[HPFGU-OTChatter] Re: Profiteroles?

[P. Alexis Nguyen]

Carol:
>  Thanks, Geoff, but I don't even know what "caster sugar" is, to begin
>  with. I assume that "icing sugar" is what we Americans call "powdered
>  sugar" (as opposed to granulated sugar, sugar cubes, brown sugar, or
>  raw sugar).

Ali:
Caster/castor sugar is fairly similar to a finer granulated sugar. In
a choux recipe, you can use granulated sugar without issues - I've
done it before to no ill effects.

Carol:
>  I came across a Google image of "failed profiteroles," which is
>  probably what I would end up with:
>
>  http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1367/817086095_308be6ad3f.jpg

Ali:
When I was younger (teenager younger), my second go at making choux
pastry resulted in a similar result. Fortunately, though, if you
follow the choux recipe method (which looks the same regardless of
recipe), you can't go wrong, and the one time I did not follow the
method, that was when the choux did not puff. I have faith that you
can follow directions, and the process is otherwise exceedingly
simple.

If you make profiteroles, though, I would recommend it a la Balthazar
(in New York City). The choux is filled with a nice vanilla ice cream.
The chocolate sauce is 8 oz Valrhona chocolate to .5 cup heavy cream.
Or you could make the always impressive, not overly hard,
croquembouche - a tower of little round profiteroles drizzled with
caramel sauce.


>  Carol, whose unwonted (not "unwanted," though it's that, too) craving
>  for milk chocolate and gooey caramel has been thoroughly sated by the
>  mini Milky Ways

Ali:
I never liked Milky Ways until the advent of the dark version. Yum.