Pie and Pastry Bible (147 page)

Spraying or brushing the baking sheets with water to create steam during baking will help the puffs rise.

After piping puffs, if not ready to bake them, cover them with plastic wrap sprayed with nonstick vegetable shortening so the surface will not dry and crack during baking, and refrigerate them for up to 2 hours.

To prevent cracking, don’t open the oven door during the early part of baking, but do open it toward the end to dry the center. (If the puff is not dried adequately, it will collapse.)

To gauge the size of a cream puff and the yield of a specific recipe, follow this guide: A puff piped 1½ inches in diameter by 1½ to ¾ inch high, weighing about ½ ounce (13 grams) before baking, will measure 2 inches by 1½ to 1¾ inches after baking.

CLASSIC CREAM PUFF PASTRY

T
his is the basic recipe for cream puff pastry but with a slightly higher amount of egg than usual to ensure lightness. It makes a sturdy enough dough, however, to use for piping a spiraled dough ring for making Gâteau St.-Honoré (page 538) or for piping figures such as swans (page 532). It can be used to make profiteroles or éclairs, though I prefer the Cordon Rose version on page 534.

EQUIPMENT

Cookie sheet(s) or inverted half-size sheet pan(s); for puffs or éclairs, a pastry bag and a number 6 (½-inch) plain round tube plus a second pastry bag and a Bismarck tube for puffs; for swans, 2 pastry bags, number 8 (
-inch) and 9 (¾-inch) plain round tubes, and number 2D or closed star decorating tip

In a medium saucepan, combine the water, butter, sugar, and salt and bring to a full rolling boil. Immediately remove the saucepan from the heat and add the flour all at once. Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a ball, leaves the sides of the pan, and clings slightly to the spoon. Return the pan to low heat and cook, stirring and mashing continuously, for about 3 minutes to cook the flour.

FOOD PROCESSOR METHOD

Without scraping the pan, transfer the mixture to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. With the feed tube open to allow steam to escape, process for 15 seconds. With the motor running, pour in the eggs all at once and continue processing for 30 seconds.

HAND METHOD

Without scraping the pan, empty the mixture into a bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, beating vigorously with a wooden spoon after reach addition.

FOR BOTH METHODS

The mixture will be smooth and shiny and it should be too soft to hold peaks when lifted with a spoon. If it is too stiff, add a little extra water. (The dough can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated overnight. Beat it lightly with a wooden spoon before piping.)

SHAPE THE PUFFS

Dab a small dot of the dough in each corner of the baking sheet and line the sheet with parchment or a Teflon-type liner, pressing lightly to make it adhere; or use foil. Alternatively, you can grease and flour the baking sheet. (Do not use Baker’s Joy, as it makes piping the puffs too slippery.)

Preheat the oven to 400°F. at least 20 minutes before baking. Set an oven rack in the middle level before preheating.

For cream puffs and éclairs:
Fill a pastry bag fitted with a ½-inch diameter tube with the dough.

For cream puffs:
Pipe puffs about 1½ inches in diameter and ½ inch to ¾ inch high about 1 inch apart onto the prepared sheet. (By hand, you can use two greased teaspoons instead of piping. Use one to scoop out the dough and the other, or your fingertip, to push it off onto the baking sheet. If necessary, use your fingertip, dipped first in a little water, to smooth the shape.)

For éclairs:
Pipe 4- by 1½-inch lengths, ½ inch to ¾ inch high, about 3 inches apart onto the sheet. (If you are using a spoon, use a damp metal spatula to spread them into shape, making the ends slightly wider than the centers.) Run the tines of a fork down the length of the tops to encourage the éclairs to crack evenly when they bake.

For swans:
About 1 ounce (30 grams) of dough is needed for each body and only about 3 grams for each head and neck. Use the number 9 tube to pipe teardrop-shaped puffs about 3 inches long, ½ inch to ¾ inch high, 2 inches apart onto the prepared sheet. (Figure 1) On a separate sheet, use the number 8 tube to pipe the heads and necks. (Figure 2) Use a moistened toothpick to draw out a little beak, and, if desired, place a black sesame seed (available in Eastern markets) on each head as an eye.

Bake for 30 minutes (20 minutes for the swan heads). Remove the puffs (including swan bodies) or éclairs to racks. (Do not turn off the oven.) Holding each puff or éclair (not the swan heads) 2 gently on either side, invert it and use the tip of a knife to make a ¼-inch slit in the bottom to release steam. (Alternatively, a decorating tube, preferably the Bismarck filling tube, can be used to make a small hole that will later be used for filling the puffs. Twisting it as you push it into the puff helps to cut the hole.) Return the puffs or swan bodies, still on the racks, and heads to the oven. Turn off the oven and use a wooden spoon or wedge to prop the oven door slightly ajar and let the pastry dry for 10 minutes. At this point, you can close the door and leave the puffs or éclairs in the turned-off oven for 1½ hours to dry out completely, or continue baking them for 45 minutes at 200°F.

Test a pastry by cutting it open. The dough inside (except for the swan bodies or éclairs) should not be soft to the touch. Remove the puffs, on the racks, and allow them to cool completely.

TO FILL THE PUFFS

For cream puffs:
Use a pastry bag fitted with a Bismarck tube to pipe the filling through the slit or hole into the hollow center of each cream puff. Then dip the tops of the puffs into chocolate glaze.
For profiteroles:
Use a serrated knife to split them horizontally in half. Fill with small scoops of ice cream and pour hot glaze on top.

For éclairs:
Use a serrated knife to split them horizontally in half. Remove some of the soft dough from the inside. Use a pastry bag fitted with a number 6 (½-inch) round tube (or a teaspoon) to fill each one with a scant ¼ cup of filling.