If this had happened to me a week ago, I think I would have had a complete meltdown and run screaming from the building. But I've finally wrapped my head around the idea that it's just a pastry. I'll live.
And so once again my groove is found, hopefully here to stay this time. Plus my sainted classmates saved my bacon and gave me their extras so my partner and I could finish ours. For that, I owe each and every one that helped my undying gratitude. And a drink.
Part of the problem I think comes from the fact that, before this last week, I had never piped a single thing in my life. My background in decorating is knife + frosting = finished. It's taken a lot of practice, but I can finally do better detail work. This stuff is deceptively easy.
Check out the decoration work on the Croquembouche! All me, baby.
It just goes to show that Mom was right: practice does make perfect. Just don't let it go to your head, lady.
So you all can start practicing your piping like me, here's the recipe for the dough. Tomorrow, we'll give it some purpose and I'll give you the recipe for eclairs. I would do it all tonight, but I've got a test to study for! Details and drooling tomorrow.
Pâte à Choux (Cream Puff Dough)
473 mL (1 pint) water (2 cups)
250 grams butter, cubed (just over 1 cup)
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. granulated sugar
350 grams bread flour, sifted (about 3 cups)
10 to 12 eggs
Put the water, butter, salt, and sugar into a saucepan and place over high heat. When it comes to a boil, remove from the fire and stir in the flour (use a wooden spoon). Put the pan back on the fire and cook the paste to dry it out (there'll be a thin layer of film; takes about a minute). Pour the paste into a mixer and paddle at a low speed to cool the mixture (steam will escape, you want this).
About the time the steam stops, the temperature should reach about 140 degrees F, and you can begin to add the eggs (ONE AT A TIME). ** The temperature of the dough needs to drop so that the added eggs don't cook. You don't want scrambled eggs, unless you want to be weird and have a breakfast eclair. ** The dough has been hydrated correctly when a spatula lifted from the bowl forms a ribbon connected to the batter, a dollop of the batter curls over on itself to form a hook, and the all important finger test through the dough leaves a channel that fills in slowly but still holds an edge. ** The finger test is the most accurate. **
From here, you can pipe the dough into whatever shape or size you would like. You can also flavor the dough (like adding cheese to make Gougéres, aka Cheesy Poofs!) Brush the dough with an egg wash (not optional) and score the choux (optional). Put the dough into a preheated 500 degree F oven, turn the oven off, and bake for 15 minutes. Turn the oven back on to 350 degrees F. ** DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN TO CHECK THE CHOUX FOR AT LEAST ANOTHER 15 MINUTES, OR 30 MINUTES TOTAL FROM START TIME. ** Bake until well browned and baked through. The dough is done when the areas inside the cracks are browned as well as the outside.
A quick note: Do not keep adding eggs if you don't need to. If the mixture only needs eight to be properly hydrated and can pass the tests, don't add more.
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