FRENCH PASTRY IS A SPECIALTY PASTRY PRODUCT THAT TESTS THE ABILITY OF THE PASTRY BAKER. ON THE OTHER HAND CREAM PUFFS AND ECLAIRS ARE DELICIOUS DESERTS WHICH ARE NOT DIFFICULT TO MAKE IF DIRECTIONS ARE FOLLOWED CAREFULLY. FRENCH PASTRY IS MADE FROM A VERY RICH DOUGH CONTAINING A LARGE AMOUNT OF BUTTER OR MARGARINE SOMETIMES COMBINED WITH A SPECIAL PUFF PASTRY SHORTENING . A CREAM PUFF IS A ROUND HOLLOW SHELL MADE FROM A PASTE CONSISTING OF WATER, SHORTENING, BUTTER, OR MARGARINE , SALT, FLOUR, AND EGGS. AT THE END OF THE RECIPES, STEP BY STEP DEMONSTRATIONS WILL BE GIVEN ON PRODUCING THESE SPECIALTY PASTRIES.
FRENCH PASTRY DOUGH RECIPE
| Ingredients | Pounds | Ounces | |
| Flour, Bread | 4 | 0 | |
| salt | 0 | 1 | |
| Puff Pastry Shortening | 4 | 0 | |
| Water, Ice-cold | 2 | 4 |
MIXING METHOD ONE
Add all the ingredients of the recipe except the (Puff Pastry Shortening) in the mixing bowl. Mix the dough until the gluten is fully developed using the Dough Hook. Place the mixed dough on work bench which has been dusted with flour. Shape the dough into an oblong shape about 12 inches wide and 20 inches long. Spot the Puff Paste Shortening on two thirds of the dough as is demonstrated in PART SEVEN-DEMONSTRATION DANISH PASTRY. Fold and roll the dough just as you would a Danish Pastry Dough being careful not to break through the dough by using excessive pressure on the rolling pin. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes between rolls to Let the dough relax. Cover the rolled dough with a damp cloth to keep a crust from forming. Repeat the rolling process 3 times. After the final roll, and after the dough has been refrigerated for an additional 30 minutes or overnight, it is ready to be made up into a variety of French Pastries, some of which are demonstrated below.
MIXING METHOD TWO
Place the flour, the Puff Pastry Shortening and salt into the mixing bowl. Work the fat into the dough either by hand or with the mixing paddle just as you would for mixing a pie dough. Mix only long enough so that the flour is only partially covered with fat leaving lumps of fat about the size of marbles. Add water to the partially coated flour and mix only long enough to form a dough. ( Do not overmix ). Place dough on a flour coated work bench. Place the mixed dough on work bench which has been dusted with flour. Shape the dough into an oblong shape about 12 inches wide and 20 inches long and roll it into an oblong shape about 1/2 inch thick, being careful not to break through the dough by using excessive pressure on the rolling pin. Lap dough to form three folds. Let dough relax for about 30 minutes, covering it with a damp cloth to keep a crust from forming. Repeat this step three or four times, brushing flour off dough each time, and being careful not to damage the dough with too much pressure on the rolling pin. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes or overnigh. Make-up the various items such as Cream Horns and Patty Shells demonstrated below. Many other varieties such as Palm Leaves can also be made. NOTE: Cream horns can be filled with a marshmallow type meringue or any type of filling desired. Patty shells can be filled with a Shrimp Newburg type filling, Chicken a-la King or any other type filling.
MAKING CREAM HORNS FROM FRENCH PASTRY
ROLL THE FINISHED FRENCH PASTRY DOUGH ABOUT 12 INCHES WIDE AND 1/8TH INCH THICK. CUT INTO STRIPS ABOUT ONE INCH WIDE.
WASH DOUGH STRIPS WITH LIGHT COATING OF WATER OR EGG WASH.
ROLL STRIP ONTO METAL OR PAPER CREAM HORNS STARTING AT SMALL END OF HORN.
COMPLETE ROLL BY OVERLAPPING STRIPS WHILE ROLLING ON CREAM HORN.
MAKING PATTY SHELLS
CUTTING THE DOUGH WHICH HAS BEEN ROLLED TO AN EVEN THICKNESS OF ABOUT 1/4TH TO 1/2 INCH THICK AND 15 INCHES WIDE WITH A SHARP CUTTER
USING SMALL SHARP CUTTER, MAKE SHELL BY CUTTING OUT CENTER TO FORM RING
COMBINE CUT PORTIONS ( SCRAP DOUGH ) AND PRESS TOGETHER. ROLL THE SCRAP DOUGH ABOUT 1/8TH INCH THICK. DOCK ROLLED DOUGH FOR SHELL BOTTOM
CUT DOCKED DOUGH WITH SAME CUTTER USED TO CUT RINGS
AFTER TRIMMINGS ARE REMOVED, WASH THE DOCKED BOTTOMS A FEW AT A TIME WITH A LIGHT COATING OFWATER OR EGG WASH SO THE RINGS WILL STICK TO THE BOTTOMS
PLACE RINGS ON BOTTOM PIECES TAKING CARE TO MATCH EDGES EVENLY
1. Baked cream horns2. Baked patty shells
CREAM PUFF AND ECLAIR RECIPE
| Ingredients | Pounds | Ounces | |
| Water | 5 | 4 | |
| Butter or Margarine | 2 | 0 |
Combine water and fat together and bring to rolling boil making sure the fat has melted completely.
| Ingredients | Pounds | Ounces | |
| Flour, Bread | 3 | 0 |
Add flour to boiling mixture stirring constantly until cooked into a thick paste. Remove from heat.
| Ingredients | Pounds | Ounces | |
| eggs, whole | 5 | 4 | |
| salt | 0 | 1 |
Place cooked mixture into mixing bowl and mix a few turns with the mixing paddle to cool the mixture slightly. Add the salt to the eggs. Add eggs and salt mixture slowly while mixing and mix to a smooth batter. NOTE: The amount of eggs varies so it may be necessary hold back on a small amount of eggs or the eggs may have to be increased slightly to obtain a smooth batter. Drop on lightly greased pans which have been dusted with flour. Bake at 400 degrees F. for about 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 300 degrees F. to dry out the inside of the Puffs and Eclairs to keep them from falling. When Bread Flour is used in the recipe as is the case with this recipe, the top of the baked product will crack somewhat. If a smooth top and a more tender product is desired, then Cake Flour can be used.
CREAM FILLING FOR CREAM PUFFS AND ECLAIRS
| Ingredients | Pounds | Ounces | |
| water | 1 | 8 | |
| sugar | 1 | 8 |
Bring water and sugar to a boil.
| Ingredients | Pounds | Ounces | |
| Corn starch | 0 | 8 | |
| water | 0 | 8 |
Suspend starch in water and add to boiling mixture while stirring vigorously with hand whip. Cook until thick and clear. Remove from heat.
| Ingredients | Pounds | Ounces | |
| Sugar granulated | 0 | 12 | |
| salt | 0 | 1/4th | |
| milk, nonfat dry | 0 | 6 1/2 | |
| Butter or margarine | 0 | 4 |
Add sugar, salt,dry milk and butter or margarine to cooked mixture and stir until dry ingredients are dissolved and butter or margarine is melted.
| Ingredients | Pounds | Ounces | |
| Eggs | 1 | 4 |
Beat the eggs slightly with a hand whip. Pour 1/4th of cooked mixture over eggs and stir vigorously. NOTE: Reason for pouring part of the egg over eggs is to prevent the eggs from coagulating too soon which would result in a lumpy mixture.
| Ingredients | Pounds | Ounces | |
| Vanilla | 0 | 1/2 | |
| salt | 0 | 1/4th |
Add vanilla to cooked mixture and stir. At this point if a shiffon type cream is desired, a small amount of meringue can be folded into the cooked mixture while still hot. Refrigerate until ready to be used.
MAKING CREAM PUFFS AND ECLAIRS
PANNING CREAM PUFF BATTER BY HAND
PANNING ECLAIR BATTER USING PASTRY BAG
FILLING CREAM PUFFS AND ECLAIRS WITH MACHINE
1. FILLED CREAM PUFFS TOPPED WITH CHOCOLATE ICING AND POWDERED SUGAR
2. FILLED ECLAIRS TOPPED WITH CHOCOLATE ICING AND POWDERED SUGAR
This completes part eight on French Pastries and Cream Puffs-Eclairs. Following these recipes will be photos of step by step demonstrations by Willie Prejean on make-up and finishing procedures for Cream Horns, Patty Shells, Cream Puffs and Eclairs.
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