Choux Glorious Choux – Delightful Light Airy Crispy Baked or Fried Shells

Simply put choux is a dough that is twice cooked. A paste known as a panade is made out of water, butter, milk and flour which is cooked over the stove. After the mixture is cooled eggs are added until the infamous dropping consistency is reached. The mixture can then be piped and is finally baked, or fried, to form light, airy, crispy shells, which serve as a vehicles to various fillings.

The high water content in choux, from the milk, water and eggs turns into steam when baking; this forces the pastry shell outwards and gives it volume. The gluten in the flour and protein from the eggs form the structure of the choux. The careful combination and cooking of all the ingredients create hollow golden shells of pure joy.

Choux takes the form of many shapes. Choux buns often seen in the form of a profiterole mound, éclairs which are an oblong shape similar to a cigar and parisbrest which are named after a bicycle race from Paris to Brest in France which take the shape of a hollow circle to represent a bicycle wheel.
In order to make a good choux paste you must reach dropping consistency. To test this you must pick up some choux with a spatula and let the mixture fall off with some gentle shakes for encouragement. The choux should drop but not pour off leaving a v-shape of paste still clinging to the spatula.

The following recipes take you through the process of making choux buns and paris-brest topped with a chocolate craquelin and filled with a luxurious pecan praline mousseline.

The simple rule of making choux pastry is: Use your intuition!

Oh and DO NOT open that oven!

Choux – 6 Large Paris-Brest and 11 Choux Buns

Hands on Time: 30mins
Baking Time: 30-35mins
Shelf-life: 1 day in the fridge, piped and frozen for up to 30days or piped, baked then frozen for up to 30days.

100g Unsalted Butter
125g Water
125g Milk
2g Salt
5g Caster Sugar
150g Strong Flour (Bread Flour)
200 – 250g Eggs

1. Mix the eggs together in a bowl, remove around 50g and put aside.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the milk, water, salt and sugar and
   bring to a rolling boil.
3. Add the flour and mix to incorporate, continue cooking and mixing till the paste comes away from the sides of the pan and forms a ball. This paste is called a panade.
4. Allow the panade to cool until warm to the touch by mixing in a stand
   mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
5. Pre-heat oven to 190C.
6. Add the eggs gradually, mixing well after each addition. You may not
   need to use the full amount. Continue until choux mixture reaches
   dropping consistency. The paste should be smooth and glossy. It should
   be soft but not runny.
7. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
8. Prepare a piping bag with 11mm star nozzle and fill with choux. Do not fill more than half of the bag as the mixture will flow out the top.
9. To pipe the paris-brest, trace the outline of a 8cm cookie cutter to use as a
   guide and turn the paper upside down so that the ink does not
   contaminate the choux. Pipe a hollow circle using a 11mm star piping tip
   on the inside of the outline. Do not drag the piping tip along the paper but hold the tip around 2cm above the outline as not to squash the choux.
10. To pipe choux buns use a 30-35mm cookie cutter to draw outlines of the
    shape in staggered well-spaced rows. Again turn the paper upside down
    so that the ink does not contaminate the choux. Hold the tip 2-3cm above
    the middle of the circle and pipe the choux allowing the choux to reach
    the circumference of the circle, stop pressing before you move the piping
    bag away.
11. Bake at 190C for 20mins for paris-brest and 15mins for choux, then lower
    to 175C for a further 15mins or until crisp, well risen and dry.
12. Allow to cool before filling or storing the choux.
13. Fill the paris-brest by slicing the top off around 1/3 from the top and fill
    the inside of the choux.
14. To fill the buns simply pierce the bottom and pipe the filling directly into
    the bun.

Note: If I’m not serving the choux straight away I like to bake then freeze my choux buns, they keep very well in the freezer. I then flash them in a hot oven for a couple of minutes till dry and allow them to cool before filling.

Pecan Praline

Hands on Time: 15mins
Blitzing Time: Depends on food processor
Shelf-life: 30days in a glass jar in a cool environment out of direct sunlight

100g Pecans
100g Caster Sugar

1. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Roast pecans at 180C for 7mins.
2. Make a direct caramel by cooking sugar in thirds directly in a hot pan.
   Allow each third to turn to a light brown colour before adding the other.
3. Pour caramel over pecans and allow to cool completely.
4. Break into pieces and blitz in a food processor. The mixture will come
   together to form a paste as oils are released from the nuts. Unless you have a Thermomix or a high-powered food processor this
   may take a while and can be strenuous on the processor so give the machine several breaks.
5. Store in a glass jar.

Pecan Praline Mousseline

Hands on Time: 15mins
Chilling Time: 4hrs – Overnight
Shelf-life: 3 days in the fridge

250g Whole Milk
50g Caster Sugar
60-75g Egg Yolks (Around 3 yolks)
15g Corn Flour
15g Custard Powder
80g Pecan Praline Paste
150g Unsalted Butter

1. Whisk egg yolks, corn flour, custard powder and half of the sugar together until pale in colour. Set aside.
2. Warm the milk with the remaining sugar. Once the milk starts to steam,
   pour 1/3 of the milk onto the egg mixture and whisk. This is known as
   tempering the eggs which prevents the eggs from scrambling.
   Combine egg mixture with remaining milk and continue to cook whisking briskly and continuously.
3. Cook until thick and smooth and allow to boil, the mixture will release
   bubbles. This is important as it allows the starch to cook, removing
   the strong starchy flavor.
4. Pour over pecan praline paste and the butter and emulsify with a hand
   blender.
5. Transfer to an airtight container, place a piece of baking paper or
   clingfilm on the surface of the crème, allow to cool, then refrigerate for a
   minimum of 4 hours.
6. Before using, knock back mixture by hand or mixing in a stand mixer until thick and glossy.

Chocolate Craquelin

Hands on Time: 15mins
Chilling Time: 1hr
Shelf-life: 3-4 days in the fridge or 30days in freezer

15g Cocoa Powder
60g Plain Flour
75g Unsalted Butter
75g Caster Sugar
50g Chopped Pecans

1. Combine all ingredients but the pecans together to form a dough.
2. Roll between two sheets of baking paper to 4mm thick.
3. Remove top layer of baking paper, sprinkle pecans evenly over the surface of the dough. Place the baking paper back over the surface and gently roll the nuts into the dough. The craquelin should be between 2-3mm thick.
4. Place the sheet in the fridge and allow to harden for an hour. Alternatively wrap and place in the freezer.
5. Cut required shapes using cookie cutters and top choux paste before baking. The craquelin should be bigger than the piped choux.

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