Who doesn’t love perfectly baked fluffy choux pastries on special occasions? But it is too sad when we end up with deflated choux pastry. But the best part is, you can still make the best use of your failed choux pastry.
So, what to do with failed choux pastry?
Well, you can use your failed choux pastry as a cookie. Apart from that, you can turn it into delicious churros or the topping of ice creams. You can also use it as a base for other pastries or turn it into something interesting by adding brown sugar to it. There are several other uses of the failed choux pastry.
I know you are curious to know the remedies in detail. In the following article, you will get all your queries solved in detail. So follow along!
7 Things You Can Do with Failed Choux Pastry
Nothing is more disappointing in baking than an unpleasant-looking failed chorus pastry. This is not only unpleasant by look but also you won’t get the proper taste of a perfectly baked pastry. However, if you find your choux pastry has failed, it’s still not an absolute waste.
You can still use this failed choux pastry for many other purposes if it is tasking fine. Let’s see what we can turn failed choux pastry into-
Rebake:
Rebake your choux pastry for a crispy texture outside and a strong baked flavor. This time adjust the ingredients, baking time, and temperature and you will discover a new taste of the failed choux pastry.
Use as Cookie:
If the pastry is not fluffy enough, use the dough like an inside-out or deconstructed cookie. Top the pastry with cream or your favorite topping and enjoy it.
Change the Topping:
Cover the failed pastry with a silky smooth chocolate ganache. It will completely change the taste of your failed choux pastry. Let the ganache sit for a while and after setting the ganache you can top it with creme before eating.
Mix with Brown Sugar:
Mix your choux pastry with brown sugar. You can decide the sugar quantity according to your preference. Let the sugar set for a while and then enjoy it.
Use as A Pastry Base:
Use your failed choux pastry as a base for other pastries. This is a very useful one and the result would amaze you. You can use it as a base for pastries like cream puffs, profiteroles, or eclairs.
After placing choux as a base, follow the original recipe of the desired pastry.
Use as A Topping:
Crumble or crush your failed chorus pastry for use as a topping. You can use it as a topping for any sweet dessert you like. But it goes best with parfait or ice cream.
Make Churro:
You can turn your failed choux pastry into a mouth-watering churro. Just cut the pastry into a suitable shape and deep fry it. Finally, top it with sugar and cinnamon powder.
What to Do With Failed Choux Pastry? Different Scenarios
There are a few symptoms that would indicate something has gone wrong with your choux pastry. Maybe you find your dough is runny or too soft. Or maybe your pastry has a solid texture after baking. However, if you know a few tips and tricks, you can easily handle that situation.
In the following, there are a few scenarios one might face if their choux dough goes wrong and the solution to it-
Scenario 1: Runny Dough
Sometimes due to a mistake in ingredients measurement, your dough might hold too much moisture than required. As a result, the dough becomes too runny and it is not possible to make perfect choux pastry out of dough that is tacky.
Fix:
For a quick fix, you can keep the dough in the refrigerator. Some people mistake adding more flour to it or putting it on the stove. Do not make that mistake, that will ruin the dough even more. Let the dough sit in the refrigerator so that the extra moisture can get absorbed.
Scenario 2: Collapsed Puffs
After making the dough, if it is not dry enough then the puffs can get collapsed. Mostly because it has more moisture than required. If there is no moisture, the dough is overcooked, hence it has collapsed.
Fix:
For a properly puffed choux, it is very important to dry the dough properly before baking it. You can let the dough rest for a while or maybe keep it in the refrigerator for that. To avoid overcooking, take your choux out of the oven immediately after baking and give it some resting time.
Scenario 3: Too-Soft Puffs
If you find your baked choux puffs are too soft, there can be the some humidity reason behind it. If your dough is too moist while baking, it may cause soft puffs after baking.
Fix:
To avoid such a mess, you dry your dough enough and it easily detaches from the pan after adding flour. Other than that, while baking your puffs make sure they are golden brown in color.
Scenario 4: Solid Texture After Baking
If you find texture or chunks after baking your puffs, there might be something wrong with the making process of it. If your dough is not beaten enough while making then such a scenario can be seen.
Other than that, if you bake your puffs at a lower temperature and your oven is not preheated enough, then also such situations may take place.
Fix:
Make sure you are having the correct temperature while baking your choux puffs. The best way of achieving the correct temperature is to preheat the oven before baking it.
Scenario 5: Pastry Too Thick
If your pastry is too thick after baking, that might be due to overboiling of the liquids of the pastry. It is very important to know about the cooking time and temperature correctly for a perfectly baked choux pastry.
Fix:
Make sure you know the perfect cooking time and do not overcook or undercook your pastry.
Scenario 6: Pastry Too Thin
If you find your pastry too thin after baking it, the reasons might be the liquid was too cold before adding the flour and other dry ingredients or the dough was not cooked enough.
Fix:
While making the dough, do not take any breaks while adding the ingredients one after another. And make sure you are beating the dough enough and mixing it well.
For more details follow:
How To Make The Perfect Choux Pastry in the Future!
It is not difficult to bake the perfect choux pastry. Just follow the steps carefully and you will end up with well-crumbed golden brown pastries without having fools crumb.
Let’s see what are the steps of the perfect choux pastry in the following-
Step 1:
Place butter in a pan with water and let the water get warm so that the butter can melt down. Allow the butter to melt with the warm water rather than bringing the water to boil for melting it.
After melting the butter, flame up the water and bring it to a nice boil. Pour flour immediately into boiling water with the help of a parchment paper-made funnel.
Step 2:
After adding the flour, immediately take the pan out of the flame and keep whisking it properly using a wooden spoon. Keep mixing it until the mixture is smooth and lump free. Transfer the dough to a tray or plate and let it cool down and rest for a while.
If you feel the dough is a bit too moist, let it rest inside a refrigerator.
Step 3:
When you realize the dough is warmer than before then it’s time to add eggs to it. Break one egg at a time and keep mixing it while adding the eggs. Do not overmix your dough while adding the eggs and mix it to your desired consistency.
Step 4:
Now prepare a tray covered with parchment paper and spray some water on it. Use an ice cream scoop to transfer the dough into the tray for a nice rounded puff. Brush some egg yolk on top of it and bake them at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 30 minutes.
Step 5:
Finally, take your pastries out of the oven and poke them with a sharp stick so the air can come out. Now you are ready to enjoy your pastries using your favorite topping or creme onto it. If you’re into baking of other sorts, you can use OTG for baking too.
5 Tips to Not Mess Up Choux Pastry
A few tips and tricks can do wonders while making choux pastry. And if you can follow these accordingly, there is no chance of ending up with a disappointing outcome with your choux pastry. These are-
- While making the dough, make sure your measurements are correct and have the perfect ratio of dry and liquid ingredients
- While preparing the dough, do not forget to beat it properly. Beat your dough until there is no chunky texture on it and the dough is completely smooth
- Let the dough rest for a while after making it. You should keep the dough on parchment paper and for best results keep it in the refrigerator
- Make sure your baking time is appropriate while baking your choux pastry. Since the time varies from oven to oven, keep your eyes on the pastries while baking them
- Do not open the oven while baking the pastries to avoid deflated pastries. After baking the pasties let them rest for a while for moisture deflation
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
Can choux pastry be rebaked?
Yes, you can rebake your choux pastries to re-crisped them. Just reheat them in an oven of 300 Fahrenheit heat until they are warmed through crisp. After reheating, if you want to store them for longer, make sure you store them in air-tight containers.
How long can we store baked choux pastries?
Baked and unfilled choux pastries can be stored in an air-tight container for at least 3 weeks. If you want to store them for one month, just refrigerate them inside air-tight ziplock bags. Just ensure there is no air contact with your pastries for longer preservation.
Can choux pastry dough be saved?
If you want to store your uncooked choux pastry dough, you can store it in an air-tight container for a day. But if you want to store it for two to three days, refrigerate them using air-tight container or bags.
Final Words
I hope you are now a lot relieved with the solution of what to do with failed choux pastry. Just follow the instructions carefully and you will be surprised with the end result.
That is it for today. See you soon with some more useful tips and tricks.
Till then, keep baking!
