How to make Choux Pastry (Pâte à Choux)

Ingredients

150 ml Water

1/2 Tsp Salt

113 gm Butter

142 gm Plain Flour

4 Eggs

Method 

Line a baking tray with grease proof paper, also note that you can brush the parchment paper on the tray with water, which creates humidity, allowing the pastry shells to puff out without drying.

Flour Butter and water	Eggs added	Nozzle put into piping bag

Boil water with butter. Add salt and flour over medium heat until it forms a ball. Mix till cold. Take off fire. Add eggs one at a time and beat well.

For mini chocolate eclairs or Choux buns (profiteroles, cream puffs)

Fill nozzle of Eclair syringe (If you are using the eclair syringe cut the length at around 1" if not it gets too large. Use an Eclair Syringe  or use a Wilton 1 A nozzle, pipe onto greased floured tray/a tray lined with parchment paper.

Choux pastry filled bag	Choux pastry ready for fridge	Water brushed on parchment paper

Bake at 200°C for 20-25 minutes. When you take out the eclairs either cut small vents in each or poke a hole with a chopstick and place the eclairs back on the tray - into the turned off oven and keep the door slightly ajar for 10-15 minutes, this dries out the interior perfectly.

Piped out choux pastry	Ready for oven

NB: NEVER open the oven door, before the time is up. This can cause the pastry to collapse.

The dried out choux pastry ready for filling

The inside of a choux pastry is filled with hot, humid air. If not released, this steam will condense and turn the shell soggy.

If by chance you do get choux pastry gone wrong never throw it away, Just add milk another egg and a few slices of bread, sugar, vanilla and make a bread pudding!! it was yummy, I caramelized the sugar in the Pyrex dish before adding the bread, egg, raisins, sugar and choux pastry gone wrong cut into small pieces.

Bread/Choux Pudding