Chouquettes

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Turn the oven on to 190 degrees Celsius, line two baking sheets with parchment paper and have a piping bag ready with a round tip about one centimeter wide. A fully heated oven makes the puffs rise as soon as they go in, so they keep a pretty round shape. The oven is ready when the temperature is steady.

   Mark step 1 as done

2. Step 2

   Put 125 g water, 125 g whole milk, 100 g unsalted butter cut into pieces, 10 g granulated sugar and 2 g salt in a saucepan and heat over medium heat. The milk gives the puffs a lovely golden color and a light richness. The mixture is ready when the butter has completely melted and the liquid is at a rolling boil.

   Medium heat.

   Mark step 2 as done

3. Step 3

   Take the pan off the heat, tip in 150 g all-purpose flour all at once and stir quickly until no dry flour remains, then return it to the heat and press the dough back and forth across the bottom of the pan for about two minutes. Drying out the dough gives hollow puffs with sturdy shells. The dough is ready when it looks slightly shiny, forms a ball and leaves a thin film on the bottom of the pan.

   Medium heat.

   Mark step 3 as done

4. Step 4

   Transfer the dough to a bowl, beat it for several seconds to release some heat, then add 240 g beaten eggs a little at a time. The dough absorbs the eggs gradually, so beating well after each addition keeps it smooth. The dough is ready when it is supple and glossy and falls from a spoon in a thick ribbon with a jagged edge.

   Mark step 4 as done

5. Step 5

   Pipe the dough into small rounds about the size of a large grape, spacing them about two and a half centimeters apart on the baking sheets. Their small size helps the puffs bake quickly and evenly, giving thin, light shells. The rounds are ready when they are plump, all the same height and not touching each other.

   Mark step 5 as done

6. Step 6

   Beat 25 g eggs and dab a thin layer onto the top of each puff with a pastry brush. The egg makes the tops golden and shiny and acts as glue for the sugar. The tops are ready when they are evenly glossy and wet without egg dripping onto the baking sheet.

   Mark step 6 as done

7. Step 7

   Sprinkle a generous amount of 80 g pearl sugar over the puffs, then tilt the baking sheet to pour off the sugar that did not stick so you can reuse it. Pearl sugar does not melt during baking, so it keeps its signature crunch. The puffs are ready when their tops are thickly covered with white sugar.

   Mark step 7 as done

8. Step 8

   Bake at 190 degrees Celsius for 22 to 26 minutes, without opening the oven door for the first fifteen minutes. The puffs need enough time for the shells to dry out and harden, or they will collapse as they cool. The puffs are done when they are evenly golden brown, even in the small cracks on the shell.

   Bake at 190°C for about 22 to 26 minutes.

   Mark step 8 as done

9. Step 9

   Move the puffs to a rack to cool for about ten minutes, then enjoy them right away. The airy rack keeps steam from collecting under the puffs so the bottoms stay crisp. The puffs are ready when they are still slightly warm and the shells feel springy and hollow when gently squeezed.

   Suggested time: about 10 minutes.

   Mark step 9 as done