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Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cook Time: 25 Minutes |
Ready In: 30 Minutes Servings: 4 |
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Pate a choux derives from the old French meaning to cherish or cabbage paste because of its shape, this pastry has been in use since the[ sixteenth century. It is a cooked mixture of water, butter and flour which rises due to steam expansion. The paste crusts on the outside, trapping steam inside, creating a puffed shape with a hollow interior. The crisp shells are filled with a variety of creams and finished with a glaze.] Ingredients:
1/2 recipe pate a choux, recipe follows |
1/2 cup grated gruyere |
freshly cracked black pepper |
1 egg, beaten |
special equipment: pastry bag fitted with a #10 star tip, baking sheet, parchment paper, pastry brush |
1 cup water |
1 teaspoon salt |
3 teaspoons sugar |
6 tablespoons butter, cut in pieces |
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour, sifted |
4 eggs, beaten |
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a small mixing bowl, add the grated cheese and plenty of freshly cracked black pepper to the half-recipe of pate a choux. With a rubber spatula, scoop the pate a choux into the pastry bag and pipe out approximately 25 (1-inch) rounds, spaced 1 to 2 inches apart on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Brush lightly with the beaten egg and place in the oven. Cook until golden and puffed, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool briefly on a baking rack. Serve hot or at room temperature.
3. Pate a Choux:
4. In a small saucepan over high heat, bring the water, salt, sugar, and butter to a boil, making sure the butter is completely melted. Off the heat, add the flour all at once and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon. Return to the heat and continue beating until the dough forms a solid, smooth mass and pulls away from the sides of the saucepan. Take off the heat and empty the dough into a clean mixing bowl. Little by little add the beaten eggs, beating vigorously in between each addition, until the dough forms a smooth, supple mass. Divide the dough into 2 even quantities, 1 part to be used for the gougeres, the other for profiteroles.
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