Pate a choux

Pate a choux

or as I know it,

cream puffs.

This is the first assignment in the free

baking school I signed up for.

It lasts twenty days.

I figure I can make it through 

twenty days.

Maybe.

At least I made it through days one and two.

Yesterday was learning all about eggs

and how to crack them with one hand.

I had no idea I was doing it wrong!

Today was putting those egg cracking skills

to work baking pate a choux.

I've never had luck making this dough.

I failed miserably with gougeres.

And then again with souffle

which requires pate a choux

for the base.

This recipe was a two part process.

The first on the stove with a wooden spoon,

mixing and cooking the flour, water and butter.

The second part used the mixer

to incorporate eggs into this doughy ball

which magically turns into silky batter.

It is then baked with three

different temperatures.

And poked with a toothpick to release the 

steam.

I was excited to open the oven

and find real cream puff shells.

Off to buy a vanilla bean and whole milk

for pastry cream. Luckily chocolate ganache sauce

is leftover from the Turtle Mud Pie

in the freezer.

Finally, cream puffs.

Delivered to my brother as

we both have the fondest memory

of our mother making cream puffs

but only twice, no matter

how much we pleaded.

"Too much trouble."

They probably were doing 

all the mixing by hand.

This mixer method is so simple.