Pate Choux. Pets de Nonnes. SUUUPER FANCY! Cabbage dough + Nun’s farts. Totally doable. So this week which is a bit crazy I’m going to give everything it’s French name just to keep my head above water.
It’s been a busy week. A trip to Denver to eat mile high doughnuts, and lots of kid logistics. Tonight I’m headed to a pot luck which is always tricky. Because I’m a cook I need to bring something delicious, but I look like an ass if I bring something over the top. And, I have to hand make it because there is nothing worse than “This is delicious. Can I have the recipe? Is it easy?” Why yes, yes it is. Head down to aisle 6 and pick up some crackers...
So, I decided to riff on the cheese board to make a wonderful after dinner dessert board.
AND I made pate choux. It takes 1 bowl, 1 saucepan, 1 sheetpan, and a simple ratio: 2:2:2:1.
1 cup water
1 cup eggs
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
Bring your butter & water to a boil. Turn down the heat, stir in the flour until you have a nice paste. transfer into to bowl of a standing mixer, and make a little lunch. When lunch is done your flour will be cool enough to incorporate the eggs, one at a time. If you are serving as appetizers add 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan, for dessert add 2 tablespoons sugar. Or, divide the dough in 1/2 and do both!
Use a piping bag, or just a spoon and place them on a parchment lined tray. Big, small; do what you want. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes, then turn down to 350 and continue to bake until golden, about 30 minutes.
Just the basics.
