choux pastry for profiteroles or eclairs

Ingredients choux pastry for profiteroles or eclairs

4 oz butter cut into small pieces
240 ml water
2 tsp castor sugar
1/4 tsp salt
5 oz plain flour
4 medium eggs beaten well

how to make choux pastry for profiteroles or eclairs

combine butter, water, sugar and salt in a large pan. bring to the boil occasionally

As soon as boiling, remove the pan from the heat. add the flour all at once and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon

return the pan to a medium heat. stir continuously until the mixture comes away from the pan and forms a doughy ball. remove from the heat and leave to cool

add a dribble of the egg and beat well with a wooden spoon or electric mixer. fully combine until adding another dribble. continue until the mixture becomes a smooth and shiny paste that holds its shape. do not add too much egg at a time. mix very well all the time. If the mixture is smooth and shiny before using all the egg then stop. don't make it too runny

put baking paper on about two trays and preheat the oven to 220°c/425°f

profiteroles: using two teaspoons or a piping bag, shape 1 inch blobs spaced well apart

éclairs: use a piping bag with a wide nozzle and pipe onto the trays about 3-4 inches long but spaced well apart

using a damp finger or a damp pastry brush, push any raised edges in to smooth them off

keeping a close eye on them bake 20-25 mins for profiteroles. 30-35 mins for éclairs. until a good golden brown. remove and quickly poke a hole in the bases and cool upside down on a wire rack. to poke the holes use a sharp knife to poke in a 1/4 inch then twist. must do the holes fast or they will lose their shape

Make sure they are fully cooled before piping with cream. I beat 400ml double cream with half a vanilla pod seeds (or half a teaspoon of vanilla extract) and piped into the holes then put into the fridge to keep the cream fresh while making toffee sauce

I made 14 profiteroles and 4 éclairs out of my mix

Also very moreish topped with melted chocolate