Choux Puffs
These eggy pastry puffs are firm on the outside and near-hollow on the inside, making them ideal containers for any number of fillings from whipped cream to savory eggs and morels.
Ingredients
1 cup water
8 Tbsp. unsalted butter (preferably high-fat, European-style), cut into chunks
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup flour, sifted (sift after measuring the flour)
4 large eggs, at room temperature
Directions
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Line a large, heavy baking sheet with parchment paper. Place water, butter and salt in a heavy saucepan over medium-low flame. Bring mixture to boil, then stir briefly to combine everything.
Using a wooden spoon, stir in all the flour until everything is well combined. Continuing over heat, keep stirring vigorously until mixture forms into a ball and no longer clings to the sides of the pan. Let cool 4 full minutes, and then use a wooden spoon to beat in the eggs one at a time.
Scoop batter into 10 to 12 mounds, placing them 2 inches apart on baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Continue baking until shells are puffed, golden brown and firm, 25 to 30 minutes longer.
Turn off oven. Gently poke each puff once with a toothpick to let off steam and prevent sogginess. Leave them in the oven, with the door open, until completely cool.
Suggestions
Use these in our savory Choux Puffs with Slow-Scrambled Eggs and Morels recipe!
Avoid baking choux puffs on a rainy spring day, for too much moisture in the air can make the puffs wilt. If you make them ahead of time, store them airtight; the shells can be re-crisped by warming them in a low oven for a few minutes.
Choux puffs can be made ahead, frozen for up to two months and re-crisped in a warm oven. Some cooks will also freeze the unbaked puffs and then pop them into a hot oven directly from the freezer.
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