Cream Puffs, Choux Pastries, Balls or Ring Variety

"This recipe always WOW's guests when you bring on the dessert as the presentation makes it look fantastic. It looks like a lot of hard work to make but (keep this to yourself as our secret) it's so easy! Recipe originally came from a very old 1920's recipe book, and over the years I've tweaked the recipe to suit myself. It's never been a failure yet!"
 
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photo by kiwidutch photo by kiwidutch
photo by kiwidutch
photo by kiwidutch photo by kiwidutch
Ready In:
1hr
Ingredients:
11
Yields:
18-24 small balls.
Serves:
8
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ingredients

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directions

  • Heat the butter and water gently in a saucepan, bring to the boil and remove from the heat.
  • Quickly tip in all the flour and beat to the smooth paste with a wooden spoon so that it forms a ball in the center of the pan.
  • Leave to cool slightly for several minutes, (This is important!).
  • Cover the baking sheet (cookie sheet) with baking paper, and then wet the paper slightly with cold water so that you have some little droplets still on the sheet--this will help the pastry not to catch on the bottom and stick at all.
  • Add all the beaten eggs a little bit at a time until the paste gets a glossy sheen on it, if it's still a little "liquid-y" then you haven't beaten it in long enough, When it comes back to the thick paste it's ready to be put in spoonfuls into the baking sheets (cookie sheets).
  • Spoon the paste onto baking sheets in the form of a the numbers of the clock-face, lifting the top of each mound into a peak and joining the balls together to create a circle.
  • Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 45-50 minutes.
  • Once cooked, carefully cut the "ring" in half horizontally and lift off the top half of the ring. (I use a wire cooling rack to hold it against so it doesn't break). Leave to cool on the wire rack.
  • Fill with: Traditionally it would be filled with Confectioners' custard, but even quicker and easier (and one of my favourites) make a very basic custard, but use a little less custard powder than the packet recommends, and add lemon juice to taste, cover the bottom half of the cream puff ring with custard, layer on the peaches or apricots, add a little more custard to fill up spaces.
  • Put the choux pastry "top" back on, drizzle melted chocolate in "zig-zag" style over the top.
  • OR another favorite variation: Heap fresh strawberries into the bottom part of the ring, cover with whipped cream, put the "top" back on again and drizzle melted chocolate over the top of it all --.
  • Alternatively: spoon the paste onto the baking sheet in little balls, and cut a small slit in them when they are cooked to release the steam and fill with anything you like: whipped cream, custard etc.
  • The little balls can then be dipped into chocolate for WOW presentation and ultimate yumminess :).
  • However you present the final result, enjoy!

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Reviews

  1. Great recipe, I substituted bread flour as it has more protein which makes it puff more. I piped eclairs instead of balls and they were perfect.
     
  2. I love cream puffs and Buddha loves eclairs so this recipe suits us both quite well. The only problem I had was that I don't think I put the balls of dough close enough together because when I went to half it, it broke apart a little. Still wonderful to eat. I filled the ring with vanilla pudding and glazed half with chocolate for the eclair type dessert, and the other as a cream puff dessert.
     
  3. Okay, this is going to be LONG! This seemed like a challenge to me since I have never made any type of pastry before, but I soon discovered that it was sooo easy to make. These little things are truely scrumptious!! I made 2 batches in one day and one the next day. I had a couple of problems with the first two batters, but only due to my inexperience in pastries. I only added enough egg in the first two batches till the batter got a glossy scheen on it, and not all of it. The first batch was very liquidy- probably because the batter wasn't mixed enough (which I didn't know at the time) I made only 1/2 of the first batter which didn't turn out good at all. However, after the other half of the batter sat for about 1/2 hour it thickened. I made those again and they came out okay. The second batch of puffs that I made seemed pretty good except they were done on the outside and almost raw inside- I had to scoop out the inside. Today I made another batch with the full amount of egg and those were TDF!! I was going to ask you if I could freeze them, but I don't think they will even last more than 15 minutes out of the oven! I filled them with Chocolate Whipped Cream Recipe# 67953. Thanks for such a great recipe Andria :)
     
  4. This is a great dessert. My 15-year old, who is very stingy with her compliments even mentioned how pretty this was....and I didn't even heap the strawberries in the center, which I think would have made this so very impressive. I've been debating whether my little balls should have been smaller or larger. The way they turned out, it was just a little messy eating them. Too large to just pop in your mouth, and too small to bother with a plate, fork and knife. We're just standing in the kitchen, cutting little balls off the ring and eating them right there....it must be good....it hasn't even made it out of the kitchen!!
     
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