choux Pastry)

Recipe by Martha Stewart

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
1 large egg white

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside. Combine butter, salt, and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan, and place over medium heat. Cook until butter is melted and the water just comes to a boil.
Remove from heat, add flour, and stir rapidly. Return the pan to the heat, and cook mixture, stirring constantly, until it comes together and pulls away from the sides of the saucepan, about 5 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat, and let cool for 5 minutes.
Add eggs one at a time, beating until they are completely incorporated and the pastry is smooth. Transfer the pastry to a bag fitted with a small coupler. Pipe about 1/2 tablespoon of the pastry into a mound on the prepared baking sheet; continue piping until all the pastry is used, spacing pastry about 1 1/2 inches apart. Combine egg white with remaining 1 tablespoon of water, and brush the top of each mound with the egg wash. Bake until the puffs are golden brown all over, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely.