Pâte à Choux Dough Pastry Cream Filling
Delicate, airy cream puffs are an elegant French pastry that's surprisingly simple to make at home. In this hands-on class, you'll learn the techniques to create the foundational components: a light-as-air pâte à choux pastry and silky, creamy pastry cream filling. We'll start by mastering the methods for making pâte à choux, a unique dough that puffs up into perfect little shells when baked. You'll learn the tricks to getting it just right - the proper mixing, piping, and baking for an evenly cooked interior and golden, crisp exterior. Then you'll prepare a luscious pastry cream, a stovetop custard made with eggs, milk, sugar, and a hint of vanilla. Once chilled, this velvety cream fills the puff interiors to create a sublime textural contrast in every bite. After mastering the basics, you'll have fun assembling your cream puffs and finish with classic powdered sugar. We will discuss creative alternatives for garnishing them with chocolate sauce, caramel, and fruit. These bite-sized treats are as delightful for afternoon tea as they are for an elegant dessert. By the end of the class, you'll take home a batch of beautiful, professionally-made cream puffs to share, along with recipes and skills to keep baking them at home. With a little practice, you'll be a pâte à choux pro!
