Chouquettes are the humble, no fuss, relatives of the more stylish Profiteroles, (or as they are known in the US, Cream Puffs); as they are made from the very same dough – Pâte à Choux. Éclair pastries are also made from this dough. Unlike both, Chouquettes are not filled with any cream and are meant to be eaten as a simple snack, soon after baking, or at least on the same day.
Preparing the dough is quite easy, once you get the hang of it. The only issue is that the eggs can curdle if they are added to the dough when it is still too hot, so it’s important to not skip the step of letting the dough cool a bit. On the other hand, you don’t want to wait too long and let the dough cool completely, as otherwise the eggs will not incorporate well into it. So, a bit of extra attention is required.
These nibble-size pastries are made by simply dropping small portions of the dough onto the pan, using two tablespoon. They are then brushed with egg wash, topped with pearl sugar and baked until lightly puffed and golden.
Originally, the dough has no added flavorings, but in the version I have here, I decided to add vanilla paste to both dough and egg wash, and loved the results. Try it and enjoy.
Notes:
* The dough is very lightly sweetened, as the topping is quite sweet. However, if you still prefer sweeter dough, you can increase the amount of sugar to 2 Tbs.
* Pearl sugar is a special sugar that keeps its white color and shape while baking. It can be found in specialty stores or online.
* The traditional method of baking Chouquettes is to start with hot oven and lower the temperature after 10 minutes. However, I found that baking them on high temperature for shorter time works just as well. You can experiment with both methods and decide what works better for you.
Makes: 22
Prep time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
For the dough:
1 cup water
3.5 oz (100 grams) butter, at room temperature, cut into small cubes
1 Tbs sugar (see notes)
¼ tsp salt
1 cup flour
1 tsp vanilla paste
4 L eggs, at room temperature
For the egg wash:
1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tsp water
½ tsp vanilla paste
For topping:
About 1/3 cup pearl sugar (see notes)
1. Preheat the oven to 400F (205 C ). Line a cookie sheet pan with baking paper.
2. Mix water, butter, sugar, and salt in a small pot and heat over medium-high heat until the butter melts and the water is on the verge of boiling. Add the flour, all at once, and mix well with a wooden spoon. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook briefly, mixing constantly, until the dough separates from the sides of the pot. Transfer the dough into a bowl and let cool for a 1-2 minutes (see introduction).
3. Add the vanilla and mix. Add the eggs, one by one, while mixing constantly to incorporate them into the dough, until a thick, yet fairly soft, dough is formed.
4. Using two tablespoons, drop small amounts of dough over the baking paper, leaving space for the Chouquettes to expand. Brush with the egg wash and generously top with pearl sugar.
5. Bake for about 25 minutes (see notes), until the Chouquettes are puffed and golden brown. Transfer to a rack, to cool a bit. Serve warm , or at room temperature, preferably the same day of baking.
Woooow 😋😋😋 Nemo&Nancy by NemoInCucina!!!
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lol Thank you! 🙂
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Yess. 👁👁🍃
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Yes indeed! Thank you! 🙂
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Wow looks great… If wanna make eggless what is your opinion
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Thank you Ruchi!
As much as I know, eggless is not an option here, as without the eggs the pastries will not puff. However, I suggest to google it – maybe there’s a vegan version out there. Good luck! 🙂
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Ha ha 😁😁😁😁ya Google is Gyan Guru (master in everything , almost ). Will try. Thank you
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Good thing I just had lunch! I have never made Pate a Choux but I’ve sure had my share of this pastry but always filled with cream and chocolate on top. I like your idea of a snack – thanks for the info on incorporating the eggs. I remember my first (and only time) where I curdled the eggs in a recipe – not good as the dish was totally ruined.:)
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Thank you Judi, I’m glad you’ve found the info helpful. Adding the eggs is indeed the tricky part of the dough, but once you get the hang of it it’s pretty simple. Some people find it easier to work with a hand blander when adding the eggs, so that’s also an option. 🙂
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Humble and no fuss is good for me… I’ve always been too intimidated by profiteroles, but you’ve made these quite tempting.
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Thank you Annika, I’m glad you’ve found the post helpful. Chouquettes are indeed more approachable than profiteroles, so intimidation is eliminated from the process! 🙂
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Ooohhh these look delightful!!
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Thank you Annie! 🙂
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Chouquettes are popular fika (coffee break) treats here. I love them warm out of the oven. You provide an excellent tutorial for preparing your Chouquettes. I think even a non-pastry cook like me might manage these with your instructions.
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Thank you Ron, I’m glad you’ve found my humble tutorial helpful. Chouquettes are indeed at their best warm out of the oven. It’s interesting to know they are that popular in Sweden. 🙂
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So beautiful and delicate. I actually have no fear of choux pastry, believe it or not. Of course, no one should. But otherwise I’m not a baker. I used to help my mother make eclairs, but I’ve never done it myself. Usually it’s gougeres.
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Thank you Mimi, I’m glad you liked the recipe. I agree, choux pastry shouldn’t be intimidating, but it is for people who never made it and weren’t lucky enough to watch someone making it. I much prefer Chouquettes to Eclairs, as I find them too heavy, with the pastry cream filling and the glaze on top. Just made a batch of Parmesan-rosemary gougeres. So good! 🙂
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Oh, those are good. When in France, I will certainly eat croissants, but if I were to hit up a patisserie, it would be an eclair.
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I would go with lemon-meringue tart! 🙂
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What a treat Ronit – I can imagine how great these taste straight from the oven 😊
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Thank you Laura. These are indeed a real treat, especially warm from the oven. 🙂
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Did someone say profiteroles? Wow! Will shout it on the rooftop! Love them, never made them though, but I’m tempted to now that you’ve broadcast it 🙂 The ones in England are just lovely!
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Thank you Loretta. Yes, these can easily turn into profiteroles if you prefer. 🙂
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Look at the last pic!!!! Beautiful. I love how it is light and airy. The dough procedure looks somewhat similar to Mexican churros. Definitely going into my bookmarks
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Thank you Ana, I’m glad you liked the pastries. They are indeed light and airy.
There is indeed some similarity to churros dough, in the initial boiling and adding the flour all at once, with the difference that churros dough usually has less eggs and butter and so the result is different in texture. Another similarity is that both are quite addictive! 🙂
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Yeahhh! I am sure about the last one😊
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Wonderful treats! Love these beautifully puffed choquettes.
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Thank you Megala, I’m glad you liked the recipe. These tasty treats disappear very quickly! 🙂
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