Choux pastry
By: Rachel Allen From: Rachel Allen: Christmas Bake!
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- Prep time:
- 10 mins
- Cook time:
- 5 mins
- Serves:
- about 850g
Rachel Allen’s easy pastry can be used for a delicious array of puffs, éclairs and profiteroles
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Tips and suggestions
- Cooks Tips...
- Choux pastry is spooned or piped into shapes and then baked for chocolate profiteroles or éclairs and is deceptively easy to make.
Adapted from Rachel Allen, Bake (Collins)
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2. Put the water and butter into a medium-sized saucepan with high sides (not a low sauté pan) set over a medium-high heat and stir until the butter melts. Allow the mixture to come to a rolling boil then immediately remove the pan from the heat.
3. Add the flour and salt and beat very well with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together.
4. Reduce the heat to medium and replace the saucepan, stirring for 1 minute until the mixture starts to ‘fur’ (slightly stick to the base of the pan). Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 1 minute.
5. Pour about one-quarter of the beaten egg into the pan and, using the wooden spoon, beat very well. Add a little more egg and beat well again until the mixture comes back together. Continue to add the egg, beating vigorously all the time, until the mixture has softened, is nice and shiny and has a dropping consistency. You may not need to add all the egg or you may need a little extra. If the mixture is too stiff (not enough egg) then the choux pastries will be too heavy, but if the mixture is too wet (too much egg), they will not hold their shape when spooned onto baking paper.
6. Although the pastry is best used right away, it can be placed in a bowl, covered and chilled for up to 12 hours, until ready to use.
Method
1. Sift the flour and a pinch of salt into a large bowl and set aside.2. Put the water and butter into a medium-sized saucepan with high sides (not a low sauté pan) set over a medium-high heat and stir until the butter melts. Allow the mixture to come to a rolling boil then immediately remove the pan from the heat.
3. Add the flour and salt and beat very well with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together.
4. Reduce the heat to medium and replace the saucepan, stirring for 1 minute until the mixture starts to ‘fur’ (slightly stick to the base of the pan). Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 1 minute.
5. Pour about one-quarter of the beaten egg into the pan and, using the wooden spoon, beat very well. Add a little more egg and beat well again until the mixture comes back together. Continue to add the egg, beating vigorously all the time, until the mixture has softened, is nice and shiny and has a dropping consistency. You may not need to add all the egg or you may need a little extra. If the mixture is too stiff (not enough egg) then the choux pastries will be too heavy, but if the mixture is too wet (too much egg), they will not hold their shape when spooned onto baking paper.
6. Although the pastry is best used right away, it can be placed in a bowl, covered and chilled for up to 12 hours, until ready to use.
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Latest Comment
I used the recipe a few months ago, it went really well, I guessed the oven temperature and thankfully it worked. I'm going to be using the recipe again this week, there better than the what you buy in the shops.
I used the recipe a few months ago, it went really well, I guessed the oven temperature and thankfully it worked. I'm going to be using the recipe again this week, there better than the what you buy in the shops.
I used the recipe a few months ago, it went really well, I guessed the oven temperature and thankfully it worked. I'm going to be using the recipe again this week, there better than the what you buy in the shops.