In article >,
Terry Pulliam Burd > wrote:

> On Mon, 02 Apr 2007 05:06:08 GMT, "Dimitri" >
> rummaged among random neurons and opined:
>
> >Congrats, the Pate choux is great stuff to start playing with.
> >
> >It can make a especially good savory presentation by making large puffs,
> >cutting
> >off the tops and filling them.
> >
> >Good job,
>
> Thanks, sweetie - just one question: since I am a self-professed lousy
> baker...okay, I can bake, but my creations often look, uh, a mite
> Salvador Dahli-ish...is there a pastry bag/tip out there that can
> actually crank out eclair size dough? I had to kinda squiggle by
> biggest tip, then smooth the resulting squiggles around. Made for
> flatter than desired eclairs.
>
> Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd

Ateco brand plain tube #809 is 11/16" diameter. Don't know if I've ever
seen larger, and I don't know if you can buy only that tip or if you're
bound to buy it as part of a set. I have it as part of a set.

If you pipe the batter slowly and at about a 30? angle, you can "build"
the strip fatter than if you pipe it quickly. Capisce? If the top is
*too* bumply looking, smooth it with a wet finger or spatula if you
must.

*Be sure you use a strong pastry bag*, I recommend plastic-lined cloth,
about 14". Ateco is a brand I'm familiar with. Don't use a bag that is
too small; you want the batter in the bag to take up not more than 2/3
of it (you'll need the excess at the top of the bag).

Filling the bag will be less painful if you throw the tube into it
(seriously, it'll help position the tube snugly from the get-go) and
then set the bag into something tallish (a wide-mouth quart canning jar
comes to mind) and turn the top down around the jar some. Then scrape
the batter into the bag. Setting it in the jar will lessen the amount
that ends up at and around the top of the pastry bag. Your batter
will settle into the bag pretty well if you do it this way.

Now you've got the batter in the bag. Lift that collar you made on the
jar - you should have several inches of open space in that bag. Twist
it closed and commence to piping, twisting it more as you empty the bag.
You'll use your right hand (assuming you are right-handed) to squeeze
the batter while your left hand steadies the position of the tip.
You'll find out just how strong your grip really is. :-)

Any of that make sense?
-B
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://jamlady.eboard.com - Comfort Food for Bob Pastorio, updated
3-16-2007
http://web.mac.com/barbschaller - blahblahblog - Orange Honey
Garlic Chicken, 3-29-2007
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