Mon cher éclair : and other beautiful pastries, including cream puffs, profiteroles, and gougères

179 Pages·2016·12.36 MB·English

by  Charity Ferreira

acknowledgments
This was a fun book to write, and I was extraordinarily lucky to have been able to
draw on the expertise and endless patience of my friend Debbie Hughes, who
tasted batch after batch of chocolate pastry cream until I was satisfied I had the
glossy, rich version I was going for. A big thank-you goes to my testers and
tasters, especially those of you who stayed until the wee hours eating endless
gougères (you know who you are!). I especially want to thank Marlene Kawahata
and Maryanne Welton, who meticulously tested recipes and provided invaluable
insights and suggestions. And last but not least, thank you Dylan, for your
enthusiasm and your help, and for requesting éclairs for your birthday dessert!
Text copyright © 2016 by Charity Ferreira.
Photographs copyright © 2016 by Joseph De Leo.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without
written permission from the publisher.
ISBN 978-1-4521-5072-7 (epub, mobi) Library of Congress Cataloging-in-
Publication Data available.
ISBN 978-1-4521-4566-2 (pb)
Designed by Vanessa Dina
Photo assisting by Kazuhito Sakuma
Food styling by Liza Jernow
Food assisting by Kristin Miglore
Typesetting by Frank Brayton
Chronicle Books LLC
680 Second Street
San Francisco, California 94107
www.chroniclebooks.com
Introduction 8
tools 8
mixing 9
shaping 10
baking 10
filling and glazing 11
storing 12
Pâte à Choux 13
Éclairs 14
Classic Éclairs 17
Double Chocolate Éclairs 19
Mini Mocha Éclairs 20
Nutella Éclairs 23
Tahini-Chocolate Éclairs 24
Salted-Peanut Éclairs 27
Butterscotch-Bourbon Éclairs 28
Strawberry-Amaretto Éclairs 31
Raspberry Crush Éclairs 33
Coconut-Mango Éclairs 36
Meyer Lemon–Cream Éclairs 39
Kaffir Lime Éclairs 41
Tangerine-Caramel Éclairs 45
Saffron-Rose Éclairs 47
Violet–White Chocolate Éclairs 51
Maple-Bacon Éclairs 53
Churro Éclairs 57
Black-and-White Éclairs 59
Matcha-Chocolate Éclairs 63
Frozen Éclairs 65
Profiteroles and Cream Puffs 66
Classic Caramel Profiteroles 68
Chocolate Profiteroles 70
Cacao Nib Profiteroles 73
Blackberry-Mascarpone Cream Puffs 75
New Orleans Cream Puffs 76
Summer-Pudding Puffs 79
Caramel–Banana Split Puffs 81
Baked Choux Donuts 84
Pumpkin Chouquettes 85
Courtesans au Chocolat 87
Gougères and Savory Snacks 90
Classic Gougères 92
Pumpkin-Gruyère Gougères 93
Sea Salt and Cracked Black Pepper Gougères 95
French Onion Gougères 97
Caprese Gougères 99
Gougères with Scrambled Eggs and Greens 100
Salt Cod Gougères 101
Gougères with Cured Anchovies 103
Picnic Gougères 104
Sharp-Cheddar Gougères with Ham 105
Manchego Gougères with Ham 107
Gougères with Roast Beef 109
Index 110
About the Author 113
introduction
If you’ve never tried making éclairs or haven’t made them in years, it’s time! The
éclairs you remember have been nudged into the twenty-first century and are
now bursting with bold new flavors and bright colors.
Éclairs and their cousins—profiteroles, cream puffs, and savory gougères—are
made from pâte à choux, a dough that is the basis of many French pastries.
When baked, it has a crisp yet tender exterior and an airy, slightly eggy interior
that is made to hold rich, creamy filling. While pâte à choux–based pastries look
elegant, they’re not at all difficult to make at home.
The formula for successful pâte à choux reminds me of that old-fashioned
American recipe for 1-2-3 pound cake that was so called because it was so easy
to remember: 1 cup of butter, 2 cups of sugar, and 3 cups of flour. Pâte à choux
has just a few ingredients, and the basic proportions are so easy to remember
that if you make it a few times, you’ll know it by heart. If you’re the kind of baker
who loves exploring kitchen science, there are more than a dozen small variables
that can affect how your choux pastry will come out, from the moisture in the air
to the hot spots in your oven. And if you just want to make éclairs without
bothering about the details, the good news is that, if you follow a few simple
guidelines, you’ll be able to make successful éclairs on your very first attempt.
tools
To make pâte à choux, you’ll need a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan and a
sturdy wooden spoon. A flexible, heatproof spatula is also handy for scraping
every last bit of the batter from the pan.
If you have a kitchen scale, use one when you’re making pâte à choux to check
that your 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp of flour weighs 140 grams. And if you don’t have a
kitchen scale, you’ll do just fine if you stir up your flour a bit first, spoon lightly
packed flour into the measuring cup, and level off the top.
You may have seen choux recipes that call for an electric stand mixer, but I prefer
to simply mix by hand. It’s one less bowl to wash afterward, and the choux really