Pate a Choux (Almond Ring Dough)
Pre-Heat oven to 375 degrees
Dough:
- 2 cups water
- 8 ounces butter, cut into small cubes
- 12 ounces all-purpose flour
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1.4 pounds whole eggs
-Boil water and butter together in medium saucepan
-Combine flour and salt, then add all at once to boiling water/butter, stirring constantly
-Reduce heat to low, continuing to stir until dough pulls away from the sides of the pan
-Take off the heat and transfer to mixer bowl fitted with paddle attachment
-Beat in eggs one at a time on medium speed, making sure to fully incorporate each one
-Put dough into pastry bag fitted with wide end star tip and pipe onto parchment covered sheet tray
-Bake for 10 minutes at 375, then reduce heat to 300 and bake 30 minutes more. (This is for the large rings, for smaller shells, bake for 10 minutes, then reduce to 300 for 20 minutes.)
-Cool rings before slicing horizontally to fill
Filling:
- 1 quart heavy cream, very cold
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
-Beat together the heavy cream and almond extract until stiff peaks form
-Put mixture into piping bag fitted with star tip
-Slice cooked rings horizontally
-Pipe cream onto bottom half of ring, pat sliced almonds onto the side of the cream, then place top half to finish
NOTE: Fill these as close to eating time as possible for best results
