Life by Chocolate

Chocolate, white, milk, dark, in all its forms forms life. Chocolate truffles, caramels, and other confections are at the core of enjoyment. This is life by chocolate because death by chocolate is the wrong attitude.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Pâte à choux recipe



This is a very simple recipe. The trick is to heat the dough as you do the final mixing. I like to keep the flame on and stir like crazy until the dough pulls away from the pot.

3/4 cup water
1/4 cup milk
1/4 t salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cup of bread flour (high gluten for lots of puffing)
4 large eggs

You can make a milk and egg wash to brush on when baking. For the éclair recipe I will be giving you I do not because I do not do this.

First line a baking sheet with parchment.

Mix water and milk into a sauce pan add salt and heat. Add butter and bring to a rapid boil. Then, when you have a boil, add the flour in all at once and stir until it pulls away from the bottom. Some people turn the heat off, I do not. I leave it on high. The paste should be heated to about 150F. But don't stop stirring.

Then put into a mixer with a paddle and start mixing it. This will cool it down. In 5 to 10 minutes, you'll get it cooled to about 140F. This is very important. At 140F, you can start adding the eggs. Add them one at a time. Don't add them too fast. Let each egg be absorbed into the paste.

For éclairs, I pipe using a #8 plain tip and to about 6 inches. I like fat éclairs. For cream puffs, pipe in a circle.

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