Page 639 - YC Cooking School

and become a paste. The texture you’re looking for is something that holds together well
but doesn’t stick to your fingers when you touch it.

The paste then needs to be returned to the heat and cooked for about a minute or so to
allow any excess moisture to evaporate and for the flour flavour to cook out. When it’s
ready, the bottom of the saucepan will start to form a skin.

Cool the mixture before adding eggs
Once the mixture has cooked for a minute, place the paste into a mixing bowl and on a slow
speed, mix with the paddle attachment for several minutes to cool it down. This will prevent
the eggs from cooking in the hot paste. The colder the mixture, prior to adding the eggs, the
firmer the choux paste will be and the better it will hold its shape once piped.

When adding the eggs, put the mixer on a low speed and add them little by little. Make sure
you incorporate all the ingredients together well. With this recipe, there’s no risk of over-
mixing. It’s just important that you end up with a smooth batter.

How to use a disposable piping bag
A piping bag is a really helpful tool when making profiteroles. It keeps things clean and tidy
and helps you to achieve a uniform profiterole shape. Start by pushing the piping bag into
the nozzle so that the mixture doesn’t run through when you add it to the bag. Fold half the
piping bag over your hand and then fill it to about half way. It’s important not to overfill the

bag. You want to be able to twist the plastic at the end of the piping bag to seal in the
mixture. Place your hand at the wider end of the piping bag and apply pressure to move
the mixture through the nozzle. Remember as you pipe, to leave space between the choux
paste so that they can expand without running into each other as they cook.

Profiterole troubleshooting
Here’s a quick checklist to run through to get perfectly cooked profiteroles every time:

As with all pastry recipes, accurate weighing of ingredients is key to amazing results.
Mixing the flour with the liquid should be done quickly and thoroughly.

The choux must be baked for the recommended temperature and time. If it’s taken
out of the oven too soon, it could collapse. When perfectly cooked, the choux will be a
deep dark golden colour that will lighten slightly when it cools.
In some cases, using the incorrect flour can cause tightness or quite the opposite a
loose paste which then cannot be piped and won’t hold its shape.

How to fill profiteroles without cutting them in half
Most fillings are piped into profiteroles or éclairs by cutting them in half. Another option is
to keep the profiteroles intact and conceal where the filling went in. Use a small nozzle to

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