4/11/2017

Chouquettes - The Postscript


As a bit of an addendum to my previous review post on Gourmet Rhapsody, I am sharing the lovely Chouquettes, which were mentioned as the elusive, wonderful flavor sought in that novelette.  Just couldn't resist making them, and so glad I did after eating about 100 of the little delights for breakfast with my hot cocoa.  They are just small cream puffs without the filling, and baked with coarse or pearl sugar on top.


                                    Chouquettes
           From The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz


About 24+ Puffs

Shaping the mounds of dough is easiest to do with a pastry bag, although you can use two spoons or a spring-loaded ice cream scoop. ( I used 2 spoons.)

    1 cup (250ml) water
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    2 teaspoons sugar
    6 tablespoons (90g) unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
    1 cup (135g) flour
    4 large eggs, at room temperature

Glaze: 1 egg yolk, mixed with 1 teaspoon milk
Pearl or Crystal sugar (Pearl sugar is available in the US from King Arthur and on Amazon.   (Claudia's note: I used a coarse-grained turbinado sugar to good effect.)


1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees (220 C.) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. (Depending on the size of your baking sheets, it may take two.)
2. Heat the water, salt, sugar, and butter in a small saucepan, stirring, until the butter is melted. Remove from heat and dump all the flour in at once. Put the pan back on the heat and stir rapidly until the mixture is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the pan.

3. Allow dough to cool for two minutes, then briskly beat in the eggs, one at a time, until smooth and shiny.
4. Using two spoons, scoop up a mound of dough with one spoon roughly the size of an unshelled walnut, and scrape it off with the other spoon onto the baking sheet. You can also use a pastry bag fitted with a plain 1/2-inch tip and pipe them.
5. Place the mounds evenly-spaced apart on the baking sheet(s). Brush the top of each mound with some of the egg glaze then press pearl sugar crystals over the top and sides of each mound. Use a lot. Once the puffs expand rise, you’ll appreciate the extra effort (and sugar.)
6. Bake the cream puffs until puffed and well-browned, about 25 to 30 minutes. If they get too dark midway through baking, lower the heat of the oven to 375ºF (190ºC) and continue baking.
(If you want to make them crispier, you can poke a hole in the side with a knife after you take them out of the oven to let the steam escape.)

What fun, delectable little morsels, and no more trouble than making muffins or scones in the morning - alternatively, you could bake them up for your "Afternoon Tea" - if you do such a thing.  Will share this with the charming folks who visit Beth Fish Reads for her Weekend Cooking event.

9 comments:

Unknown said...

oh I'm such a neophyte! I had never heard of Chouquettes before! They do look scrumptious! I don't usually drink tea but I bet I can find many other excuses to eat them Thanks for sharing!

Tina said...

We have something with coffee several times a week. These would be perfect, and you can't go wrong with Lebovitz. 👍

Vicki said...

Yummy!

Katherine P said...

These sounds amazing and just the kind of snack I'd happily eat 100 of. I always have good look with Lebovitz's recipes and I just happen to have some pearl sugar from King Arthur in my pantry!

Mae Travels said...

You used two spoons! I am always avoiding the dreaded call for a pastry bag so this makes me feel good.

best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

jama said...

These look so good and are so cute! And I love the name "chouquettes." Who could resist?

(Diane) bookchickdi said...

Your chouquettes turned so beautifully!

Beth F said...

I haven't had these in ages! My mom used to make them. Now I sense a craving!!!

Rob said...

Ooh, I might try this. I was definitely left craving these after reading that novel, despite having never eaten them before...