Choux~ Choux Pastry~

Minis..I have a folder on Pinterest of Minis.. so nice to see small once in a while especially for desserts..
I have made these in the past..some with success..some without.
We were watching Curieux Bégin one night,,and Lesley Chesterman was a guest.
I knew who she was..  and knew what she did..but I had never seen her nor ever heard her speak.
I instantly liked her.
Down to earth,natural,smart,genuine.
She is a also a pastry chef apart form being a writer,food critic.. columnist..etc..
She made choux pastry on the show..just a small segment of the show..and I just loved how she explained everything.
So I set out to do it her way.
I had never seen anyone explain it so well:)
So I made some..and they rose and puffed and became golden and light.
This was definitely a make again for me...and I did.
You can fill them with all kinds of things..from whipped cream that you have flavored..or not..  a pastry cream.. a coffee cream..the last ones I made..Saturday..had espresso whipped cream in them.
What prompted me to have a real coup de coeur..was her sifting of icing sugar on top.
Fill them with ice cream and add a glaze..
or make a mountain out of them and make a croquembouche.
If you have never made any..this is fun to try..to make and to serve~

The finished little choux are way  too pretty not to make.

Again..both times I made 1/ 2 of the recipe..you can find the recipe in it's entirety here.

I'll jot down the half that I did..and a brief explanation of how I made them..


La Recette


1/4 C milk
1/4 C water
1/4 tsp salt..(I used salted butter so nosalt for me)
1/2 tsp granulated sugar
50 grams of butter
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 eggs beaten together 1 egg beaten apart   (full recipe is 5 together 1 apart)

Place first 5 ingredients in a pot on stove..bring to a boil,remove from heat and dump in the flour all at once..stir with wooden spoon until it forms a mass.. and does not stick to the sides or bottom of the pot,,put the mixture back on the stove and stir w/ wooden spoon about 2 minutes.

I then removed the pot from the stove..added 2 beaten eggs and beat w/ a hand mixer..1 egg at a time and make sure they are perfectly incorporated..it will be a smooth smooth mixture..lump free.. add more egg until the mixture kind of has a sheen..gloss to it..
I needed to add half of the extra beaten egg..and it was perfect.

I used my Silpat and piped the choux..  they like to be close together but not touching..they will expand and puff up so leave room.
You can flatten slightly w/ a fork..but I use the pastry brush as I am brushing all the tops with some of the leftover beaten egg.
Bake in a preheated 375 F oven for ap 35 minutes..don't peek by opening the stove..but keep and eye out..
The first time I did them like this..the second time..for fun..I took them out slit a steam vent and put them back in 5 minutes..

Place on cooling rack..and let cool before handling..they are as light as air:)

It made  about 18 choux for me.

Meanwhile 10 minutes before I was ready to pipe the cream filling I froze the beaters and the bowl for the cream..

Once cooled..slice in half and fill with cream..

I used this recipe..and again halved it

1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 tbsp of instant coffee (I used instant espresso)
1/4 tbsp boiling water
1/2 C icing sugar
vanilla to taste.

Place all the ingredients in your chilled bowl and beat until you get the consistency you want.
I like it firm enough to pipe prettily.

Sift w/ icing sugar

I fill mine shortly before serving..These I made in the afternoon around 2  ,filled and then refrigerated them ..
They were fine at 6.30 still.
I don't have whipped cream stabilizer but I read that you can even make them the night before if you have used stabilizer.
I read KAF has some.


The first time..I used plain whipped cream...the second time..the café one.
These are adorable..mini desserts..


I made Ricardo's bread again ..and forgot it!
I baked it maybe 20 hrs later..and it was just as good.

Perfect bread recipe..Crunchy crust..holey interior.♥

We had D. Lebovitz's Chicken Marsala  again..w/ modifications..and it was just as good again.
We watched the finale of Bloodline..

Saturday I went for a walk with 2 boys on bikes and one walking.. my daughter, and Ray their Chihuahua..
How those small dogs can walk so fast walking  against the cold wind of Saturday w/out a Kleenex in hand ..paw..is beyond me..
We met big dogs that should be ferocious..they were so sweet..while Ray tried to show them who was boss;)
They walked on indifferently.

Sunday Lucas rode over on his bigger bike..and I stepped out into the gardens..and hauled out the cushions for he porches.
The warm sun on my face..felt like a great gift.

My Easter tulips waned on Friday..they had lasted quite long though..
my daughters hyacinths..are still gorgeous here.

Soon we will be admiring our garden tulips..Not a second too soon I might add:)

Look at Pachysandra..I know I know..takes over..It's where I don't mind it to..but what resilience might I add!
The snow recedes.."like a hairline" ,my friend Nancy wrote..
and all this Pachysandra  survives ..year after year after year~