I’m republishing the chouquettes recipe with brand new photos, far more appetising than the first ones posted 2 years ago! Choux pastry and I go way back! I love it! And yet, just a few years ago (before starting my blog), I’d never tasted chouquettes, éclairs, religieuses, Paris-Brest or… you get the idea, I only tasted them once I started making them! But I’d heard so much about it that I was a little afraid to get started…
So my other half kindly gave me a baking class in Paris dedicated to little choux buns, “glands” and religieuses, and I very quickly put into practice everything I’d learnt. In the end, it’s actually very easy to make! And if you don’t believe me, don’t hesitate to read all the tips, and in particular my article dedicated to choux pastry with a step-by-step guide in pictures. I’m sure you too will manage to make delicious chouquettes 🙂
Tips and Tricks
After drying out the dough, transfer it to a mixing bowl and wait a little before adding the eggs. Adding the first egg too soon will give you scrambled eggs. If using a stand mixer, run it for a few minutes to cool the dough down.
When piping the choux onto the baking sheet, don’t worry if a small peak forms — it won’t matter, as you’ll glaze and tap down each choux afterwards. The peak will disappear!
Don’t wait too long before adding the pearl sugar — otherwise the egg dries out slightly and the sugar won’t stick to the choux.
Ingredients & Method
1 component · Full recipe
Choux Pastry
Ingredients
- 100 g (3.5 oz) water
- 100 g (3.5 oz) milk
- 2 g (0.1 oz) salt
- 2 g (0.1 oz) sugar
- 80 g (2.8 oz) butter
- 120 g (4.2 oz) flour
- 4 eggs (about 200 g (7.1 oz))
- pearl sugar
Method
1
Preheat your oven to 230°C / 450°F.
2
In a saucepan, combine the water, milk, salt, sugar and butter. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat and add the flour all at once. Mix well with a wooden spoon.
3
Return to the heat for 30 seconds to dry out the panade (it should start sticking to the bottom of the pan).
4
Remove from the heat and transfer to a mixing bowl. Leave to cool for a few minutes.
5
Add the eggs one at a time (you may need a fifth egg, depending on their size). The dough should be neither too thick nor too runny — it should fall in a ribbon. If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment rather than the whisk.
6
Pipe rounds of choux, 2–3 cm (1.2 in) in diameter, onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (hold the piping bag straight up).
7
Glaze the choux using a whole egg (you may have one left over) and a pastry brush. Gently tap the top of each choux to smooth away any point.
8
Sprinkle pearl sugar over the choux.
9
Before baking, lower the oven temperature to 175°C / 350°F and bake according to the size of your choux (about 25 minutes). As the choux bakes, it will puff up and crack. If the cracks are still pale, the choux is not fully baked — it should be an even golden colour all over.
10
Once baked, transfer the choux to a wire rack and leave to cool.
Gallery
