"Vox Humana" > wrote:

>
>"DigitalVinyl" > wrote in message
.. .
>> Trying to make these for a recipe.
>> After two attempts I realized the recipe I was using was wrong when I
>> compared it to others. I'm trying a recipe that agrees with most of
>> them for amounts/ratios/ingredients.
>>
>> The instructions said the dough/paste should be glossy and smooth. It
>> wasn't that glossy and I thought thicker than smooth. I made a small
>> bath from this, then added another egg. The resulting paste was much
>> smoother, and shiny. I know baking needs very exact measurements...is
>> this wrong...should I have added something other than egg?
>>
>> When I pulled the first small batch out they deflated immediately.
>> Not baked enough?
>>
>> What excactly makes them .. puffy? The egg?
>> DiGiTAL_ViNYL (no email)
>
>There can be several factors that can influence the amount of egg needed for
>a batch of pate a choux. To make them well, you need to use a high protein
>flour, i.e.. bread flour.
I'll have to remember that.
>The more egg you can add, the better. Therefore,
>you need to evaporate as much water as possible to allow the dough to absorb
>the egg.
One instructional site said if you dryed it too much it will make the
profiterole tops crack...which some of my larger ones did have
crevices on the top...but none broke open.
>So, start with the bread flour, bring to a boil, stir until the
>dough forms a ball and then continue beating to evaporate more water. For
>better volume, you need to substitute egg white for some of the whole egg.
>I would take about 25% of the whole eggs and replace them, by weight, with
>egg white (or for each whole egg, use two egg whites). After you have
>beaten in the egg whites, start adding whole eggs. Add enough for the dough
>to be smooth, glossy, and the right consistency. Form the puffs, and bake
>immediately in a very hot oven, turning it down in the second half of
>baking. The high protein flour and egg whites will give a good structure.
>The high heat from the steam that is trapped by the structure causes the
>dough to puff. Reducing the temperature and baking for a long time will
>help crisp them. I generally remove them from the oven, cut the top off,
>scoop out the remaining wet dough, and then retuning them to the oven with
>the door slightly ajar to dry.
>
>The protein content of the flour, the amount of water that you evaporate
>from the dough, and the size of the eggs will determine how much egg you
>will need.

Two batches came out nice. (Finally!) The first few I pulled out
weren't golden brown on the sides, just top...so they deflated. Once I
let them crisp all around they held shape. The second batch had a
little too much egg as the paste was getting thinner and spreading
more, but they puffed up beautifully! Guess the recipe is a little
forgiving on the over-egging. I had no idea people pull the extra
dough out them before this.

My biggest problem and confidence shaker was the recipe. It is from
many years back--a Profiterole Cake from a local restaurant. The
recipe was written in a combination of oz. & cups (confusing since
none of my measurers have oz). The profiterole part is just wrong--no
where near enough flour. I had soup on the stove(12 oz. liquid 1.5 oz
flour). The dark chocolate mouse also has ingredients that go unused
and differ in amounts from the instructional text.

The cake is white mousse-filled profiteroles, layered in a bowl with
dark mousse gluing them together. Invert for a cake with shaved
chocolate & powdered sugar on top. The dark mousse softened too
quickly outside of the fridge, and I couldn't unstick the gooey cake
from the bowl. I ended up with a gooey mound of profiteroles.

Next time I'm thinking a regular chocolate mouse (maybe with a little
coffee flavor, white choc too sweet) as the filling and lining the
bowl with saran wrap so it inverts easily. I'll find different recipes
for the elements and put the cake together that way.

>You can see video and instructions he
>http://www.pbs.org/juliachild/meet/love.html#
>http://www.pastrywiz.com/cakes/choux.htm
>

DiGiTAL_ViNYL (no email)