Cream puffs

I made them last night they were lovely and crisp this morning soft (I did'nt fill them) to late to make anything else I'm going in a minute take a plate why have they gone soft ?

My Mum told me that you need to make a small hole in them once out of the oven so that all the steam is let out from inside. Not sure if this is actually true but she saw it on tv and it does kinda make sense although I've never managed to make crisp ones yet!

i make them, take soft bits out of middle and put back into oven for couple of minutes and maybe you could put them back into to dry and then fill

There are several things you may have done wrong. IMO, there may be no need to fiddle about with your pastry cases after cooking if you cook them correctly:

1. Obviously you made the pastry as per the recipe, i.e. waiting till the cooked flour, water and butter mix is really cool before beating in the eggs. Adding each egg one at a time and beating till thoroughly mixed, ending with a glossy, firm textured dough.
2. Choux pastry requires strong flour so high grade or stone ground flour is what you need to use. Cooked cases will deflate and go soft if you do not use high grade/high gluten flour.
3. Follow the cooking instructions. The first heat is high. This rises and forms the shape and size of the finished product. Then lower the temperature (as per instructions) and continue cooking. This dries out the pastry and hardens it.

I have never had a failure and never had to fiddle about afterwards excepting when I used pure flour once, by mistake. In that instance the resulting cases were also doughy and stodgy - like deflated yorkshire puddings. Blerk.

I'm back they got eaten but Ithink i did all of the above perhaps they have to be eaten strait away a bit like muffins their never as good the next day we had a nice time biut it's poured all the time never mind we all enjoyed our Christmas Do thanks eveyone

For good instructions to make crisp choux pastry goodies http://brama-sole.co.nz/recipes/choux-pastry-eclairs-cream-puffs/

Thanks Flower-Child that is a good one

Good link and good advice.

...ok here's my take on choux pastry...which is not its original name...but like the recipe, it has evolved over time...choux pastry basically means pastry twice cooked...the flour is cooked firstly when you mix the hot liquid and the second time to finish it...different ingredients are used to make the pastry and they will achieve different results...

...gougères are little cheese savoury pastries (that can be filled with savoury fillings if you want) and best eaten hot... although the outside is crisp the middle hasn't dried out so much...this sort of choux pastry uses more protein such as milk, butter and cheeses in it, effecting the flour differently...the grated gruyere or other cheese is added after the eggs...profiterole (cream puffs) type choux has less protein effecting the flour, this creates a cruncher, drier pastry...water and fats are used to achieve this...

...whatever you're making, the same principles apply....the flour needs to be cooked before adding the eggs...steam from the liquid is the raising agent....and the oven needs to be hot enough to create the steam to set the flour and egg 'shell'...

...ok so i'm going to explain how i make cream puffs at home...i've had to adapt things to my lifestyle as i don't have access to pastry fats and flours that would easily achieve a good result...

1 cup water
120gm fat
...i use 1/3 butter for flavour, 1/3 lard because it has no protein and is stable at a high temperature, and kremelta because it has no protein, it's stable...and best of all, no noticeable flavour

bring to the boil in a heavy based saucepan with the lid on, you dont want to lose all that steam too early... take off the heat and add

140gm flour
...i just use fresh plain flour...you dont need too much gluten because once you've cooked the flour a bit, the egg will do that job...

stir well with a wooden spoon until all the flour is mixed in...return to the lowest heat on the stove...keep stirring...i find the mix thinly coats the bottom of the pan and the rest forms into a ball...i keep stirring and mixing for about 1-2 mins...trying to cook the flour without burning it or forming a crust...a bit like when you cook off the flour at the beginning of a roux sauce...then i put it in a mixing bowl...i have an old kenwood that i use...it's hard knacker adding the eggs by hand...i mix it on very low for a good minute to let the hottest of the hot steam release...then i add

pinch of salt
5 eggs
...one at a time...depending on the size of the eggs...if i need less i will use 4 plus a yolk...if i need more, 5 plus a yolk...i'm looking for a smooth, glossy pastry that has the right consistency to hold it's shape when i pipe it onto a tray...it's really really hard to explain...

i put the mixture into a piping bag because it's so much easier for me to handle and way less mess but you can spoon it onto a paper lined tray...i find smaller ones do cook better as the pastry only creates one steam bubble in it when rising...i have my oven hot, 220c for 10mins without disturbing...then i turn it down to 200c for another 10 mins...longer cooking times for bigger shapes...they should be brown...not dark brown or burnt, but not too pale either...my darling brought me the most amazing oven and i have got temps and timing mostly sorted...every oven is different...

...and that is mostly what i know about choux pastry and what works for me...in case you didn't realize...I LOVE FOOD!!!

Maryteatowel1, thank you so much for those instructions. They are so detailed yet ease to understand. I will be trying your method today and will let you know how I get on.

Awesome mary - After making these many times, and having a few failures, I too came to the conclusion that you need to cook the flour for around 1-2 mins and this is the secret.When you see chefs make them on telly, you don't see this happen - and many recipe books don't tell you that either.

put them back in the oven and they will crispen up again.

...i use to make them as a kid and they use to turn out ok but not light and crisp...when i was in europe i worked in a hotel with the most amazing pastry chef...he had the science and the passion down pat!!!...i have found freezing them does add to the crispness...they come out wonderful!!!

I made them last night they were lovely and crisp this morning soft (I did'nt fill them) to late to make anything else I'm going in a minute take a plate why have they gone soft !

My Mum told me that you need to make a small hole in them once out of the oven so that all the steam is let out from inside. Not sure if this is actually true but she saw it on tv and it does kinda make sense although I've never managed to make crisp ones yet!

I'm back they got eaten but Ithink i did all of the above perhaps they have to be eaten strait away a bit like muffins their never as good the next day we had a nice time biut it's poured all the time never mind we all enjoyed our Christmas Do thanks eveyone

.ok here's my take on choux pastry.which is not its original name.but like the recipe, it has evolved over time.choux pastry basically means pastry twice cooked.the flour is cooked firstly when you mix the hot liquid and the second time to finish it.different ingredients are used to make the pastry and they will achieve different results.

.gougères are little cheese savoury pastries (that can be filled with savoury fillings if you want) and best eaten hot. although the outside is crisp the middle hasn't dried out so much.this sort of choux pastry uses more protein such as milk, butter and cheeses in it, effecting the flour differently.the grated gruyere or other cheese is added after the eggs.profiterole (cream puffs) type choux has less protein effecting the flour, this creates a cruncher, drier pastry.water and fats are used to achieve this.

.whatever you're making, the same principles apply.the flour needs to be cooked before adding the eggs.steam from the liquid is the raising agent.and the oven needs to be hot enough to create the steam to set the flour and egg 'shell'.

.ok so i'm going to explain how i make cream puffs at home.i've had to adapt things to my lifestyle as i don't have access to pastry fats and flours that would easily achieve a good result.

1 cup water
120gm fat
.i use 1/3 butter for flavour, 1/3 lard because it has no protein and is stable at a high temperature, and kremelta because it has no protein, it's stable.and best of all, no noticeable flavour

bring to the boil in a heavy based saucepan with the lid on, you dont want to lose all that steam too early. take off the heat and add

140gm flour
.i just use fresh plain flour.you dont need too much gluten because once you've cooked the flour a bit, the egg will do that job.

stir well with a wooden spoon until all the flour is mixed in.return to the lowest heat on the stove.keep stirring.i find the mix thinly coats the bottom of the pan and the rest forms into a ball.i keep stirring and mixing for about 1-2 mins.trying to cook the flour without burning it or forming a crust.a bit like when you cook off the flour at the beginning of a roux sauce.then i put it in a mixing bowl.i have an old kenwood that i use.it's hard knacker adding the eggs by hand.i mix it on very low for a good minute to let the hottest of the hot steam release.then i add

pinch of salt
5 eggs
.one at a time.depending on the size of the eggs.if i need less i will use 4 plus a yolk.if i need more, 5 plus a yolk.i'm looking for a smooth, glossy pastry that has the right consistency to hold it's shape when i pipe it onto a tray.it's really really hard to explain.

i put the mixture into a piping bag because it's so much easier for me to handle and way less mess but you can spoon it onto a paper lined tray.i find smaller ones do cook better as the pastry only creates one steam bubble in it when rising.i have my oven hot, 220c for 10mins without disturbing.then i turn it down to 200c for another 10 mins.longer cooking times for bigger shapes.they should be brown.not dark brown or burnt, but not too pale either.my darling brought me the most amazing oven and i have got temps and timing mostly sorted.every oven is different.

.and that is mostly what i know about choux pastry and what works for me.in case you didn't realize.I LOVE FOOD!

Awesome mary - After making these many times, and having a few failures, I too came to the conclusion that you need to cook the flour for around 1-2 mins and this is the secret.When you see chefs make them on telly, you don't see this happen - and many recipe books don't tell you that either.

bump for maryteatowel1's great advice.

will be trying these - my Christmas offerings

Because we have so much humidity here they will always be soft the next day. What I do if I want to make them the day before is slightly undercook them (until pale brown and not golden). The next day I toss them in the oven for 5 mins or so to crisp them up. Still put a hole in them after you intitally cook them as this allows the steam to escape when you reheat.

.i use to make them as a kid and they use to turn out ok but not light and crisp.when i was in europe i worked in a hotel with the most amazing pastry chef.he had the science and the passion down pat!.i have found freezing them does add to the crispness.they come out wonderful!