Choux pastry (pasta beignet)
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Choux pastry is a versatile recipe which can be used for both sweet and savoury creations. It is most famously used in eclairs and cream puffs (profiteroles/bongo) filled with cream, custard or mousse and croquemnbouche coated with caramel. They are equally as delicious in savoury dishes stuffed smoked salmon or prosciutto or topped with cheese, salt, poppy seeds or eggless shortcrust.
The key to getting these right is to add the correct amount of egg (the tip below will ensure this is done perfectly) and not using an oven with the fan on as it dries out the pastry. You can make a big batch of these and freeze them. When needed just pop them in the oven to refresh them.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert (Dolci)
Cuisine: Inter-regional
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 400 grams butter, cut into flakes
  • 250 grams water
  • 250 grams milk
  • 400 grams 00 flour (ideally makred for "frolla"), sifted
  • 875 grams (15-20 extra-large eggs) fresh eggs (fresh egg whites will help the dough rise more)
Instructions
  1. Heat the oven to 180°C without any fan assistance. The beignets can be baked from 180°C to 210°C. At higher temperatures the dough rises more but they are more irregular. We use 180°C here for the sake of consistency. If you don’t have the option to turn off the fan, then heat the oven to 250C, turn off the oven and add the choux pastry for 15 minutes. Then turn the oven back on to 180C for 10 minutes until golden brown.
  2. Heat the butter, water, and milk together.
  3. Remove the pot from the heat and add the flour to the mixture all at once.
  4. Stir with a wooden spoon until thick (about 5 minutes). The dough should not be sticky.
  5. Place the mixture into a standing mixer and mix on medium low using the paddle attachment until it has cooled to a barely warm temperature.
  6. This is the most important step. Add the eggs one at a time, making sure that the egg is completely incorporated (1-2 minutes) before adding the next one otherwise the dough will break. The key here is to make sure that each egg is evenly incorporated before adding the next one while trying to add them as quickly as possible. When half the eggs have been added there is less risk of the dough breaking so being patient in the beginning pays off later. Before adding the last ¼ of the eggs, stop the machine and scrape down the sides. Since the precise number of eggs to be added varies with the humidity and how dry the dough was when it was removed from the pot, the dough needs to be tested to ascertain it is the correct consistency. Put in a rubber spatula and lift it out with the rubber tip angled down. It should form a triangle slowly running off the spatula (see the picture below). The dough should be smooth, supple and homogenous. If it is too liquid the pastry will be flat and if it doesn’t move at all it will be too dense. If it is too thick then add another egg and do the test again until the dough is the desired consistency.
  7. Grease a sheet pan but do not use any parchment paper. Fit a round tipped nozzle about 7-8mm wide into a pastry bag.
  8. Place the dough into the pastry bag.
  9. Roll the end closed and, if you are right-handed, hold the end with your left hand and grip the bag about 6 cms above the top of the pastry tip with your right, using this hand to squeeze the bag in order to pipe out the dough. The side of the pastry tip should be touching the sheet pan forming a 45° angle to the pan and squeeze the bag with the right hand to form a 4 cm diameter mound, curling the dough on top of the first layer. Leave 3 cm between mounds and start the next line to offset the previous line.
  10. Wet your finger tip and press down the top to ensure it is smooth. Cover with cling film ensuring the plastic does not touch the pastry until ready to use.
  11. When ready, remove the cling film and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until risen, dark golden, and firm. Do not open the oven during the first 15 minutes. When ready, remove from the oven and place on a rack to cool. They will come out hard and soften over time.
Notes
Thermomix instructions:

Place the water, milk, butter and salt into the mixing bowl and heat 5 min/100C/Speed 1. Add the flour and mix 20 sec/speed 4. Remove the mixing bowl and let cool for 10 minutes. Place the mixing bowl back into position and mix speed 5, adding the eggs one at a time through the hole in the mixing bowl lid onto the roating blades. After adding 80% of the eggs, start testing the dough as described above. If it not yet the desired consistency, put the lid back on and turn to speed 5 and add another egg. Test each time until attaining the de-sired consistency.
Grease a sheet pan but do not use any parchment paper. Place the dough into a pastry bag fitted with a round tipped nozzle about 7-8mm wide. Roll the end closed and, if you are right-handed, hold the end with your left hand and grip the bag about 6 cms above the top of the pastry tip with your right using this hand to squeeze the bag in order to pipe out the dough. The side of the pastry tip should be touching the sheet pan forming a 45° angle to the pan and squeeze the bag with the right hand to form a 4 cm diameter mound, curling the dough on top of the first layer to form two layers. Leave 3 cm between mounds and start the next line to offset the previous line. Cover with cling film ensuring the plastic does not touch the pastry until ready to use.
When ready, remove the cling film and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until risen, dark golden, and firm. Do not open the oven during the first 15 minutes. When ready, remove from the oven and place on a rack to cool. They will come out hard and soften over time.
Recipe by Living a Life in Colour at http://www.livingalifeincolour.com/recipes/choux-pastry-pasta-beignet/