| Any good cookbook should have a recipe for pate au choux, choux
paste, cream puffs, or eclairs. They are all the same dough, and
very easy to make if you remember a couple of things:
No matter what the recipe says, beat the eggs in ONE AT A TIME (Betty
Crocker used to say beat them in all at once, but it just doesn't
work out right!).
Let the mixture cool a little before beating your eggs in, and make
sure your eggs are at ROOM TEMPERATURE. This will prevent the whites
from cooking as soon as they hit the hot flour-butter mixture. I
also found that a wooden spoon truly does work best (I don't know
why, though).
Beat the eggs in until the mixture turns velvety (it starts out
glossy). If you're not sure if it's velvety, keep beating. The
mixture truly does get velvety. And it's the eggs that act as levening
(sp?), so make sure they are fully incorported.
Relax and have fun! I've been making cream puffs and eclairs since
I was 10 years old, too young to know that people get nervous!
That's often the key. They really are easy. For cream puffs you
make them into little balls, for eclairs you stretch out the dough
into "fingers." If you want to get fancy, you can use a pastry
bag and a large star tip (I'd start with the plain ones!).
For filling, you can use the traditional boiled cream, which is
very good, but requires patience. Some people use whipped cream,
lightly sweetened (add a little almond extract for flavor). A very
good cream is to take instant pudding mix and make it with whipping
cream instead of milk. It's great, and no one knows unless you
tell them!
I've also taken the batter and made large, circular rings (like
a round eclair), two on the bottom and one centered on top. Then
bake as you would for eclairs. While it was baking, I soaked fresh
strawberries and blueberries in a little amaretto, and while it
was cooling I made some amaretto whipped cream. I cut the top ring
off, then filled the ring with the fruit and cream. It was a big
hit. It can very easily be done without the alcohol, of course.
Good luck!
Susan
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