Welcome to week 3 of The BAKEAWAY! Today we’re making pate a choux we’ll turn both sweet and savory. We’ll make a single batch of pate a choux batter and you’re welcome to make the puffs all sweet, all savory, or split the batter in two and make half sweet and half savory.
You can make one version or both. Here’s what you’ll need for both below:
- Rimmed baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Measuring cups and measuring spoons
- Liquid measuring cups
- Medium saucepan
- Spatula
- Stand mixer with paddle and whisk attachment or electric hand mixer
- Cheese grater
- Small cutting board and knife
- Large pastry bag fitted with Ateco 809 tip (optional)
- Medium bowls
- Whisk
- Spoon
BAKEAWAY 2020 Week 3: Cream Puffs and Gougeres
Sweet and savory puffs using the magic of eggs!
Ingredients
Scale
- For the Pate a Choux
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup (1 stick, 113 grams) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- scant 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/4 (156 grams) cups all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
- For Cream Filling
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Dash of cinnamon and nutmeg
- For Maple Glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1–2 tablespoons whole milk
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon maple flavoring (optional)
- For Savory Puffs
- ¾ cup finely grated gruyere cheese
- 2 tablespoons finely diced chives
- ½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- Pinch of garlic powder
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center and upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- To make the pate a choux, combine the water, butter, and salt in a medium saucepan, over medium heat and bring to a rolling boil.
- Remove the pan from the heat, and add the flour all at once, using a spatula to stir quickly and vigorously.
- Return the pan to the burner and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture smooths to a glossy consistency and pulls away from the sides of the pan. The mixture will also steam and cook off some of the water.
- Remove the pan from the heat, and let the mixture cool for 10 minutes. The mixture will still be warm but place in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on low speed for 1 minute.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing for 1 full minute between each addition. The mixture will look curdled with the first two eggs. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure all of the ingredients are mixed evenly. The batter will be smooth and glossy after the last egg is added. Beat for 2 minutes after adding the last egg.
- If you’re making savory puffs, now is the time to stir in the cheese chives, pepper, and garlic.
- Using a generously large cookie scoop, or a level muffin scoop, drop the thick batter onto the prepared baking sheets in 1/4-cup mounds. Space the mounds about 3? apart, to allow for expansion. Alternately, you could place the batter in a piping bag fitted with a large round tip (like Ateco 809) and pipe the batter onto the parchment.
- Bake the pastries for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for an additional 20 minutes, until pastries are a medium golden brown. Don’t open the oven door while the pastries are baking.
- Turn off the oven and remove the pastries from the oven. Make a small slit in the top of each, and return them to the oven for 5 minutes, to allow the steam to escape. Place them on a rack to cool.
- When the puffs are cool enough to handle, split each in half to make top and bottom pieces; splitting and exposing the centers to air will help keep them from becoming soggy.
- To make the cream, whip together cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla into soft peaks. Enough so that cream holds its shape in medium peaks.
- To make the maple glaze, stir together all of the ingredients until smooth and thick but pourable. Add a splash more milk if necessary.
- Just before serving, generously spoon whipped cream into the puffs and place the top of the puff over the cream. Drizzle with maple glaze and serve.
