Choux pastry

Basic choux recipe consists of water, butter, salt and sugar, flour and eggs. The water generates the puffiness when baked. However I have always used half milk half water in the batter as I find it tastes a bit better and less dry. Below Pierre Hermes' choux pastry recipe. 

Maison Emil's mini choux. Filling: pastry cream + whipped cream.
Topping: roasted almond + cinnamon + brown sugar + a bit butter

Maison Emil's bug choux with vanilla whipped cream

You can also make savoury choux and fill it with thuna cream :) 

Pierre Hermé’s Pâte à Choux (Choux Pastry)

(Makes 20-24 big choux)

½ cup (125g) whole milk
½ cup (125g) water
1 stick (4 ounces; 115g) unsalted butter, cut into smaller cubes (8-10)
¼ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup (140g) all-purpose flour
5 large eggs, at room temperature

1) Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

2) In a heavy bottomed medium saucepan, bring the milk, water, butter, sugar and salt to a boil.

3) Once the mixture is at a rolling boil, add all of the flour at once, reduce the heat to medium and start to stir the mixture vigorously with a wooden spoon. The dough comes together very quickly. You need to carry on stirring for a further 2-3 minutes to dry the dough. After this time the dough will be very soft and smooth.

4) Transfer the dough into a bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using your
handmixer or if you still have the energy, continue by hand. Add the eggs one at a time,
beating after each egg has been added to incorporate it into the dough.

You will notice that after you have added the first egg, the dough will separate, but do
not worry. As you keep working the dough, it will come back all together again by the time you
have added the third egg. In the end the dough should be thick and shiny and when lifted it
should fall back into the bowl in a ribbon.

5) Fill a large pastry bag fitted with a 2/3 (2cm) plain tip nozzle with the warm cream puff dough.
Pipe the dough onto the baking sheets. 
Remarks! My mom in Norway does not bother to use the pastry bag. With the help of 2 tablespoons, she forms a ball/lump and adds it on the baking tray. Easy :)
Leave about 2 inches (5 cm) space in between each choux to allow them room to puff.
The dough should give you enough to pipe 20-24 choux.

6) Slide both the baking sheets into the oven and bake for 7 minutes. After the 7 minutes, slip the

handle of a wooden spoon into the door to keep in ajar. When the choux have been in the
oven for a total of 12 minutes, rotate the sheets top to bottom and front to back. Continue
baking for a further 8 minutes or until the choux are puffed, golden and firm. The total baking
time should be approximately 20 minutes. 

Happy baking,

Maison Emil Paris :)