Basic Choux Pastry - butter

Method

• Preparation Cut the butter into small pieces.
• Sift the flour.
• Beat the eggs.
• Preheat the oven to 200C.
• Make the choux pastry Put the butter, water and milk in a saucepan and heat over medium.
• Turn the heat off once it comes to a boil.
• Add the flour in one go and beat vigorously until you have a ball of a paste.
• Return the sauce pan to the heat and heat over medium heat.
• When you can see a film of paste on the bottom of the pan, remove from the heat.
• Add the beaten eggs, a little at a time, until you obtain a consistency such that the paste drops slowly from a wooden spatula.
• Shape the choux paste Put the paste into a piping bag and pipe the paste into the sizes you want.
• Flatten the tips on top with a moistened finger.
• This is an easier way: Spoon similar portions of paste onto baking paper and shape the paste with your moistened hands.
• For soft choux, spray some water onto each portion of paste.
• If you don't have a sprayer, use moistened fingers to flick water onto them.
• For crispy choux, sprinkle the tops with granulated sugar instead of water.
• Bake the choux For large choux & eclairs, bake in a pre-heated oven to 200C for 15 minutes and reduce the temperature to 180C.
• Bake for approximately 10 minutes.
• For small choux, bake at 200C for 10 minutes, then at 180C for about 5 minutes.
• Adjust the baking time according to your oven.
• The crispy choux will burn easily, so cover with aluminum foil before the pastry has browned too much.
• For the choux cream filling, mix the custard and stiff-whipped double cream and fill the cooled choux pastries.
• Eclairs At Step 6, pipe the paste into thin oblongs, spray with water, and bake.
• Pipe the cream into the cooled pastries and spread melted chocolate on top.
• Try this variation!
• Tarte de Petit Choux