Cream Puffs

Cream puffs were the first thing I learnt to bake as a child.  



Some Europeans call this dessert profiteroles.

7 fl oz [200 ml] water

½ oz [14 grams] caster sugar 
a pinch of salt (optional - some people do not salt in their desserts!)

3 oz [85 grams] unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing or use a silicon mat or silicon cases

4 oz [113 grams] good quality flour - about 11 percent protein content

3 medium free-range eggs, beaten – may not use all of the eggs 

Method for making the pastry casing

Preheat the oven to 200 C fan baking mode.  If your oven is in fahrenheit then you will need to set it to 400 F and that would be gas mark 6. 

For making of the pastry casing: place the water, sugar, salt and butter into a saucepan with a heavy base. Heat gently until the butter has melted – the butter should have melted before the water boils! Turn up the heat, then quickly pour in the sifted flour all in one go. Turn off the heat, if you are using an induction hob [if you use a gas stove or other electrical hob, remove the pan from the stove] and beat the mixture vigorously until a smooth paste is formed. Once the mixture comes away from the side of the pan, allow the mixture to cool, perhaps for 10-15 minutes.

Beat in the eggs, a little at a time, until the mixture is smooth and glossy and has a soft dropping consistency - you may not need all the eggs.

Lightly grease a large baking sheet or use a silicon sheet or cases. Using a piping bag and plain with a ½ inch [1.25 cm] nozzle, pipe the mixture into small balls in lines across the baking sheet. Gently rub the top of each ball with a wet finger - this helps to make a crisper top.  You should be able to pipe 20 pastry cases.

Place a small roasting tin on the bottom shelf of the oven to heat.

Place the baking sheet into the middle of a heated oven. Before closing the oven door, pour half a cup of boiling water into the roasting tin at the bottom of the oven, then quickly shut the door. This helps to create steam in the oven and this will make the pastry cases rise better. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden-brown - if the pastry cases are too pale they will become soggy when they cool down. If you are using a steam oven, then you will not need to have a roasting tin on the bottom shelf of the oven. 

Remove pastry cases from the oven and turn the oven off. Prick the base of each pastry case with a skewer. Place back onto the baking sheet with the hole in the base facing upwards and return to the oven for five minutes. The warm air from the oven will help to dry out the middle of the pastry cases. 

When the pastry cases have been cooled, pipe whipped sweetened double cream [600 ml - about 1 pint] into the cases and pour cold chocolate sauce on the cream puffs before serving. One would need a pint of double cream for 20 cream puffs.