Last Monday was pastry day again, and this time we focused on choux pastry. Choux is the base for many classic treats such as profiteroles (cream puffs), éclairs, croquembouches and decorative swans.
We worked in pairs to prepare the choux. The dough came together without major problems, but the constant stirring to incorporate the eggs and achieve the right consistency was hard work — my arm felt it by the end. I was very grateful to have a partner to share the effort, and I now appreciate how much arm strength the technique requires.
After preparing the choux paste, I piped both small and large rounds to make cream puffs. The piping step is satisfying: you can control shape and size according to how you’ll fill and serve them later.
We also shaped some of the choux into elegant swans. Constructing a swan from choux paste is a fun technique: the body is piped as a round puff and the neck and head are piped separately, then assembled after baking to create a delicate, airy pastry.
At the end of class I packed a box full of assorted choux pastries to bring home. They stayed light and hollow on the inside, just right for filling with cream, pastry cream or flavored mousse.
Overall, the lesson was very informative. I learned useful tips on dough consistency, piping and baking times, and enjoyed practicing shaping and assembly techniques. I’m looking forward to the next lesson and to experimenting with different fillings and presentations at home.