Choux Pastry

Choux Pastry

1. Pre-heat the oven.
2. Line a large baking tray with a baking liner or parchment paper.
3. Sift the flour into a bowl, sprinkle the sugar on top and put it beside the cooker.
4. Break the eggs into another bowl, beat them well and leave this bowl next to the cooker too.
5. Put the butter and water into a saucepan over a medium heat.
6. When the butter has melted and water come to the boil, remove the pan from the heat.
7. Immediately add the flour from the bowl and mix into a thick paste.
8. Return the pan to a gentle heat, stirring vigorously for 30 seconds, to make a soft dough.
9. Remove the pan from the heat.
10. Add a third of the egg and beat it into the dough with a spatula.
11. When it is incorporated, beat in another third of the egg.
12. Beat in the remaining egg to make a thick, smooth paste.

Choux Buns

1. Take a soup spoon of the paste, scrape it onto a second soup spoon, then scrape it back onto the original spoon to encourage the formation of a ball of choux paste.
2. Drop the ball of paste onto the baking tray and repeat with the remaining paste.
3. OR, put the choux paste into a piping bag and pipe balls of dough onto the baking tray.
4. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown and crisp to the touch.
5. Remove the tray from the oven.
6. As soon as you can handle the choux balls, cut the side of each bun with a sharp knife to allow the steam to escape.
7. Transfer the choux buns to a wire rack to cool.
8. When completely cold slice and fill the buns with a sweet or savoury filling.