Pierre Hermé's Cream Puffs

I am already a sucker for youtube (particularly videos from the test kitchen of bon appétit) so you can only imagine how click-bait-y the title "Life Changingly Good Cream Puffs" had to be for a sponge of a millennial like me. Youtube is where I find a lot of inspiration, especially because it is a step by step tutorial by experienced chefs, and I find this an excellent resource for recipes that I consider to be less “flexible” and more technique heavy (flexible meaning there is a wide margin of error, ie pastas, hash, omelettes, etc). I have never attempted any sort of puff pastry in my life, but pâte à choux is considered an essential for any baker, and the foundation to a good eclair or croquembouche. I should also mention that I wanted to pay a little homage to Paris, where my roommate who I miss dearly, spent her spring semester abroad. Magnifique!

With time on my side thanks to the second Nor'easter (out of the four that would round out March), I spent about four hours on these bad boys, probably because I was being a little too careful. You can find the recipe here and the video tutorial which I highly recommend watching - as it is not only easier with a visual aide, but also because Carla is hilarious and living proof that chefs are humans who make mistakes too! this is one of those recipes that I would advise to sticking to every little detail - do not attempt to cut corners or substitute ingredients. The video is also extremely useful in showing you what the consistency of the dough should be like, when you know the pastries are fully cooked, and what kind of cream peaks you are aiming for. 

Unfortunately, I have a terrible habit of never actually consuming anything I make. I work with the ingredients when they're not so appealing, which detracts from the appeal of the finished product. Is this a thing for anyone else? I feel like my tongue can parse out individual flavors because I know the exact ingredients that went in, and maybe also because I know the absurd amount of butter present. Knowledge is not always power! So here's my next tip - if you cannot finish something, pass it on to your partner, who will likely have some and then pass it on to someone else, and someone else... and so on. Kind of kidding here? but also, it works. Bon appétit!

**edit: this post was prepared back in March 2018, hence the nor’easter**