On its own without any filling or accompaniment - Choux is pretty bland to taste; it's rarely served on its own. Either other ingredients are added to the dough to make it more flavorful like the cheese or the baked puffs get filled with pastry cream, ice cream, lemon curd or another delicious filling. You make any savory filling too, it taste good. The remaining, we had next day filled with jam and that too tasted yum!
I love chocolate éclairs. Since, there was a tub of ice cream in the refrigerator, decide to make ice Cream and chocolate Puffs - which are ideal accompaniments. The only draw back is that when you fill them with ice cream they have to eaten immediately or else the ice cream will start to melt and they will soften. These best to eat - is the day - they are baked.
Making the Choux Dough
Making the dough is a three-step process: First, the dough is made by adding flour to hot water and butter ; then the dough is cooked on the stove top for a few minutes to dry it out and cook the flour (which makes them taste better); and finally, the eggs are beaten into the dough in a mixer.
The second step is a tricky step - i. e. adding the eggs. Instead of adding all the eggs at once, or just following the recipe, it's important to only add as much egg as the dough will hold. If you add too many eggs, the dough will be too wet, the dough will smell eggy and then to pipe it, will be troublesome and the pastries will have trouble drying out in the oven.
So to avoid this whisk the eggs together — this helps them incorporate more easily and evenly into the dough, and also makes it easier to add just half an egg if you need to. With the mixer running, add the eggs in two or three additions. Stop before the last addition goes in and check the dough — if it's ready, it will hold its shape when scooped, and look soft, creamy and will be glossy .
Baking the Choux Pastry
Baking the choux is also a three-step process. You start with the oven at high - i.e. at 200 degrees temperature- to help the pastries puff, then after 7 to 10 minutes when you see them puff up - lower the temperature to 180 slightly to help them cook and to give them some golden color, and finally when they are done / baked, you take them out poke the pastries and one end with a toothpick to make sure no steam is trapped inside and lower the oven temperature to 150 or 160 degrees a third time to dry the pastries out.
Once they're dried take out on a cooling rack and then let them cool completely before filling them.
Now let's begin the process.
Ingredients
125 Ml Water
35 Grams Butter
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Sugar
70 Grams All purpose Flour
1/4 Teaspoon Vanilla Essence
2 Eggs
For filling
Melted Chocolate
Vanilla Ice Cream
Method
I have seen many recipes without essence, but I, have added it just to avoid the eggy smell. So this is optional.
In a saucepan combine the butter, water, sugar, essence and salt. Place the saucepan over medium high heat and bring to a rolling boil. The butter should be completely melted by the time the water comes to a boil; if not, reduce the heat until the butter has melted to avoid too much water evaporating, then bring it back to a boil.
Now take it off flame for a minute and add the flour all at once. Stir vigorously with a whisk to form a dough: Make sure all the flour is worked into the dough and no more dry flour remains. Once ready, the dough will resemble mashed potatoes.
Now place the pan back over medium heat. Stir the dough, with a wooden spoon or spatula , mashing and flattening it against the sides and bottom of the pan and then gathering it up into a ball again — this dries out the dough and cooks the flour. Continue cooking the dough for 3 to 5 minutes. The dough is ready when it pulls away from the sides of the pan to form a ball, the surface looks shiny and glossy and it's thick enough that you can stand a spoon upright in the middle.
Cool the dough, when the dough still slightly warm with a electric hand blender or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment.
Start pouring a little of the egg mix and whisk till the egg is fully incorporated and the then add again a little of the egg mix to the dough continue whisking in three separate additions.
As each addition is worked in, the dough will at first become stringy and and look like curdled milk,but continue whisking then will form back together into a soft dough. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed between each addition.
Check the dough: After the third addition, the dough should be soft, creamy-colored, and very smooth. It should also hold its shape when scooped. If you scoop up a little bit with your spatula and let it slide back into the bowl.
Line a grease the baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
Transfer the dough to a piping bag with a plain nozzle ( which I did not have ) . I cut the point enough to pipe so that a thick batter is piped.
Space the puffs slightly apart on the baking sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes, then turn down the oven temperature as mentioned above. When the pastries look puffed, after 18 minutes or so - exact baking time will depend on the size and shape of your puffs. Bake until the puffs are slightly puffed, golden-brown in color, and dry to the touch. They will detach easily from the parchment and feel hollow and light when you pick them up.
Then take them out and poke a tooth pick at one end and lower the heat to continue baking. Bake another 5 to 7 minutes or till the puffs are dried out. If you break one of the puffs open, it should not be wet or eggy on the inside; bake a few more minutes as needed.
Transfer the puffs to a cooling rack. Cool the puffs completely. Split each puff in half and arrange them on a plate.
To Serve
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or a microwave.
Place a small scoop of ice cream in the bottom half of each puffs and top with the lid. Drizzle melted chocolate on them.
Enjoy them immediately.. yum yum!
