the snacking hour … Chouquette

In French bakeries, often in a basket by the register, you will typically see little sugared pastries that look like unfilled cream puffs. When I first started traveling, I wasn’t sure what they were so I asked. “C’est chouquette. Pour l’enfant” I was told. I understood the “for the kids” part but I wasn’t sure what “chouquette” meant or even if I heard it correctly. Were they cream puffs? Was there cheese in there, like a gougeres? What the hell were they? Creamless cream puffs did not sound very appealing but I was too intimidated to do anything but smile and nod, like I knew what they were talking about. I always purchased something else.

On another trip while shopping the local farmers market, I saw them again piled high into a beautiful straw basket at the bakers table. They were clearly marked “Chouquette” so I wrote that down for later research and bought a bag for 1 euro. One bite and I was hooked; crisp on the outside with crunchy sugar and yet somehow custardy and tender inside, they were exactly what I thought: an unfilled cream puff but the best unfilled cream puff I’d ever had. They weren’t hard, they weren’t tasteless and they certainly weren’t stale. For the rest of that trip, I bought a little bag every time I saw them.

Back home, I pulled out my French pastry books (this was pre-Google) and learned that’s exactly what they were – mounds of pate a choux, brushed with an egg wash and crusted with coarse sugar. Yes indeed, a sugar crusted empty cream puff. They are the classic after school snack for French children and every bakery will have a basket on its counter by 4pm for “le gouter”, the snack time. The French are rather strict about this 4pm snack time and you’ll see bakeries in a flurry of late afternoon activity to stock their counters with little snacks for the kids. As an American with terrible snacking habits, I find this country wide discipline both admirable and rather humorous.

They’re rather easy to make at home so when the urge hit last weekend, I gave in. Water, sugar, salt and butter are brought to a boil then a meaure of flour is dumped into the pot. The mixture is stirred until it forms a ball and the slightest coating, or crust, forms on the bottom of the pan. Then the eggs are added, either by hand or with a standing mixer then they’re piped or scooped, egg washed and coated with a special, coarse grain sugar. The trick, and there’s always a trick, is to bake them until they’re crisp on the outside but still a little soft and creamy on the inside. Finding the sugar will take a little effort as it’s not easily available in every grocery store as it is in France. This larger grain sugar, sometimes called “Pearl Sugar” or “Swedish Pearl Sugar” is an opaque white and is different than the large grain sparkly sugar used for cookie decorating (note: “Belgian Pearl Sugar” is larger crystals, good for Liege Waffles.) You can mail order the stuff (Amazon or King Arthur), scope out your specialty store or throw a box into the cart the next time you’re at IKEA (My go-to source. Really.)

STRESS THERAPY BAKING FACTOR: PERFECT. When in France, my market tradition is to buy a little bag of chouquette to munch on while I wander about. It might not be “le gouter” time but it works well for me at that hour. We should all institute some gouter time. A little snack, emphasis on little, would be welcome at 4pm every day. Maybe I wouldn’t get so hangry around then. That they are so easy to make is a bonus. Within an hour you could have a whole sheet pan of these little things ready to snack.

Seven years ago: Khachpuri (cheesy Georgian bread)
Six years ago: Oatmeal Jam Bars
Five years ago: Guinness Stout Floats
Four years ago: Chocolate Banoffee Tart
Three years ago: Sunday Lunch Polish Easter, Lemon Tart
Two years ago: Guinness Crème Anglaise
Last year: Flourless Chocolate Cookies

CHOUQUETTE – based on David Lebovitz’s recipe in The Sweet Life in Paris
makes about 20-25 puffs
I like to pipe these with a plain open round tip but you can use two spoons or David Lebovitz recommends a small scooper.

1 cup water
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons sugar
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
4 large eggs, at room temperature

egg wash: 1 egg yolk + 1 teaspoon milk
pearl sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 400° Place a rack in the lower third of the oven and line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
2. In a heavy saucepan, bring the water, salt, sugar, and butter just to a boil, stirring, until the butter is melted.
3. Reduce the heat to low and add the flour all at once.
4. With a wooden spoon, stir the mixture rapidly until it is smooth, pulls away from the sides of the pan and begins to form a light coating on the bottom of the pan.
5. Transfer the dough to a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low for the dough to cool; it’s ready when you no longer see steam coming up from the dough.
6. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing at medium speed, until the batter is smooth and shiny.
7. Transfer the batter to a pastry bag fitted with a ½” open round tip. You can also use two spoons or a small scoop to portion the batter.
8. If your pans are lined with parchment paper, place a small dab of the batter under each corner of parchment to anchor it to the pan. If using a silicone baking mat there’s no need to do this.
9. Pipe or scoop the batter into mounds the size of a walnut. Don’t worry about messy scoops or piping; we’ll fix that in a minute. Make sure to leave at least ¾” space between to allow for rising.
10. Make the egg wash and brush each mound then sprinkle heavily with coarse sugar over the top and sides. Go heavy; once the puffs expand, you’ll be happy for the extra sugar.
11. Bake the puffs for 20 minutes, rotate the pan and bake for another 10-15 minutes until puffed and well-browned. (If you want to make them crispier, you can poke a hole in the side with a knife after you take them out of the oven to let the steam escape.)
12. Chouquette are best eaten the same day they’re made. Once cooled, they can be frozen in a zip-top freezer bag for up to one month. Defrost at room temperature, then warm briefly on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven, until crisp.