The Choux Pastry or Cream Puff Pastry is a basic French pastry recipe, delicate and neutral, versatile for creating: St. Joseph’s cream puffs, zeppole, profiteroles, savory recipes, éclairs, and much more. The special feature of this dough is the double cooking, which occurs first in the pot and then in the oven. The name “choux”, from the French term meaning cabbage, is due to the shape of the small cream puffs resembling Brussels sprouts. It’s not the easiest to make, but by following some tips, you can have a light and delicately flavored choux pastry. Perfect for making golden, crispy, and completely hollow cream puffs inside, but now let’s see the ingredients to prepare it!
Here is how to fill zeppole and cream puffs.
- Difficulty: Difficult
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 10
- Cooking methods: Oven, Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Father's Day, All seasons
- Energy 152.48 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 11.28 (g) of which sugars 0.26 (g)
- Proteins 4.13 (g)
- Fat 10.46 (g) of which saturated 6.32 (g)of which unsaturated 4.17 (g)
- Fibers 1.97 (g)
- Sodium 418.10 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 40 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
- 1 1/4 cups flour
- 2/3 cup water
- 2 pinches salt
- 4 eggs (medium "weighs about 210 g without shell")
- 7 tbsp butter
Tools
- Saucepan
- Wooden spoon
- 1 Piping bag
- Closed star nozzle
- Round tip nozzle
- 1 Sieve
Preparation of Choux Pastry or Cream Puff Pastry
In a saucepan, put the water, salt, and butter cut into pieces, bring to a boil, and remove from the heat. If the butter doesn’t seem completely melted, just stir the mixture with a wooden spoon. Now add all the flour at once “previously sifted” without fear of lumps forming.
Mix the ingredients vigorously with a wooden spoon and place it back on the heat. Cook the dough for about 2 minutes, always stirring, which will cause it to detach from the sides of the saucepan, forming a ball. You will hear the dough sizzle, indicating that it is ready.
Remove the pot from the heat and place the dough in a glass bowl to cool it down faster. Meanwhile, take the eggs and beat them slightly in a bowl, then start adding them a little at a time to the dough. Continue until they are all well incorporated; the best way is to use an electric mixer, as it allows better control of the dough. If it seems to break apart, don’t worry, just keep mixing. In the end, you should have a creamy, smooth, and homogeneous dough that doesn’t slip off the spoon.
Now transfer the mixture into a piping bag with a smooth nozzle for the cream puffs, or a star nozzle for the zeppole with a 1 cm diameter tip.
On a slightly buttered baking sheet, create the desired shape to prepare zeppole or other pastries.
Dip a pastry cutter in flour and place it on the baking sheet to draw the shapes, ensuring they are spaced apart.
Bake in a static oven at 392°F for about 20 minutes, check the cooking after 10 minutes and be careful not to let them darken too much; otherwise, lower the oven to 374°F. After 20 minutes, place a wooden spoon or a ball of aluminum foil between the oven door and the frame, and continue cooking for another 10/15 minutes. In this phase, the choux pastry must dry inside and color on the outside.
We must remember that the cooking time is quite indicative, so always adjust according to your oven. Once the zeppole or cream puffs are ready, they can be taken out of the oven and allowed to cool, then choose the filling you like best and enjoy!
Here are some creams: White Chocolate, custard, ganache, chantilly cream
Choux Pastry Storage
Once the zeppole and cream puffs are cooled, it is preferable to fill them, otherwise, they can be stored in a tin box to be used later. But do not keep them for more than 5 days, as they might become less crispy. If this happens, just put them in the hot oven for 5/8 minutes.
The choux pastry must be firm and should not fall off the spoon. Once prepared, it should be used immediately and cannot be stored, unlike the cream puffs which can be made in advance and frozen empty for up to 15 days.
When creating cream puffs, always try to remove the tip that forms to prevent it from burning during cooking. Just wet a teaspoon and gently press it down.
For perfect cooking, as mentioned above, always adjust to your own oven, whether for static or ventilated cooking.
The flour used must have a low protein content like “00”, and it’s crucial to add the eggs a little at a time, ensuring each is well incorporated before adding more.
Many times, the number of eggs “that is written in any recipe” may not be the right amount to use. This is because it depends on the weight of each egg. Typically, an egg with shell weighs about 60 g, but it should always be weighed without the shell and is around 52 g.
The diameter of each zeppola is approximately 2.5 to 2.75 inches, but it always depends on your personal taste.
