Sugar Choux Pastry

As time passes me by, it's time that I graduate from the National Institute of Education (NIE) with my Bachelor of Arts and move on to my full-time role as a primary school teacher. 4 years preparing for this has finally come to an end and that I start out as a teacher, a dream I've had since I was in secondary school. Being in the education line has always been my dream since the Children's Church Camp I took part in secondary school during my Girls' Brigade Days. I took my diploma in Early Childhood Education with Ngee Ann Polytechnic before moving on to NIE. It's kinda amazing working with children, the sense of fulfilment is just amazing. That aside, I can't wait to graduate proper!

With that, I have to move on to teaching real soon and one of the worries is how I'd manage this blog along with the many other commitments I already have. I'm just hoping that it'll be good and manageable! That aside, I'm just glad that I've been blessed with the luxury of time before I start my duties to bake! 

Choux Pastry has always been my nemesis as my doughs have always flopped and not rise right. I realised that the issue that I've had with them was that I added way too much egg into the batter. Being so, the dough was too smooth/soft and it didn't provide the pastry enough support for puffing up. So, with a demo by my dearest Sharron, I garnered enough courage to bake up a batch of these Sugar Choux Pastry. 

These puffs work best with pearl sugar, which is available in some bake shops. They do not melt with heat and I really love how they add great flavour to the puffs. This recipe was taken from OKASHI by Keiko Ishida.

I'd rate it a difficultly level 3 out of 5 and it takes about an hour to complete.

Sugar Choux Pastry Recipe

This recipe yields 20 puffs

150g top flour

150g water

100g fresh whole milk

100g unsalted butter, cubed

A pinch of sugar

A pinch of salt

4 - 6 eggs (55 - 60g) 

Pearl Sugar (about 30 - 50g)

Method

Preheat oven to 200 degree Celsius. Add the butter to the milk, sugar, water and salt in a non-stick pot. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. (The smaller the pot the easier it is to mix)

Remove from fire and add in the flour. Stir well with a wooden spoon till it forms a dough.

Bring the pot back on the stove and cook for another 2 minutes.

Remove pot from the heat and allow it to cool down for 2 minutes. Add an egg into it and mix well with a wooden spoon. You may also use a stand mixer fixed with a paddle attachment.

Add in the second egg.

Add in the third egg.

Add in the fourth egg. Keep an eye on the batter. You would want to get a batter that drops down gently but forms a nice triangle. (Refer to image below) This image was taken after the fourth egg was added and it wasn't smooth enough. Whisk up an egg and add in 1 tbsp of egg at a time and mix well to determine if the batter is right.

I used about 5 whole eggs and 2 tbsp of egg. This is just a guide and you'd need to determine the right amount you'll need.

Fit a piping bag with a Wilton 1M tip and fill with the batter. Pipe the batter onto a sheet of baking paper or silpat.

This video will help you visualise how to pipe the choux pastry.

Wet your fingers and gently press down the pointed tip of the choux pastry.

Sprinkle with some pearl sugar.

Aren't they just lovely?

Bake for 20 minutes to allow them to puff up right before lowering it down to 180 degree Celsius for another 20 minutes. This is how big my puffs grew!

Remove one puff from the oven and cut it open to check for doneness. It should be dry inside. If it is cooked, remove the rest of the choux pastry from the oven and allow them to cool. If not, bake for a while longer or till they are all baked. 

I loved these puffs as they had my favourite pearl sugar! I hope that you'll like them as much as my parents and I did! (:

I'd love to see the bakes or stuff you've cooked using the blog's recipe! Do share photos of stuff you've baked or cooked using the blog's recipe with me either via FB message to http://facebook.com/limcynthia OR http://facebook.com/thebakingbiatch OR via email at cynthia.lim.hl@gmail.com! I look forward to hearing from you! (: