Pâte À Choux

🥘 Ingredients

• water or milk 1 cup
• unsalted butter 8 Tbsp
• salt 0.38 tsp
• sugar (optional) 2 tsp
• flour 1 ¼ cups
• eggs 4 large

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. 2

   Put the water or milk , unsalted butter , and salt and sugar (optional) in a saucepan and bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Remove it from the heat and add the flour all at once. Stir vigorously. Return the pan to the burner and cook over medium heat, stirring all the while, until the mixture forms a ball; this should take only about a minute. Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool for 5 to 10 minutes , to 140°F. It will still feel hot, but you should be able to hold a finger in it for a few seconds. Transfer the dough to a mixer and beat in the room temperature eggs one at a time; the mixture will become fluffy. Beat for at least 2 minutes after adding the last egg.
3. 3

   Form the choux paste into whatever shape you desire, using a spoon , or by putting the dough in a pastry bag and piping it.
4. 4

   Bake for 15 minutes , then reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and bake for an additional 15 minutes . Turn off the oven, open the door a crack, and leave the pastry inside to cool for 30 minutes . Remove from the oven to cool completely. Carefully split the pastry, fill, and frost as desired.