How Do You Make Basic Choux Paste (For Cream Puffs)?
This paste, or dough, is piped or spooned out and baked to be filled with a pastry cream or sweetened whipped cream filling. The dough starts out as a boiled mixture on the stove top, and cooked until a ball forms. Eggs are added and the mix is beaten until shiny. Bring water, butter and salt to a boil. Add in the flour and, while stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, cook until the mixture forms into a smooth ball and leaves the sides of the pan. Immediately remove from heat and set aside to cool for about 2 minutes. Add an egg and beat vigorously until the egg is completely mixed in. Continue with each egg, adding the next only when the previous has been mixed in. Using a pastry bag with a plain, round pastry tip (size depending on the desired cream puffs) and pipe into rounds onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Alternately, spoon drop by rounded teaspoons. Bake at 400 degrees until browned and dried, about 15 to 18 minutes, depending on size. Allow to cool completely before fill
