Makes: 24 pastries • Time: 1 hour
As the foundation of cream puffs, eclairs, and beignets, choux is one of the essential doughs of French pastry-making. The technique was perfected by the great 19th-century chef Antonin Carême who would begin baking the dough at a high temperature to make it rise and finish it at a lower temperature to bake it all the way through.
INGREDIENTS
- 6 Tbsp. butter
- 1 Tbsp. sugar
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ¾ cup flour
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 4 oz. bittersweet chocolate
- 3 oz. heavy cream
- 1 Tbsp. orange liqueur, preferably Grand Marnier
- 8 Tbsp. clementine marmalade
- 1 pint vanilla ice cream
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, sugar, and salt with ¾ cup water. Bring to a boil, stirring with a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat and add the flour all at once. Stir to incorporate completely until the batter comes together in a smooth ball and is no longer sticky. Transfer the dough to a large metal bowl or to the bowl of a stand mixer. Allow to cool 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Add eggs one at a time, beating on medium between each addition until well combined using a handheld mixer or stand mixer. The dough should be smooth and glossy.
4. Transfer the batter to a pastry bag and pipe the dough in small mounds, about 1 inch in diameter and 1 inch apart from each other. To smooth the pointy peaks of each mound, dip your finger in warm water and flatten the pointy tops.
5. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 375°F and bake until the choux are golden, 5 to 10 minutes more. Remove from oven and prick each choux with a skewer to release the steam. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
6. Meanwhile, make the chocolate sauce by heating the cream in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate until completely melted and smooth. Stir in the orange liqueur.
7. To serve, slice each choux in half horizontally and fill the bottom half with 1 teaspoon clementine marmalade and 1 tablespoon ice cream. Close each cream puff with the top half of the choux. Transfer 4 to 6 choux to dessert coupes and drizzle with the chocolate sauce.
