Only a true sweet tooth and connoisseur of delicate pastries can distinguish the noble "Chu" bun from the already familiar profiteroles and eclairs.On the surface, a "shu" is an ordinary pastry, but after peering inside the delicate dough, tasting the airy cream, and learning a few interesting facts about its origins, the sweet pastry "shu" may well earn the title of number one among its choux pastry cousins.

Was cabbage at the origin of "shu"?

A choux pastry is a small ball of choux pastry, almost hollow inside. During baking, the pastry rises, creating air bubbles inside, which create hollow spaces into which cream is poured. This interesting pastry originates in France, and the first choux recipe was invented by a Frenchman named Jean Avis in the late 18th century. He baked small balls of the pastry dough in the oven, calling them choux, which translates as cabbage.

Incidentally, Avis borrowed the name from court chefs who made baked lumps of mashed potatoes. They were the first to use the name "choux" or "choux," calling their dish "little cabbage." Over time, the dough recipe for this dessert acquired its modern form.

Every pastry chef, baker, or simply amateur cook brings something special, something new, to the choux recipe. This is evident in photos of these sweets online and in culinary publications.

Classic recipe for choux with crumble

Classic choux pastry

To make your first experience with this French dessert especially enjoyable and memorable, it's best to use the so-called classic recipe for choux pastry. According to the traditional method, this pastry is made with choux pastry, a delicate pâtissière cream, and a crumble topping.

For the crumble:

  • butter - 90 g
  • brown sugar - 110 g
  • wheat flour - 110 g
  • vanilla extract

The crumble is very simple to make: combine all the ingredients with a mixer and then knead. Next, roll out the dough thinly. Incidentally, the recipe recommends using parchment paper or silicone sheets, sandwiching a piece of dough between them. Using a glass, press out circles of dough the size of the future choux bun. Freeze everything.

For the test:

  • fresh cow's milk - 225 ml
  • salt - 1/4 tsp
  • butter - 100 g
  • wheat flour 160 g
  • granulated sugar - 20 g
  • large chicken eggs - 4 pcs.

First, preheat the oven to approximately 180˚. Then, using a saucepan, bring the milk, sugar, and butter to a boil. Add the sifted and aerated flour. Heat the mixture for no more than 30 seconds, stirring vigorously with a wooden spatula.

Next, the recipe says to let the dough cool. Once cold, add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly with a mixer. The resulting dough should be pasty and shiny, like a glossy photo, and flow smoothly from a spatula.

Pour the prepared mixture into a pastry bag and place each cake individually on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place the frozen crumble on top of the dough balls. Bake in a hot oven for approximately 25-30 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.

For the Patissier cream:

  • chicken egg yolks - 4 pcs
  • granulated sugar - 100 g
  • corn starch - 30 g
  • wheat flour - 20 g
  • cow's milk - 500 ml
  • vanilla extract

Bring fresh milk to a boil in a saucepan, adding vanilla. Whisk the yolks with sugar, add flour and starch, then pour boiling milk over the mixture and return it to the saucepan. Cook the cream until set, stirring vigorously.

The classic recipe calls for cutting off the top of the baked product, so the "cap" of the bun must be removed. Using a pastry bag, fill the cake with the prepared cream and replace the "cap" back into place.

Recipe for Choux pastry with raspberry confit

Choux pastry with raspberry confit

The preparation of the choux pastry and crumble can, of course, be found in the previous "classic" choux recipe. But the cream and raspberry confit should be prepared as follows.

For the raspberry confit:

  • homogeneous raspberry puree - 200 g
  • granulated sugar - 50 g
  • pectin NH (thickener) – 4 g
  • juice of half a lemon

Mix the puree with sugar and heat to 40˚. Add the sugar mixed with pectin and bring to a boil. Squeeze in the lemon juice at the end of cooking.

For the cream:

  • cream 35% - 500 ml
  • powdered sugar - 100 g
  • vanilla
  • cream fixative

Whip the cold cream with the powdered sugar and whipping cream until it's as thick as possible. The buttercream should be like the one in the photo, meaning it shouldn't run and should hold its shape.

Cut off the top of the choux bun. Place raspberry confit on the bottom and pour cream on top. Attach the "cap" in place.

Voila! An exquisite French dessert is ready to be enjoyed.

Video recipe for making shu cake