Pâte à Choux

This light airy dough is used to make yummy eclairs and cream puffs.  Surprisingly, its made on stove top.  Water, salt, sugar and butter are brought to a boil.  Flour is added to the mixture and left on a simmer.  Sounds simple, but you have to stir constantly with a wooden spoon to prevent lumps and burning/sticking.  So you stir, and stir, and stir, and the soupy stuff never looks like it will thicken, but I turned my head for one second and it was as thick as paste.  Barley heating, you have to cut the dough-increase the exposed surface area-and let it cook until its dry enough not to stick to the sides of the pot.  

Pâte à Choux

Next, I put it into a piping bag to pipe onto the baking sheet in nice even mounds.  Piping this dough is not as easy as piping frosting.  Its kinda oozy which makes it hard to keep neat little circles.  But it was still fun to try to make these tasty bites.

While these baked, I julianned the zest of an orange to be candied with the rest of the group.  And I made whipped cream...by hand.  No modern technology short cuts here!  So more stirring and whisking.  I am far from ambidextrous so I had to whisk for like 5 min with only my right hand!  Feel the burn!

The dough is so light and airy that the eclairs and puffs are pretty hollow.  I cut the tops off some and filled with my not-as-whipped-as-it-could-be whipped cream.  I poked a hole in the bottom of the rest and piped in whipped cream until near explosion.  Yum!

My plating was kind rushed, but still looks appealing right?!
And the little swan was so cute...until I ate it!

Here what the Chef came up with.  Far more inspired than mine.  He definitely has a thing for flair!