Chouquettes

When I was in Oregon we visited a lovely little French bakery called St. Honore and I fell head over heels in love with Chouquettes.  Chouquettes are made from classic French Choux Pastry and then sprinkled with pearl sugar.  They’re typically enjoyed by French children as an afternoon snack although I can’t imagine any adult turning one down.  They’re slightly sweet with a crunchy outside and a soft eggy inside. Bottom line – these little bites are super addictive and I’m so bummed I didn’t realize their greatness when I was in France a couple years ago.  I think I need to plan another trip…

Chouquettes

Makes about 26 puffs

1 cup water
6 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 large eggs, at room temperature
About 1/8 cup pearl sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a medium sauce pan add the water, butter, sugar, and salt. Stirring until the butter is melted and the liquid comes to a low boil. Remove from the heat and add the flour in all at once. Using a wooden spoon stir rapidly until the dough comes together, pulls away from the edges of the pan, and some of the moisture has evaporated.

Transfer the dough into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Allow the dough to cool for about 3 minutes, stirring once or twice. Briskly beat the dough and add the eggs in one at a time until the batter is smooth and shiny.

Using a small cookie scoop, scoop the dough onto a parchment lined cookie sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each mound.  Sprinkle the dough with pearl sugar, taking care to cover as much as possible.  These will expend when cooking and, lets be honest, more sugar is always a good thing.

Bake for 20 minutes at 425 degrees.  Turn the oven down to 375 degrees for an addition 10 minutes.  This will allow the dough to continue cooking without the outside getting too crispy/dark.  As soon as you take them out of the oven poke a small hole in each pasty to let the steam out and to keep the shell from falling.

These delightful little treats are best the day you bake them but they can, however, be made in advance and frozen for up to a month. Simply let them thaw to room temperature and then bake them at 350 degrees for about 5 minutes.

Enjoy!