Choux

Profiteroles
 

Choux (pronounced 'shoe') pastry is one of those versatile items that every budding chef should have as a part of their repertoire.  There is so many things that can be made with them:

•  Profiteroles and eclairs when stuffed with pastry cream

•  Croquembouche

•  Crullers

• Beignets when fried

• St Honore Gateau when topped with cream

•  Paris Brest when ring shaped and filled with cream (this was developed by a patisserie chef who lived near the Tour de France route and made the bicycle wheel shaped cake in the race's honour)

• Religeuses when coffee flavoured

• Gourgeres when filled with cheese and savory fillings

White Choc Eclairs

  

The origins of choux began with the head chef of Catherine de Medici, she was the Italian woman who married a French King and took her entire court with her to France when she moved.  In 1540, Chef Panterelli invented a cake named Pate a Panterelli which used a hot pastry.  Chef Avice made various variations and produced Choux buns, named because they resembled cabbages (Choux being the french word for cabbage).  It was Antoine Careme in the 19th century who perfected the recipe to what we use today.

Choux pastry has no rising agent. As it is a moist dough, steam is used as the leavener, which is why you cannot open the oven door whilst they are baking.

Dry ball of pastry

 

The process begins by combining the milk, butter, salt and sugar in a saucepan. Bring it to the boil.  Remove from the heat and add in the sifted flour.  Mix well and place it back on a medium heat.  Cook the dough, stirring with a wooden spoon until the dough resembles a dry ball.

Transfer the dough to a bowl.  Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each addition.

 In order to shape the dough, place it into a piping bag with a large nozzle attached.  In these examples, I shaped round balls for profiteroles and long sausage shaped dough for eclairs.

Bake in a preheated oven for 30 minutes at 190 degrees Celcius.  Turn down oven to 150 degrees Celcius and bake for a further 15 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack, fill with cream of your choice and top with chocolate. A french patisserie chef who lives in Perth gave me a hint that I will share with you..if you slit the choux as soon as they come out of the oven, it allows the steam to escape which means you are not left with soggy pastry.

Initially, I sliced my choux down the middle and sandwiched cream between the two layers.  This proved to be very messy when eating them.  

Sandwiched creme

How the professionals fill them

When I consulted with my local choux specialist, I found them to be piercing the whole choux and piping cream into the pastry.  The commercially made choux were very light and fluffy, as were mine.  Their pastries were decorated beautifully, whereas mine could have been better topped, but when it came to the filling, my creme patissier was creamy and tasted of vanilla.  The store bought choux cream filling tasted eggy.

Mim made

Store Bought

Well, there it is.  Here are the ingredients for you all to try:

200 ml full cream milk

90 g unsalted butter

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

120 g plain flour

 3 eggs

Well, there's nothing left for you all to do but have a go yourselves, and you too can enjoy the fruits of your labour!

Taste Testing