Explore The Choux Pastry

Calling all pastry-lovers! If you’re a struggling chef who loves to create desserts but is overwhelmed with the complexity of cake making, choux pastry is exactly what you are looking for.

Choux pastry or Pate a choux (pronounced paht ah shoo) is an amazing, versatile pastry that creates a wide array of delicious French desserts. It’s a breeze to prepare, not requiring the same deft hand to create other pastries. It’s simply a mix of flour, butter, eggs, and water.

A puff pastry recipe starts by boiling water and butter together atop the stove, the only pastry prepared that way before baking. When the butter is melted and the mixture just begins to boil, the salt and flour added all at once and stirred continuously until it comes away from the sides and forms a ball.

Sometimes a small amount of white sugar is added flavor which also helps in browning. Dough is then spooned or piped into various shapes and baked. To create sweet fritters (beignets), deep-fry dough and roll in sugar.

The goal in making the perfect cream pastry is to have the finest crispy crust, the lightest interior, and an even and golden browned shape.

Equipped with the basics of the pastry puff, here are sweet pastries you must try:

Cream Puffs

Choux pastry is most often made into round-shaped cream puffs. Using a star tube pipe the pastry cream or whipped cream through the slit of a hole into the hollow center into each puff. Then dip tops.

Profiteroles

Are small (bite-size) filled buns of choux pastry with either a sweet or savory filling. Usually ice cream is used as filling and then chocolate is lightly drizzled atop the bun. Profiteroles are usually served as appetizers.

Croquembouche

The croquembouche (which means crunchy) traditionally plays an important role at French weddings, baptisms, christenings and other family gatherings. A stack of puffs is shaped into a tall cone and drizzled with caramelized sugar.

Eclairs

Eclairs are oblong and small in size. Create a small, horizontal opening using a knife and remove some of the dough inside. Fill with pastry cream; dip tops in chocolate ganache glaze. Usually, a sweet icing is used as an additional topping.

Beignets and churros

Finely grated cheddar, herbs and spices are added to the mixture before baking for savory fritters.

Helpful tips:

Before baking, brush cream puffs with an egg wash: 1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water or milk plus a pinch of salt. The salt will help keep the pate choux from cracking.

Make sure your oven has been preheated before baking.

Do NOT open the door of the oven during the early part of baking to prevent cracking.

After removing the pastries from the oven, puncture them on the side or bottom with the tip of a sharp knife to allow any residual steam to escape. This prevents the dough from being soggy.

How To Prepare That Fabulous French Style Dinner

Are you hosting a French-themed dinner party soon? Don’t fret! Here’s a step-by-step guide to prepare you for a surely successful soiree.

Step #1: Prepare the venue with class and sophistication. Use fancy and expensive china and champagne glasses if available. Hang the French flag and decorate with miniature models of the famous French landmarks like Champs Elysees.

Step #2: Begin dinner with an assortment of quality French cheese (fromage). Here are the different types of cheeses that you can serve on your cheese platter:

Soft cheeses with Natural Rind (Les Fromages a Pate Molle et a Croute Fleurie) – soft cow’s milk cheeses that have white, almost floury surface. Brie is very popular in any American supermarket.

Soft cheeses with Washed Rind (Les Formages a Pate Molle et a Croute Lavee) – still made from cow’s milk, but this time rind is washed so it has a supple and colorful rind. Munster cheeses and Pont l’Eveque are the better known varieties.

Pressed Cheeses (Fromages a Pate Pressee) – These type is submitted to pressure during processing thus draining the moisture out of the cheese. You will find a large variety of this type in a French supermarket. Most popular are Cantal and Ossau-Italy.

Blue Cheeses (Fromages a Pate Persillees) – easily recognized by the channels of blue or greenish-blue that run throughout it. It has a strong flavor and smell and thus add a twist to your cheese platter. Well known are the Bleu de Bresse and Roquefort cheese.

Step #3: Accompany the cheese course with a crusty French baguette that can be bought fresh at any French bakery. Slice the baguette and spread butter on top.

Step #4: Serve guests the most well known of French appetizers, escargot. Escargot is a dish of cooked land snails, served as an appetizer. Soak snails in water for several hours and crack the shell to loosen the meat. Wash the snails in water numerous times and drain water before serving.

Step #5: Serve filet mignon as the main entr