Choux Pastry

The Daring bakers had "Filled Pate A Choux Swans" as their challenge during the month of August 2012. So I had to make it. Boy, was I worried if the house will smell of egg. But it did not stink a bit!
And this pastry is so versatile that it can be used to make profiteroles, eclairs , the Andriano Zumbo "Croquembouche" which every Masterchef contestant seems to dread and even deep fried to make Churros.
You will find umpteen recipes of Choux Pastry on the web, but this is my recipe when I made a batch for a charity bake sale at my children's school.
Goes to show that YOU can do it too. It is NOT HARD! What an easy dessert when guests suddenly come.

Butter - 1/2 cup
Water - 1 cup
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Maida / Refined flour - 1 cup
Egg - 4 + 1 for brushing on top
Almond slivers - optional - 4 tbsp

Add the butter , salt and water into vessel and heat until the butter melts.
Remove vessel from heat.
Now add the flour at one go and mix well so that it forms a ball.
Keep aside for a little while to cool as when you add the eggs, they do not get cooked.
Add eggs one at a time and beat till batter becomes glossy and smooth, but thick.
Now transfer into a piping bag and pipe into shapes onto a greased baking sheet.
If you have no piping bag, do not fret. Just dollop spoonfulls on to the baking sheet.

I made little doughnuts shapes once and the next time I shaped them into long thick sticks for eclairs.
Glaze the top with a beaten egg and decorate with almond slivers.

Bake in a preheated oven at 190C for 20 minutes and if not yet golden brown, another 10 minutes. Keep a close eye.

Just before serving, slice open using a serrated knife and fill with whipped cream and top with chocolate sauce. I once tried Vanilla ice-cream instead of the whipped cream. Heaven!