by Brian D. Peffley CEPC, CCE, AAC
Introduction
The first demonstration here is that of pâte choux. Pate, meaning paste, and choux, meaning cabbage. Paste that resembles cabbage, which is one of the main items made with pâte à choux.
Cream Puffs, characterized by a rich, golden exterior and a hollow center often filled with pastry cream. Eclairs are yet another item made with Pate Choux. An éclair is characterized by its golden exterior, long shape, pastry cream-filled center, and chocolate topping. Yum, yet another item made are profiteroles, which are smaller than a cream puff.
Pate Choux is made with liquid, which can be water, milk, or cream, with melted fat—sweetened with sugar and touch of salt to tenderize the dough. Eggs are added slowly in a mixing bowl after the dough has been prepared.
The Pate Choux is then piped onto pans in either round or oblong shapes. Then, I finished it with some pastry cream and topped it with chocolate.
There are occasions when the pastry is used for savory sandwiches. Enjoy Chef Brian’s Pate Choux Demonstration.
Brian Peffley CEPC, CCE, AAC
Who doesn’t enjoy a nice piece of pie? The varieties are huge. Apple, Blue, Cherry, Peach, lemon meringue, key lime, chocolate Cream, banana cream, coconut custard, pumpkin, to name a few, are sweet pies.
Savory pies are also delicious. To name a few favorites: Chicken Pot, Beef Pot Pie, Meat Pie.
A Savory pie wouldn’t need the sugar added to the crust. Savory is usually a term that refers to foods that aren’t sweet in nature. Sweet, referring typically to dessert dishes.
Baking is more of a science than the savory side of the kitchen. While there are chemical reactions that occur in the spicy side, they usually are not as delicate as the ones that happen in the baking and pastry side of the kitchen.
As a rule of thumb,when baking, precision measuring is essential as well as the way in which they are added into a recipe.
Take a sneak peek into baking and pastry with Chef Brian.
