Choux Pastry

Choux pastry is a basic preparation in French pastry-making, but with my Italian touch, I encourage you to use the freshest, highest-quality ingredients you can find. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

• 125 ml water
• 125 ml milk
• 100 g butter
• A pinch of salt
• 150 g 00 flour
• 4 medium eggs

Preparation

1. In a saucepan, combine the water, milk, butter cut into pieces, and a pinch of salt. Bring everything to a boil.
2. As soon as the butter has completely melted and the liquid starts to boil, remove the pan from the heat and add all the flour at once, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon.
3. Return the pan to the heat and continue stirring until the dough pulls away from the sides of the pan and forms a ball. This should take a couple of minutes.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and let the dough cool slightly. It is important that it is not too hot before adding the eggs, otherwise they will cook.
5. Add the eggs one at a time, incorporating each one well into the dough before adding the next. You can do this by hand or with a stand mixer. In the end, you should have a smooth, glossy cream.
6. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 200 °C.
7. Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a plain or star tip and pipe small mounds onto the tray, spaced apart, as the choux pastry will rise and expand during baking.
8. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. It is important not to open the oven during baking, as the internal steam makes the choux pastry puff up.
9. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.

The cream puffs can be filled with pastry cream, whipped cream, chocolate ganache, or whatever you prefer. Have fun creating and customizing them to your taste!

Fun Fact

Did you know that in France these cream puffs are used to create culinary works of art like the famous “Croquembouche,” a tower of cream puffs glued together with caramel, often used as a wedding cake? It is a truly spectacular presentation!