Cream puffs

[qahtan]

Many years ago when I lived in UK, we could buy at the bakers cream puffs that were made of choux paste, the same as eclairs, but these puffs were sort of round but they had blown out in baking and the tops full of large cracks. On turning them over one could see on the bottom just how big they were when they went into the oven, but in baking they really expanded....
When cold they were filled with whipped cream and lightly dusted with confectioners sugar..
Any one know how to make these gorgeous puffs, regular choux paste baked as per norm does not expand them like the ones I remember. Help, anyone?????
thanks... qahtan

[bubbamom]

I suspect they may have put the batter in muffin tins to bake the pastry. I've seen this done before to help with uniformity of size. However, most cooks in these parts free form their puffs on parchment paper. Remember also that humidity will affect the height/rise of the puffs.

[qahtan]

Hi thanks for your suggestion, but these were baked right on the baking sheet as they were flat at the bottom, you could see the size the pastry was when it was first put on the sheet and how much it had expanded in baking.
I have tried all kinds of ways plus all kinds of flour etc...

qahtan ;-))

[m brown]

If you can share your recipe I bet we could help you get the big round airy cream puffs you would like!
Thanks

[Blueicus]

It could also be the way you're piping them on the sheet pan. Try to avoid making cookie-shaped disks of choux paste and make little globules. Of course, the best way to see how the recipe can be improved is to look at it in the first place.

[qahtan]

Well I don't have any particular recipe now, I have tried so many thinking that "this" will be the one. :-)

And about piping the batter I always try to bring it high, it always works
for eclairs and similar but it's these blooming cream puffs that are the challenge......
I have a friend that makes what she calls cream puffs, to me they look more like cream buns, not what I am looking for atall.... :-((( qahtan

[cookiejar]

I haven't tried this yet, but how about using ice cream scoops? I suspect you can get uniformity in size and shape using whatever size fits the need. I planned on trying this, just haven't taken the time.

[qahtan]

Hi, Thanks for the idea, but I do find it quite easy to pipe them out with a large piping tip.....
My query is I want them to just explode during the process of baking, so they end up much much larger with big cracks over them dusted with confectioners sugar, I know it doesn't sound like much but they really were gorgeous. :-)) qahtan

[m brown]

for cream puffs it's good to start with a hot oven for the pop of the puff and then drop the temp 25-50 F to let the center dry without burning.

[qahtan]

Hi, You wouldn't believe how many ways I have tried to get these right, I think I shall finally have to give it up and call it a day.....

:-(((( qahtan

[siduri]

Just a thought, and maybe i'm all off, but i wonder if you are using a UK recipe in canada - the flours may be different. I found in italy that i had to bake with more flour and less butter, for all cakes and pastries and cookies (how many flat greasy chocolate chip cookies i had to scrape off the pans, or greasy oozing piecrusts, or greasy unraised creampuffs.) Maybe there is a difference in flour, and you're using a recipe from somewhere else (maybe even a Usa recipe in canada - i don't know enough about flour. Just a thought - do with it what you want.

[Mezzaluna]

http://images.google.com/images?q=tb...uffs-thumb.jpg

Cream puffs are the traditional favorite at the Wisconsin State Fair. Good luck with your quest! When made properly, they're ethereal.

[AprilB]

I was having a chuckle at the FoodTV cookie challenge in Denver. I'm surprised that NObody had a clue that there's a difference in baking at sea level compared to a mile up. You'd think at least one person would know.

I'd pipe the choux into little 40 cm (1 1/2 inch) mounds and they'd pretty much double in size. My eclairs would expand from 90 to about 150cm. (3 1/2 to 6")

What recipe are you using? The only way to know what needs to happen is to see what you're dealing with.

April

[qahtan]

Oh yes, the flour is very different from UK, that was found out 40 years ago.
:-))), But thanks for thinking it could be the flour.

qahtan