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Choux Pastry – Pâte à Choux Puffs

Pâte à Choux
Pâte à Choux Puffs

Serving some of the most elegant of desserts, like éclairs, cream puffs, profiteroles and croquembouches requires mastering the Pâte à choux pastry dough.    Other baked uses include crullers, gougères and St. Honoré cake.   The same dough can be fried to make beignets and churros.

I wrote an earlier post on Chocolate Eclairs and shared that I started using pâte à choux for éclairs when I was a teen at 15 years old for éclairs served during the holidays.   The surprise is how easy it is to make and how few ingredients are used: butter, water, salt, flour and eggs (some recipes add sugar).   Éclairs were a family winter holiday tradition and was a highly anticipated contribution to our gathering festivities.   Reflecting back, part of those cherished memories was being a part of new traditions and my loved ones that enjoyed them…me and my éclairs.

Over many years, my tried and true recipe comes from an old cookbook, “The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook.”

Choux Paste
source The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook by Zoe Coulson


12 cream puffs; 10 eclairs (depends on size of pastry)

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

4 eggs

Directions

Prepare 2 large cookie sheets with non-stick spray OR use Silpats.

In a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, heat butter, water and salt until butter mixture boils.  Remove from heat.

Add flour all at once.  With wooden spoon, vigorously stir until mixture forms a ball and leaves side of pan.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Add eggs to flour mixture, one at a time, beating well after each addition, until smooth.  Cool mixture slightly.

Cream Puffs: If you are using the choux paste for cream puffs, use a large spoon and rubber spatula, drop batter onto cookie sheets in large mounds, 3 inches apart, swirling top of each.  Bake 50 minutes.   Cut slit in side of each shell and bake 10 minutes longer.  Turn off oven; dry shells in oven 10 minutes.  Cool on rack.

Éclairs: If you are using the choux paste for éclairs, drop by 1/4 cupfuls onto cookie sheet 2 inches apart, and in rows 6 inches apart, to make 10.  Spread each mound into rectangle, rounding edges  to form 5″ by 3/4″ rectangles (or you can use a pastry bag to pipe).   Bake 40 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cut slit in side of each shell and bake 10 minutes longer.  Turn off oven; dry shells in oven 10 minutes.  Cool on rack.

Puffs can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 day.

Croquembouche
Croquembouche

Chocolate Eclairs

This month’s Daring Baker’s Challenge was a Croquembouche. I wasn’t happy with the end result as the caramel/sugar coating on the top that was used as both deco and adhesive was too hard. I wouldn’t want to bite into a hard piece of sugar coating like that on a delicately textured pastry. If I made it again, I would use chocolate.

The May 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Cat of Little Miss Cupcake. Cat challenged everyone to make a piece montée, or croquembouche, based on recipes from Peter Kump’s Baking School in Manhattan and Nick Malgieri.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Lisa says

    Oh wow, your puffs are golden ‘puffed’ perfection and your crqoquembouche is stunning! However, I would give anything to have that eclair in front of me right this very second! Beautiful choux work and gorgeous photos!

  3. Cristina, from Buenos Aires to Paris says

    Hi Cristina,

    Your choux look lovely, but what I appreciate the most is your honesty when saying that you had some trouble with the croquembouche…I have seen chefs here in Paris having trouble with it, so I was surprised to see that people with no professional training seemed to find it so easy….I do not believe that an amateur can make a croquembouche that easily, or else all the chefs here are dumb, and I do not think that is the case !!!

  7. Trix says

    Your puffs turned out beautifully! And your croquembouche looks good – that’s all that matters ; )

  8. betty says

    you’ll have to send some over here right now otherwise i think i might start eating the screen 🙂

    these look great thanks for the tips of eclairs and cream puffs !! xx

  9. Jeanne says

    That eclair looks wonderful! And the puffs are beautiful! I agree that the caramel was a bit too hard to chew, but it does look gorgeous. Love the cherry garnish! 🙂

  14. Teenie Cakes says

    @ceecee, @Julie M., @Belinda @Zomppa, @MaryMoh, @Emily @Cleanliness, @Roti n Rice, @Daydreamer Desserts, @Rick, @5 Star Foodie: Thank you! It was a good challenge.

    @wannafoodie – I like how you phrase that…”maiden macaron voyage” I’m still on the macaron voyage as it is still beating me!

    @Theresa – most of the time the choux is pretty easy. Every once in a awhile it can turn out deflated!

    @Evelyne@CheapEthnicEatz – Thanks Evelyn. I’m cravin’ an eclair too (could never get tired of eclairs!).

    @Judy – Hi Judy – You’d be surprised how fun and self-satisifying it is to make things with choux paste!

    @Natalie – Had a hard time with the caramel and then to find out it was to hard to comfortably bite into was disappointing. I tried using toothpicks too. Was a fun challenge! =)

    @Barbara Bakes – I’m glad you thought so too, about the caramel. Wasn’t sure if it turned out so hard as part of a mistake on my part! 🙂

    @redkathy – Thank you Ms. Kathy. Aren’t eclairs just one of the best desserts/pastries?

    @citronevanille – Thank you Silva. I’ll be looking forward to your St Honore post, as you make the most beautiful and professional looking dishes!

    @denise @quickies on the dinner table – Thank you Denise. Eclairs are my weakness too!

  16. citronetvanille says

    Hey Cristina, I was just thinking to make St Honoré, or cream puffs!You did it before me! :o) – Those choux are absolutely perfect, and mouth watering. Even though not a big dessert person, I love choux and chouquettes because they’re not too sweet. Outstanding job!

  17. redkathy says

    Oh wow those pastries look superb! Maybe one day I’ll rise to this baking caliber…. Eclairs are my all time favorite pastries. Beautiful photography.

  24. Natalie says

    Great croquembouche and love the eclairs!
    Agree on the caramel part, but as I found out, with the chocolate glaze it doesn’t stick as well and it’s hard to avoid using toothpicks as a crutch :).

  26. Judy says

    Oh, your cream puffs and eclaire look SO beautiful! I’ve never tried to make either – always buying them, but I’m inspired to try one day. 🙂

  29. wannafoodie says

    Fantastic! I have always wanted to make choux pastry goodies but have yet to try. Now that I have had my maiden macaron voyage, I will have to set my sights on these!

    • Teenie Cakes says

      Thanks Lisa! I’m not sure I’d do the croquembouche again. Had a heck of a time with it and it kept collapsing. Maybe I’ll try again during the holidays after the trauma wears off! =)

  34. bunkycooks says

    Your croquembouche looks beautiful! I am in the mountains and could not get my puffs to rise, so I gave up. 🙁 The mountains seem to be doing me in these days! I am glad yours looks so lovely. BTW, I could really use a chocolate eclair right now!!

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