Saturday, January 14, 2012

How do I make crispy cream puff shells and how long does the crispyness last ?

Here is a recipe. As for your question on crispiness - they will lose their crispiness once you refrigerate them because of the moisture in the fridge. Cream puffs with cream in them should be refrigerated. If you want them to stay crispy, prepare the cream puff shells and the cream ahead of time. Refrigerate the cream filling, but don't fill the cream puff shells until just before you are ready to serve (up to 1 hour ahead).



Cream puff shells (aka Pate à choux)

Always pay attention to what the Pate à choux batter looks like. It should be creamy and smooth so it can be piped and hold it's shape -- but, not dry. After all the eggs are incorporated, the dough should be stiff enough to hold a peak when a spoon is lifted out of it.



3/4 cup cold water



6 tablespoons butter, 3 ounces (if adding sugar, increase the butter to 8 tablespoons in total)



Pinch salt (Salt will help keep the pate' choux from cracking)



1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, about 5 ounces



4 large eggs, room temperature



2 teaspoons sugar (for sweet pastries), optional





Combine water, butter and salt (and the sugar if you're using it) in a 2-quart heavy bottomed saucepan and place it over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the butter melts and the liquid is brought to a rapid boil.



Remove the saucepan from the heat and sift in the flour all at once. Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth.



Return the saucepan to the heat and cook, beating constantly with a spoon, until the mixture holds together and begins to leave the sides of the pan. The dough will form a cohesive ball in the center of the pan even after a few strokes. Cook the paste, flattening and turning the ball of dough against the sides of the pan, drying the paste as much as possible. The bottom of the pan will be lightly filmed with the paste. The whole process will take about 5 minutes of continuous beating. To avoid overcooking the paste and letting the fat separate out, when it reaches this stage, remove from heat.



Transfer the paste to a 2- to 3-quart bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer. Before adding the eggs, so that they won't "cook" when they come in contact with the dough, beat the paste either by hand with a wooden spoon or by machine with a paddle attachment on lowest speed, 1 minute or until slightly cooled. Beating the dough helps to speed the cooling process.



The eggs should be at room temperature. Beat them in one at a time, beating well after each addition, to prevent the paste from separating. The dough will appear slippery at first but will become sticky and then smooth again. After all the eggs are incorporated, the dough should be stiff enough to hold a peak when a spoon is lifted out of it.



The Pate à choux dough is then quickly spooned by the rounded teaspoonfuls or piped into puffs (about 1-1/2 inches in diameter and dropped onto a parchment paper or silpat mat lined sheet. Leave 2" between the puffs to permit spreading. Do not grease a metal pan, the grease will cause the dough to flatten.



Proceed as quickly as possible so it is still warm when it enters the oven. Cold choux pastry will be stiff and harder to pipe. For best results, the dough should be baked immediately after it's made. This will ensure the greatest expansion and lightness.



If you have more dough than you need, bake all of it and freeze the excess finished puffs. Wrap the baked shells tightly after they have cooled, and they will freeze very well.



BAKING: Bake choux pastry in a preheated 425 degrees F oven until crisp and beginning to color, about 10 minutes. Lower the temperature to 350 degrees F until well colored and dry, about 20 minutes. A wooden skewer inserted into the center should come out almost dry.



A convection oven is ideal for most pastries, including choux pastry, yielding a more uniform color and puffiness. If using a convection oven, bake at 50 degrees lower than the temperatures stated above, and check after 20 minutes. Rotate large puffs if necessary and cook an additional 10 minutes or so.



After removing the pastries from the oven, puncture them on the side or bottom with the tip of a sharp knife to allow any residual steam to escape. This will prevent sogginess. Arrange the pastries on a rack to cool. Once filled, the shells will absorb some of the moisture and aroma of the filling, becoming soft and tender if they're allowed to sit before serving.


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