Queen Bee Cream Puffs, Pâte à Choux
Recipe adapted from Faithfully Gluten Free
½ cup Queen Bee Cake Cookie Muffin Flour
½ cup Queen Bee Pizza Flour
Pinch salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup water
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes
4 large eggs, room temperature
Preheat the oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside.
In a stand mixer bowl, whisk together the Queen Bee flours, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
Bring the water and butter to a boil over medium heat. Pour boiling liquids into the dry ingredients all at once, and stir with a spoon until the dry ingredients are completely incorporated, and the mixture looks similar to play dough.
Using the paddle attachment, beat on medium-high speed for two minutes to cool the dough down a bit. With the mixer on medium speed, add one egg at a time. Beat dough until the egg is completely incorporated before adding the next one. When you add an egg, the dough will look like it breaks apart, but keep mixing it until it comes back together again. Repeat until all 4 eggs have been added.
Mix on medium-high speed for 1 minute, until the dough is smooth.
Use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop to place the dough onto prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2-inches between cream puffs (or use a piping bag). For larger cream puffs, use ¼ cup per cream puff. If dough sticks to scoop, dip scoop into hot water shaking off excess water. You can use your fingers, dipped in warm water, to help smooth the tops of the cream puffs before baking.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Turn off the oven, open the door, and pierce each cream puff with a sharp knife. This will help any steam trapped inside them to escape, giving a nice crisp cream puff. Leave the cream puffs in the oven, with the door open a few inches, until the oven has cooled completely.
Once cream puffs have completely cooled, fill them with a sweet or savory filling. They are best served the same day, but can be stored in an air tight container.
To crisp unfilled cream puffs again, place in a 400 degree F oven for 10 minutes.
To Freeze Pate a Choux
The Pâte à Choux can be frozen to use later. Spoon the dough onto a wax paper lined baking sheet and place in the freezer. Once they are frozen, store in a zipper seal freezer bag. To bake, place frozen dough onto parchment lined baking pan, and let come to room temperature before baking (about 40 minutes). Bake the same way you would if you were baking immediately.
You can also use a piping bag, or a heavy plastic bag with the corner cut off, to pipe the dough onto the parchment paper.