What is Choux Pastry?
Choux Pastry, or Pâte à Choux as the French say, is a delightful French pastry dough. Pronounced as “shoo pastry,” it may sound fancy, but it’s surprisingly straightforward to make, requiring only simple ingredients. Choux pastry is also the foundation for:
- Eclairs, filled with custard and coated in delectable chocolate.
- Profiteroles, akin to cream puffs but filled with ice cream, drizzled with sumptuous chocolate ganache, and frozen for a delightful treat.
- Churros, deep-fried to perfection and coated in cinnamon sugar for a crispy, sweet experience.
Can I Store the Cream Puffs Before Filling?
You can prepare the pastry shells a day or two in advance. Once they’ve cooled to room temperature, lightly cover them and store at room temperature. Please note that they might soften if made ahead. To re-crisp the shells, simply bake them uncovered in a preheated oven at 300˚F for about 5 minutes. Once filled, cream puffs are at their best when enjoyed on the same day or stored in the freezer.
Can I Freeze Cream Puffs?
When freezing cream puffs that are already filled, ensure the cream is positioned in the center of the cream puff or that you’ve cut off the tops and added just enough cream to cover and hide it with the lid. The aim is to keep the cream contained. To thaw frozen cream puffs, let them sit in the refrigerator for 2 hours or at room temperature for 30 minutes, and then dust with powdered sugar just before serving.
