Cream Puffs

Cream Puff Collage

So, holiday time is over and hoping that everyone enjoyed theirs.  I had a quiet but nice holiday myself and am thankful for all my friends who made it special while I wait for my children to return from Florida!

First let me begin by saying that this was so very simple and easy to make that I could kick myself for not doing it sooner and for letting it intimidate me.  NEVER EVER let anything intimidate you! You are in control and if you don't get it  right the first time there is always a second, a third a fourth, a fiftieth; the important thing is to try it and then see if it is even worth your while to try to perfect it.  That being said I will begin by saying this; there is a french term called mis en place and translates as "everything in its place" meaning to get your items out and all together before hand.  I did not! The result was that I was scrambling around like a crazy person because I thought i put something out and did not!  So this time around I definitely will get everything out first, I might even measure it out and put it in little dishes like they do on television!  And that is exactly what I did this past weekend, I applied the mis en place technique and was quite pleased to feel much more in charge for my cooking rather then it in charge of me

I looked up and read over and over several various recipes for the puffs and they all pretty much said the same thing but  Emeril Lagasse made it the easiest to understand, he simplified it and I needed that, being a first time puff maker.  It is actually called Pate a Choux (patay ah shoo) but I like to refer to them as puffs and here is the recipe I used.  This recipe is for MINI SIZED, something I forgot when I was piping them because I was so excited over the ease of this recipe.  Next time my focused goal will be the shape and the fact that if I want more then 12 I must make a double batch.  No need for that, I just need to perfect the puff and can always make more later.  The important thing is to use what you have right away, the ingredients do not lend to the fact that it will deflate but it must say to use immediately for a reason, so we follow that direction.

    1 cup water
    1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
    1 tablespoon sugar
    1/4 tsp. salt
    1 cup plus 2 tablespoons bread flour
    4 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (I used wax paper and stuck it to the pan with butter in the corners). Set aside.

In a heavy bottomed 1-quart saucepan-combine the water, butter, sugar and salt. Bring to a rolling boil. Remove from the heat and add the flour, all at once, to the pan and quickly stir vigorously to incorporate the flour into the liquid.

Return the pan to the stove, and over a medium-low heat, continue to cook and stir the dough over the fire. Do this until the dough pulls away from the sides of the pan and forms a ball. Remove the dough from the saucepan, and place in an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.

Mix the dough on low speed until the dough is cooled down to about 140 degrees F, which is still quite warm to the touch, but cool enough to prevent the eggs from cooking if added to the dough.

Raise the speed of the mixer to medium, and add 1 of the eggs to the dough and mix until completely incorporated. Continue adding the remaining eggs, 1 at a time, waiting until each egg is incorporated before adding the next egg.

Immediately transfer the dough to a piping bag with a large, round tip. Pipe round circles or whatever shape you desire onto the pan.  However, if you are looking to fill cream puffs or eclairs you have to follow the instructions for those recipes, this is just your basic pate a choux recipe that can be used for many desserts and savory treats.

Do not pipe them too closely together as they will need space to expand as they bake. Place the sheet pan in the oven and bake for 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F, and continue to bake until they are dried out, about 22 minutes longer. Turn the oven off and remove from the oven. Using the tip of a pairing knife, cut a small slit in the side of each puff near the bottom. Place the puffs back on the baking sheet and place back in the oven, propping the oven door open so they can dry out as they cool, about 1 hour or until the oven is cool.

This recipe was SO DAUNTING because only the "professionals" can take on something this difficult...PISH POSH to all that nonesense!!!  if you can BOIL WATER you can make cream puffs, if you have made mac and cheese for your kids you can make cream puffs! if you have melted butter for shrimp you can make cream puffs.  I hope my step by step instructions have helped you to see that! it is after all the reason for this blog!  To let the ordinary average every day cook know that all these terms that chefs use, when broken down are just so simple...so don't be intimidated...GET IN THAT KITCHEN and do something crazy!!!!

Storage tips below are from http://www.baking911.com/pastry/pateachoux.htm and I have not tried it yet, I would prefer to serve mine the same day, fresh and hot but when you have parties or special events, sometimes storage is the better option!

Refrigerator: If thoroughly baked, unfilled cream puffs may be refrigerated for a couple of days, but it does stale quickly, so I recommend freezing, instead.Before refrigerating, you'll first want to cut them open and remove the strands of dough to prevent sogginess. Wrap all puffs individually after they have cooled and before freezing. Place them is a resealable plastic bag being careful not to put too many in at once.

Freezer: If you have more dough than you need or want to make them in advance, bake all of it and freeze the finished puffs for up to 3 months (best at one month) and an airtight container and keep away from freezer odors. There's no need to cut cream puffs open or remove the strands of dough before freezing. Thaw at room temperature. To crisp, unwrap and place in a 325 degree F oven until warm. Let cool and fill as desired.

INTERESTING FACT ON THE ORIGINAL PATE A CHOUX:  A note about Pâte à choux in the 1760's: "Cooked potatoes were mashed. Eggs were added, and the mixture was shaped with a spoon into balls that vaguely resembled little cabbages. This potato batter was replaced by a more modern version that used a white roux instead of potatoes. This version was perfected in 1760 by the famous Pastry Chef Avice..." From The Professional French Pastry Series Book.

I remember now that if we had leftover potatoes in my house, my dad would add an uncooked egg to the mashed potatoes and put it in a skillet and cook it until i don't know when he assumed it was through, but it was quite tasty so he might have gotten this idea from his mother, who got it from hers.

Happy Eating from the Kitchen Gypsy