Pâte à Choux translates to “cabbage paste” but don’t be fooled by the name, it doesn’t contain any cabbage at all. It is made with just a few simple ingredients: flour, milk, butter, eggs, and a pinch of salt. The dough itself is very versatile and can be used to make a variety of sweet and savory dishes.
Chef Jacques Pépin gives us a step-by-step demonstration on how to make the dough and then shows us how to use it by making a few different dishes.
Here are some of the many desserts you can make with pâte à choux:
Profiteroles: Cream puffs that are typically filled with ice cream and then drizzled with chocolate sauce.
Éclairs: Elongated pastries filled with pastry cream and then iced on top.
Shū Cream: Japanese cream puffs filled with a light and airy custard cream.
Gougères: Savory cheese puffs that are perfect for an appetizer or snack.
Paris-Brest: A ring-shaped pastry that is filled with praline cream.
Swan Puffs: Puff pastries shaped like swans.