Choux Pastry

To serve, fill the choux buns with ice cream, and pour over the warm sauce at the table.

Serves: 10

Ingredients

100 g (4 oz) water
A pinch of salt
80 g (3 oz) butter, cut into small pieces
A pinch of sugar
160 g (5 1/4 oz) flour, sifted
4 eggs, each weighing 60-65 g (2 1/2 oz)
A little beaten egg thinned with a little water to glaze

To Fill: 1/2 litre (approx 1 pint) vanilla ice-cream

For the sauce:
400 g (14 oz) plain (dark) chocolate
80 g (3 oz) butter
100 g (4 oz) whipping (30%) cream

Method

  1. Make the pastry: Put the water, salt, butter and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, and at that moment, throw in the flour all at once. Mix vigorously with a wooden spoon till the pastry forms a dry ball which detaches well from the pan. Let it cool.
  2. Butter and flour a baking sheet, or line it with baking paper, and
  3. heat the oven to 180 C (350 F). Put the pastry in the bowl of the mixer, and fit a dough hook. Switch the machine on to middle/high speed, and with it running, drop in the eggs one by one. Work until the pastry is smooth, then allow to cool a little.
  4. Pipe (or use 2 teaspoons) small, well spaced balls onto the tray, brush with a little beaten egg and bake for 20 minutes.
  5. At the end of the cooking time, switch off the heat and open the oven door half way, and leave the choux buns 5 minutes more. Cool on a wire rack.
  6. Make the sauce: Melt the chocolate and beat in the butter and cream to obtain a smooth sauce.

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