FFwD + Eclairs and Cream Puffs

Ingredients

pate a choux
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup water
8 Tbsp.(4 oz.) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup all purpose flour
4 large eggs, room temperature

vanilla pastry cream
2 cups whole milk
6 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup arrowroot, sifted
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 1/2 tsp. unsalted butter, room temp

chocolate sauce

Instructions

pate a choux
• preheat oven to 425*. line two baking sheets with a silpat mat.
• bring the milk, water, butter, sugar, and salt toa rapid boil over high heat. add the flour, lower the heat to medium low and stir with a wooden spoon.  the dough will come together, keep stirring, using all of your elbow grease – the dough should be smooth.
• put the dough into the bowl of your standing mixer.  let it sit for a minute, then add the eggs one at a time, beat until the dough is thick and shiny.
to bake immediately:
• either drop 1 tablespoonful onto prepared mat or pipe onto mat.
• slide baking sheet into oven and turn heat down to 375*. bake for 12 minutes then rotate pan front to back, top to bottom for 12-15 minutes. cool completely on the baking sheet.
to freeze for the future:
• flash freeze puffs on sheet. when frozen store in an airtight container for 2 months.  when ready to bake, no need to defrost-bake directly from the freezer.
vanilla custard
• bring milk to a boil.
• in another saucepan, whisk the yolks together with the sugar and arrowroot until thick.
• whisk without stopping, drizzle in about 1/4 cup of the hot milk, keep whisking and then add the remainder of the milk in a steady stream.
• put the pan over medium heat and whisk vigorously – bring the mixture to a boil, whisking vigorously. take the pan off the heat.
• whisk in the vanilla. let sit for 5 minutes. whisk in the butter until fully incorporated and the pastry cream is smooth and silky.
• put the pastry cream into a glass bowl and press a piece of plastic wrap against the cream and refrigerate.
• pastry cream will store for 3 days.