The CookingBites Cookalong: Choux Pastry

[Morning Glory]

Have you ever made choux pastry? If not, now is your chance to try out a new technique. If you are an old hand then you can lend us your wisdom, share the results and perfect your techniques. Some say its easy to make choux - but to achieve the perfectly light and crisp result isn’t quite straightforward.

One of the the most famous uses for choux pastry is probably the chocolate eclair. But of course, choux pastries can be either sweet or savoury. They can also be made dairy free and gluten free.



Here is advice from Heston Blumenthal (famous for his scientific approach to cooking and for molecular gastronomy):

One of the most important points to follow when making choux pastry is to add the flour to the mix in one go. This is because gluten - the stuff in flour that can make dough tough and elastic - is activated by water. If the flour is added gradually to the fat and water mix, the first flour added will take up a lot more water than that added at the end. As a result, the first batch of flour will develop the gluten much more than any that is added later. This uneven gluten development will make the dough more elastic in some places than in others, so it will not rise evenly.

It is equally essential that the choux buns are crisp and cooked through. Too much gluten and the dough will not expand sufficiently under the evaporating steam to create the light profiteroles that we want; too little gluten and the dough will expand too quickly and end up bursting the buns.

Another problem with profiteroles is that they go soft pretty quickly. Traditionally, the buns are made a day or two in advance, then allowed to dry out, but I'd suggest drying them out overnight in a low oven.

Heston Blumenthal: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2003/apr/05/foodanddrink.shopping2

Here are two recipes by for reference, by Ruby Tandoh. The dairy free doughnuts look interesting:
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeand...x-pastry-recipe-eclairs-doughnuts-ruby-tandoh

And here is an example of dairy free and gluten free choux pastry:
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeand...-free-coffee-vanilla-creme-patissiere-eclairs

So its over to you to cook along - add your images and comments to this thread. Post any full recipes as new threads (with a link back here), please.

And good luck! I made a chocolate profiteroles back in the 80’s which I think were sort of OK but went a bit soggy. So - I'm certainly no expert here. Deadline: midday 31st March (GMT)

 

[Morning Glory]

Here is Delia's step by step recipe - very clear.

https://www.deliaonline.com/how-to-cook/baking/how-to-make-choux-pastry

 

[rascal]

I've tried to make this for chourois??? Sp, Mexican fried dessert. 3 different recipes 3 different times, shocking results. Some things I can't make or are bad at.

Russ

 

[Morning Glory]

I've tried to make this for chourois??? Sp, Mexican fried dessert. 3 different recipes 3 different times, shocking results. Some things I can't make or are bad at.

Russ

Churros I think. Yes they are a type of choux pastry. I'm glad you mentioned them as I hadn't thought about them in relation to this challenge. Wiki says (though it may not be accurate):

A churro (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈtʃuro], Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈʃuʁu]) is a fried-dough pastry—predominantly choux—based snack. Churros are traditional in Spain and Portugal, from where they originate, as well as the Philippines and Ibero-America. They are also consumed in the Southwestern United States, France

 

[medtran49]

Yes, the Cubans make churros too, as do many of the Caribbean/American Latins. When DD was little, we'd go to one of the walk up Cuban stands and get churros with cafe con leche for me and chocolate for her. They were simple back then, just had natural sugar sprinkled on them. Some of the mall food courts have churro stalls now with different flavored sugars and/or dips.

 

[Morning Glory]

Yes, the Cubans make churros too, as do many of the Caribbean/American Latins.

I've never made them so perhaps I'll try. I presume they are are always a sweet thing?

 

[rascal]

I've never made them so perhaps I'll try. I presume they are are always a sweet thing?

Fried then dipped in sugar/cinnamon. Cooked right, they are delish.

Russ

 

[medtran49]

I've never made them so perhaps I'll try. I presume they are are always a sweet thing?

Yes, my favorite is the old fashioned way with just natural sugar. I would dip them in my cafe con leche. The cinnamon sugar thing is newer, at least in South Florida. Another fav is a rich chocolate/hot fudge type sauce for dipping.

There is a Food Network recipe that DD and the oldest DGD use to make churros that is pretty much foolproof and it has the chocolate sauce. I'll see if I can find it tomorrow and maybe @rascal will be able to make them.

 

[rascal]

Yes, my favorite is the old fashioned way with just natural sugar. I would dip them in my cafe con leche. The cinnamon sugar thing is newer, at least in South Florida. Another fav is a rich chocolate/hot fudge type sauce for dipping.

There is a Food Network recipe that DD and the oldest DGD use to make churros that is pretty much foolproof and it has the chocolate sauce. I'll see if I can find it tomorrow and maybe @rascal will be able to make them.

Ok, thanks, I'll give it 1 more try!

Russ

 

[medtran49]

I forgot I had posted this until I was trying to find the churro recipe. I had cut the recipe in half for the challenge, so it can be doubled. Craig and I had fresh churros for several days off just the single recipe. I kept them covered in the fridge and kept the oil covered on the stove until it was time for dessert each evening. If you double, make sure you beat each egg in separately and thoroughly. Churro fries

 

[GadgetGuy]

Have you ever made choux pastry? If not, now is your chance to try out a new technique. If you are an old hand then you can lend us your wisdom, share the results and perfect your techniques. Some say its easy to make choux - but to achieve the perfectly light and crisp result isn’t quite straightforward.

One of the the most famous uses for choux pastry is probably the chocolate eclair. But of course, choux pastries can be either sweet or savoury. They can also be made dairy free and gluten free.

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Here is advice from Heston Blumenthal (famous for his scientific approach to cooking and for molecular gastronomy):


Heston Blumenthal: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2003/apr/05/foodanddrink.shopping2

Here are two recipes by for reference, by Ruby Tandoh. The dairy free doughnuts look interesting:
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeand...x-pastry-recipe-eclairs-doughnuts-ruby-tandoh

And here is an example of dairy free and gluten free choux pastry:
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeand...-free-coffee-vanilla-creme-patissiere-eclairs

So its over to you to cook along - add your images and comments to this thread. Post any full recipes as new threads (with a link back here), please.

And good luck! I made a chocolate profiteroles back in the 80’s which I think were sort of OK but went a bit soggy. So - I'm certainly no expert here. Provisional deadline: midday 8th March (GMT)

I've made it, but that was quite a while ago. I used to love to make eclairs & cream puffs. I followed the old traditional method of adding the flour to buttered boiling water, letting it cool a little, then vigorously beating eggs into the mixture & using a pastry tube to pipe the mixture onto parchment paper lining a sheet pan!!

 

[rascal]

I've made it, but that was quite a while ago. I used to love to make eclairs & cream puffs. I followed the old traditional method of adding the flour to buttered boiling water, letting it cool a little, then vigorously beating eggs into the mixture & using a pastry tube to pipe the mixture onto parchment paper lining a sheet pan!!

Shermie I tried to find your thread about tvs, we just bought an lg 55 inch one from smiths city market. The 869 one was not very good in picture so we spent an extra few hundy and got the lg.

Hope to have by the weekend.

Russ

 

[Morning Glory]

I've made it, but that was quite a while ago. I used to love to make eclairs & cream puffs. I followed the old traditional method of adding the flour to buttered boiling water, letting it cool a little, then vigorously beating eggs into the mixture & using a pastry tube to pipe the mixture onto parchment paper lining a sheet pan!!

Wow! Your an old hand then. It would be great if you joined in and made some choux.

 

[Morning Glory]

She rime I tried to find your thread about tvs, we just bought an lg 55 inch one from smiths city market. The 869 one was not very good in picture so we spent an extra few hundy and got the lg.

Hope to have by the weekend.

Russ

Is this in the wrong thread @rascal?

 

[GadgetGuy]

Wow! Your an old hand then. It would be great if you joined in and made some choux.

Can't eat all those sweets like I used to in the past. Not only am I a diabetic, but I also have to take insulin injections now, so I gotta manage it closely to avoid spikes in the glucose levels.