Chouquettes
( Pearl sugar puffs )
Chouquettes really are an exercise in restraint for any budding baker, just as they are for the professional pastry chef. Their look can only be described as rustic, and they are filled with … well, air, and rely on nothing more than their sweet and crunchy pearl sugar for taste and texture. If you can’t trust me as to how wonderful they are, then at least know that Parisians would not wait in long queues outside their local bakery every weekend for their bags of freshly baked chouquettes if they were anything else but deliciously addictive.
Makes 50
L Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Lightly grease two large baking trays, then line with baking paper. The paper will stick to the oil on the trays, making it much easier for you to pipe the sticky choux paste.
L To make an egg wash, put the eggs and salt in a small bowl and lightly beat with a fork until well combined, then set aside.
L Spoon the choux pastry into a piping bag fitted with a 1 cm (½ in) plain nozzle. Pipe balls of about 3 cm (1¼ in) in diameter on the trays, spacing them about 5 cm (2 in) apart. Don’t be tempted to make them any bigger — the best part of eating a chouquette is fitting a whole one, or even two, into your mouth! If you don’t have a piping bag, use a tablespoon and simply push them off the spoon onto the tray with your fingers or another spoon.
L Brush a thin layer of egg wash over the puffs, then sprinkle a generous amount of pearl sugar over the top. Try to cover the whole puff with as much sugar as you can, because the choux will double in size during baking. Remove the excess sugar by gently tipping each tray on its side while holding onto the sheet of paper.
L Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 170°C (340°F) and bake for another 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Remember not to open the oven door during the initial stages of cooking, as the puffs need the steam in the oven to build up in order to rise properly. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Repeat with the remaining pastry.
tip
Pearl sugar is made from highly refined caster (superfine) sugar that has been compacted during the manufacturing process, then crushed and sifted into large (2 mm/1/16 in) crystals. The advantage of this sugar is that it is highly resistant to heat and water and therefore does not melt during the baking process — perfect for when you want to add a crunchy element to your biscuits or pastries. Pearl sugar is available from specialist food stores. Alternatively, you can crush and sieve sugar cubes to an almost identical result.