Champagne and Citrus Pound Cake
Champagne and citrus are meant to be together; that’s why mimosas taste so good. This pound cake is zesty and sweet with all the right textures. It’s slightly crunchy on the outside with a buttery and...
Mastering Choux Pastries
Choux Pastry Dough
Makes about 20 small pastries
½ cup unsalted butter
½ cup water
½ cup milk
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
4 large eggs, whisked
Combine the butter, water, milk, salt and sugar in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat and stir until the butter has melted and the mixture begins to simmer. Turn the heat to low and add the flour. With a wooden spoon, stir the mixture together vigorously until it starts to resemble a thick ball of dough. Mash the dough against the bottom and sides of the pan for 1 minute to gently cook the flour.
Transfer the hot dough to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a large bowl for a hand mixer. Let the dough cool for about 5 minutes so the eggs don’t cook in the next step. With the stand mixer running on the lowest speed, add about 1 whisked egg and let it mix for 15 seconds. The mixture will look curdled, but it will come together.
Keep adding 1 whisked egg every 15 seconds. When there is about 1 egg left, add it about a teaspoon at a time, because you may not need all of it. Stop adding the egg when the dough has become smooth, shiny and pipeable and it falls from the paddle attachment when lifted.
This choux pastry dough can be used immediately or covered and placed in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It would be piped into hot oil for churros or into a log shape for eclairs. Use the following instructions for cream puffs, profiteroles and other savory variations.
Baking
Preheat the oven to 400°. Line two baking trays with parchment paper and moisten the parchment paper with water to help the pastries puff up in the oven.
Transfer the choux pastry dough to a piping bag. You can fit the piping bag with a 1A piping tip or simply cut the end off to make a ⅞-inch hole. Pipe the dough onto the moistened parchment paper in 2-inch-wide mounds, roughly 3 inches apart. With a wet fingertip, gently smooth out the peaks on top of each mound.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, when they should be puffed up and just starting to brown. Keep the oven door shut and reduce the temperature to 350°. Bake an additional 7 to 10 minutes, until the pastries are evenly golden brown. Remove from the oven and let them come to room temperature before filling.
Variations and Fillings
Once your adorable cabbage-shaped pastries are cool, the variations and fillings are limitless.
- Cream puffs: Poke a piping bag into the side of the pastry (or simply slice the pastry in half horizontally) and fill with whipped cream or pastry cream. Top with a sprinkle of powdered sugar.
- Profiteroles: Slice your pastries in half, dollop your favorite ice cream in the middle, and top with a drizzle of chocolate ganache.
- Gougères: Before baking the pastry dough, mix shredded Gruyère cheese and spices into the dough for a savory treat. This is a favorite French apéritif snack, served hot out of the oven. You can also slice the gougères in half and fill with thinly sliced prosciutto, arugula and your favorite soft cheese to make a meal of them.
Whipped Cream
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Whip all of the ingredients with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
Chocolate Ganache
¼ cup heavy cream
4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
Pinch of salt
Place the chocolate and salt in a heat-safe bowl and set aside. Heat the heavy cream in a saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to simmer. Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Use this sauce on top of your filled pastries while it is warm.
Gougères
6 ounces grated Gruyère or Parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Once you have added the whisked eggs to the choux pastry dough, add the above ingredients and gently mix with a rubber spatula until incorporated. Transfer to a piping bag and follow the same baking instructions.
Serving and Storing
For the best texture and flavor, choux pastries are best served shortly after baking. Baked, unfilled choux pastries can be stored for 1 day at room temperature, 5 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer. Most filled pastries can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
I like to make choux pastry dough in advance and store it in the refrigerator until ready to bake and serve. For a profiterole party, set out a few flavors of ice cream and let your guests choose their filling, with the warm ganache nearby for drizzling. Make a double batch of pastry dough and have a few sweet and a few savory variations laid out for your next holiday party—it’s sure to impress!
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