No way.
The only thing I haven't lost - is - my sense of humour.
OK - well - only in the kitchen.
Choux Pastry
The Recipe
Ingredients:
Water. 225ml or 225 grams weight
Unsalted Butter. 113 grams, room temp and cubed ( I use Allowrie, haven't tried cheaper brands)
Plain Flour. 130grams. Sifted
Eggs. 4 x 700 gram Room temp
Salt. Only need a pinch.
And a Toothpick
Next:
Pre heat the oven to 180 deg, I have cook them at 190 deg, shortens the cooking time by about 3mins
1. Add the salt, water and butter into a medium sized saucepan, and heat and stir over a medium heat,
until it starts to boil.
2. Remove it from the stove and add all the flower in one go. Mix this thoroughly (as I mentioned in the earlier post))
3. Once mixed. return it to the stove still on medium heat, Use ta spatula to spread and squash the mix,
then turn over and keep doing this for between 3 to 5mins. ( I usually do it for about 4 to 5mins)
You will notice the butter fat glistening, still cook for the 4 to 5 mins though. Its ok to remove it from the stove
on and off, you don't want to burn it. ( i do this often) Don't cook longer than 5 mins.
you will end up with a soft ball of dough.
4. Move the mix into a medium size bowl, and add the 4 eggs at once.
Use the hand held mixer and blend the eggs well into the dough. May take a few minutes.
(See my previous post) The mixture will have a sheen to it. Not a lot, but you will notice it.
5. You are past the hard parts. Fill the piping bag or modified sandwich bag, or can be spooned.
6. Have your trays ready, with the baking paper, and flix some water onto the baking paper
(as described in previous post)
7. Start piping or spooning the mix onto the trays leaving a gap between each.
(again look at previous post)
8. When finished, put the trays into the oven. Depending on the sizes cooking time can be from
about 25 to 35mins.
I set the timer for 20mins and then look at how they are going, then set the timer in 5 minute intervals,
and check each time. NOTE: Do not, I repeat, Do not open the oven to check or if you want to move
the trays wail until at least 20mins has past. If you do, chances are they will fail to puff up.
9. They should have a nice golden colour. We all know what it should look like, Don't we?
Remove them from the oven and while they are still hot, use a toothpick and put some holes in the top.
Profiteroles I punch 3 holes, small eclairs about 5 or 6. This helps to release any steam from the inside,
if it remains they can go a little soggy, but are still ok.
The ingredient measurements above, should give about 16 x 4inch eclairs.
Tonight I got 31 profiteroles from the mix. I made them a little smaller that I usually do. I usually get 24.
I hope I have covered it all, and hope at least one of you manage to get it right.
Pics
Mixing the flour
Aftr cooking the dough, butter fat droplets..
Eggs mixed in
Piped onto the trays, & ready for the oven
15 minutes in the oven and have risen.
Out of the oven & my wife giving them and more importantly, me the thumbs up.
Took a while to type all this, too.
Tonights dinner, Spicy Chicken, coleslaw & potatos.
Note: Didn't I do a great job cleaning the oven a few days back.
Have cleaned the kitchen and washed up. all done !
Thanks, After dinner, baking, cleaning the kitchen etc, I had a shower and while there
decided to give the bathroom a clean.
Now I'm sitting down and onto my second beer. Am Happy.
MISTAKE IN THE RECIPE.
The Butter amount is wrong. It should be 115 grams.
Was a little mentally exhausted after the typing (you know what I mean)
Glad I caught that, only 2 grams out, probably wouldn't matter. (except I knew)
Anyway, Fixed.
Made my pastry to take to a friend place this afternoon. She phoned me a little while a ago, and has to postpone
this afternoon. She was out raging last night and is not well.
I ripped into her, asking her if she would like me to go to the shop and buy her a greasy hamburger. (just to make her sicker).
She wasn't impressed 
(she is like an adopted daughter)
Told her I have 30 pastries to eat (already ate one) Says she will drop by tomorrow and pick some up for her and her kids.
I only just finished doing the chocolate on them.
When I melt the chocolate, I also put in about 1/2 teaspoon of coconut oil. It makes the chocolate a little less brittle.
My afternoon is now free, might go and look for something to clean.
The last of them done, might whip the cream for them tonight.
I wore myself out today.
Home made Minestrone soup,
followed by spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread.
Settling in to keep watching the new Lost in Space on Netflix
