Chouquettes Recipe
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces, plus more for coating the baking sheets
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the baking sheets
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup water
- 4 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature, cracked into a medium bowl
- 1 large egg white, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup pearl sugar
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees F and arrange a rack in the middle.
- Coat two baking sheets with butter, dust each with flour, then flip and tap to remove any excess flour; set aside.
- Fit a pastry bag with a 1/2-inch round tip; set aside.
- Place measured butter, milk, water, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan and set over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon until the butter has melted.
- Increase heat to high, bring mixture to a rolling boil, then remove from heat.
- Add measured flour all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until a dough forms, about 30 seconds.
- Return the saucepan to medium heat and stir constantly to remove excess moisture and cook the raw flour, about 3 minutes.
- (A film should form on the bottom of the saucepan.)
- Transfer the dough to a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
- Let sit, stirring the dough with the mixer on low speed for a few turns about every 30 seconds to release steam until the dough is slightly cooled, about 3 minutes.
- Increase the mixer speed to medium low and add the eggs one at a time, making sure each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next.
- (The dough will separate each time you add an egg but will come back together.)
- Mix in the egg white.
- Transfer the dough to the pastry bag.
- Pipe the dough into 1-1/4-inch round mounds (about the size of a ping-pong ball), lifting the bag as you form them and setting them 1 inch apart on one of the baking sheets (about 24 per sheet).
- Coat your finger with butter and dab each chouquette peak to smooth it out, then sprinkle the chouquettes with half of the pearl sugar.
- Bake 15 minutes without opening the oven door.
- Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and continue baking until the chouquettes are golden brown all over, about 10 minutes.
- Place the baking sheet on a wire rack and immediately pierce each chouquettes side with a paring knife to release steam.
- Let cool completely on the baking sheet.
- Return the oven to 400 degrees F and repeat steps 6 and 7 with the remaining dough, baking sheet, and pearl sugar.
- The chouquettes are best eaten warm but are also delicious several hours after baking.
- Once cool, they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the freezer.
- Before eating, thaw frozen chouquettes and reheat in a 300 degrees F oven until crisp again, about 5 minutes.
unsalted butter, flour, milk, water, sugar, salt, eggs, egg white, pearl sugar
Taken from www.chowhound.com/recipes/chouquettes-28324 (may not work)