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1
Place liquid, butter, salt and sugar, if using, in a medium saucepan and bring slowly to a simmer.
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2
Turn off heat and add the flour all at once.
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3
Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until it forms a ball.
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4
Return to medium heat to dry the paste so it will have the maximum puffing ability: turn the ball around in the pan, pressing it against the sides and flipping it over, until butter starts oozing out and the paste no longer sticks to your fingers.
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5
Remove from heat and let cool a bit.
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6
Turn the paste into a medium bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle and beat in the eggs, one at a time, with a wooden spoon or the paddle.
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7
Each time you add an egg, the mixture will become slippery and messy but will then come together, at which point you can add the next egg.
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8
Load mixture into pastry bag with a round tip ( 1/2 or 1-inch depending on size puff desired) and pipe out as required.
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9
It will give the fullest puff if used right away but can be held for several hours.
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10
Basic proportions for Pate a Choux are 1:1:1: 1/2, or 1 cup liquid, 1 cup flour:1 cup egg: 1/2 cup butter.
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11
Water makes choux more crisp, milk makes them more tender, Puffs expand when cooked as water in batter turns to steam and explodes the dough.
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12
Pate a choux is an extremely versatile pastry that can be the base of many sweet and savory dishes.
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13
It can take many forms: be poached as gnocchi, baked to form hollow puffy balls that can be filled with various things, or fried as fritters and sprinkled with sugar.
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14
It is neutral in flavor so is adaptable to any cuisine.
