Choux Pastry

Under 1 Hour

Ingredients

* 8 fl oz Water
* 3 oz Butter
* 1 Cup All purpose flour
* Good Pinch of Sugar
* Pinch of Salt
* 4 Medium Eggs

Egg Wash

* 1-2 med egg yolks
* 1 teaspoon cold water
* Pinch salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 356°f. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment. Combine the ingredients for the egg wash and set to one side.

2. Pour the water into a sauce pan and add the butter, sugar and salt.

3. Bring the heat up just so as it melts the butter just before it boils.

4. Before it boils turn down the heat and add all the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for about five minutes. When the flour is amalgamated, and the paste is smooth, remove from the heat and mix occasionally as the mix cools, but do not over beat.

5. Add the eggs one at a time beating in until fully incorporated before adding the next.

6. Transfer to a piping bag whilst still warm and pipe into desired shapes. If making choux buns or éclairs, pipe on to the prepared baking tray, spaced about 5cm apart to allow for spreading.

7. Glaze the tops with egg wash. Bake for about 15 minutes, until they have risen and turned golden brown. Allow to cool on a wire tray.

Notes

• Too much egg will cause the pastry to be too sloppy and unable to hold its shape when piped and baked.

• Always work quickly when preparing and pipe and baked immediately while still warm as this will help lightness of the pastry and expansion

• Bake until they are crisp, dry and golden. If the pastries are undercooked they could collapse when they are removed from the oven.

• To retain their crispness allow to cool down slowly in the oven.

• The reason this pastry rises is due to the high water content, which creates steam during the cooking thus puffing out the pastry. So cooking in a pre-heated oven at 356°f is critical.