Basic Choux

Master choux pastry opens doors to éclairs, profiteroles, and more. Start with simple cream puffs to build confidence.

Cream Puffs (Choux à la Crème)

Yield: 24 cream puffs Prep time: 30 minutes Bake time: 30-35 minutes

#### Ingredients

For Choux: - 125ml water - 125ml whole milk - 110g unsalted butter - 1 tsp sugar - 1/2 tsp salt - 150g all-purpose flour - 4-5 large eggs

For Filling: - 500ml heavy cream - 50g powdered sugar - 1 tsp vanilla extract

#### Instructions

1. Make panade: Combine water, milk, butter, sugar, and salt in saucepan. Bring to rolling boil. Remove from heat, add flour all at once. Stir vigorously until mixture forms ball and pulls from sides.

2. Cook flour: Return to medium heat, stirring constantly, 1-2 minutes to dry mixture slightly. Transfer to mixer bowl.

3. Add eggs: Beat on medium speed to cool slightly. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Stop when dough is glossy and falls from spoon in thick ribbon.

4. Pipe: Transfer to piping bag. Pipe 4cm mounds on lined baking sheets, spacing 5cm apart.

5. Bake: Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Bake 20 minutes, reduce to 180°C (350°F), bake additional 10-15 minutes until golden and firm. Turn off oven, prop door open, let dry 10 minutes.

6. Fill: Whip cream with powdered sugar and vanilla to stiff peaks. Cut puffs horizontally or poke hole in bottom. Fill with cream using piping bag.

Variations: - Profiteroles: Fill with ice cream, top with chocolate sauce - Gougères: Add 100g grated cheese to warm panade - Chouquettes: Sprinkle with pearl sugar before baking, leave unfilled

Troubleshooting: - Flat puffs: Not enough egg or oven too cool - Collapsed puffs: Underbaked or opened oven too early - Dense interior: Overcooked flour or too much egg

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