Learn how to make delicious Pâte à Choux with this simple Jacques Pépin recipe.
INGREDIENTS
· 3/4 cup milk
· 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
· 1/8 teaspoon salt
· 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
· 3 large eggs
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the milk, butter, and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Immediately remove from the heat, add the flour all at once, and mix it in with a wooden spatula. Return the pan to the stove and stir over medium-high heat until the mixture comes away from the sides of the pan and collects into one soft lump about the consistency of modeling clay.
Cook for about 20 to 30 seconds, still stirring, to dry the mixture further, then transfer to a food processor and process for 4 to 5 seconds to cool the mixture slightly.
Beat the eggs in a bowl with a fork until well mixed. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the beaten eggs to brush on the puffs, and add the remaining eggs to the dough mixture. Process for 20 to 30 seconds, until very smooth.
Lightly butter a cookie sheet. Spoon 6 rounds of dough, each about the size of a Ping-Pong ball (approximately 3 tablespoons), onto the sheet, spacing them evenly to allow for expansion. Brush with the beaten egg to smooth the tops and coat the surface of the balls.
Bake for about 40 minutes, until the puffs are nicely developed, browned, and cooked through. They should hold their shape but still be soft. Open the oven door and let the puffs rest for 10 minutes. Set aside in a draft-free area to cool.