Chouquettes
With the suffix “ette” suggesting their diminutive size, chouquettes are reputed to have been created by Popelini, a fictional pastry chef under Catherine de Medici in the 16th century. It is said he developed a recipe based on pastry dried over a fire and called popelini, popelin, or poupelin. This “hot pastry” is a forerunner of the choux pastry that Jean Avice (Talleyrand’s pastry chef) perfected, followed by Antonin Carême. Many choux pastry recipes, in addition to chouquettes that are sprinkled with pearl sugar, were created from this classic dough.
Makes about 50 chouquettes
Ingredients:
- 1 c. water (or ½ c. whole milk and ½ c. water)
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. superfine (caster) sugar
- 7 tbsp. butter
- 1 c. plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose (plain) flour
- 7½ oz. eggs
- 1 tsp. liquid vanilla flavoring (optional)
- Pearl sugar, to decorate
Print Recipe
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Bring the water (or milk and water), salt, sugar, and butter to the boil in a saucepan. Take the pan off the heat and add all the flour in one go, then mix briskly with a spatula until you have a smooth, soft dough. Return the pan to the heat and dry out the dough for around 10 seconds. Scrape it into a mixing bowl (to stop the cooking). Using a spatula, gradually beat in the eggs, checking the consistency as you go. If you trace a groove in the dough, it should close up slowly. Add the vanilla flavoring, if using.
- Spoon the dough into a piping bag fitted with a ⅝-in. plain tip and pipe choux buns on the baking sheet, 1¼ to 1½ in. in diameter and about 1¼ in. apart.
- Sprinkle each bun with pearl sugar, removing any sugar that falls onto the baking sheet, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Do not open the oven door during cooking or you risk the buns collapsing.
Variation: You can sprinkle the chouquettes with chocolate chips if you prefer.
