From vegnews.com
Choux pastry is the delicate, versatile base of many decadent treats. A staple in French cuisine, the ultra-light pastry most likely originated in either Germany or England in the 16th century, according to the the Boston French restaurant Rochambeau. However, it’s widely attributed to a chef named Pantanelli, who worked in the court of the Italian-born French queen Catherine de’ Medici. Simply put, choux pastry has European roots but is loved all over the world, including in the US where it’s used to make everything from eclairs to profiteroles to cream puffs.
Choux pastry is traditionally made by cooking a mixture of water or milk, butter, and flour on the stovetop until it forms a dough. Eggs are then beaten into the dough to give it structure and elasticity. When baked, the high water content creates steam, which causes the dough to puff up. Eggs, milk, and butter are all important parts of achieving that signature airy choux pastry texture. But they are not absolutely essential—find out how to make and cook with vegan choux pastry below.
How to make vegan choux pastry
Because traditional recipes for choux pastry—or pâte à choux, as it’s known in French–are heavily reliant on animal-based ingredients, it’s not easy to make choux pastry from scratch without a recipe. According to recipe developer Nora Taylor of the blog Nora Cooks, it took her around 10 attempts to finally create a vegan choux recipe that works as well as the original. “I almost gave up, thinking eggless eclairs were only a dream,” she writes in her blog post for the recipe. “But I persisted, and voilà! Success.”
To make her vegan choux pastry, Cook used ingredients like vegan butter, aquafaba, soy milk, sugar, potato starch, and tapioca starch. “Vegan choux pastry is really not that hard to make, but it might be unlike anything else you’ve ever made,” Taylor explains. “Follow the instructions exactly for best results and don’t make any substitutes.” You can find Cook’s recipe for vegan choux pastry here.
Below, we’ve also compiled several recipes from recipe developers across the web that have nailed sweet treats using vegan choux pastry. From profiteroles to eclairs to croquembouche, there’s something for everyone.
Vegan choux pastry recipes, from eclairs to profiteroles
1Vegan Profiteroles
In this recipe for vegan profiteroles, Supper in the Suburbs swaps eggs for a vegan liquid alternative, like those from Just Egg or Crack’d. She then combines it with ingredients like soy milk, flour, and vegan butter to create deliciously fluffy and light profiteroles, which are, of course, filled with plenty of vegan cream. You can serve them with any topping you like (chocolate sauce is a favourite for many), but this version opts for a juicy sweet fruit compote.
Get the recipe
Gretchen’s Vegan Bakery
2Vegan Eclairs Pâte à Choux
Again, like Taylor, Gretchen’s Vegan Bakery founder Gretchen Price spent a long time perfecting her vegan choux recipe, and it was worth it. You can find her solution, which involves aquafaba, vegan butter, and methylcellulose, in the recipe for ultra-tasty chocolate vegan eclairs below.
Get the recipe
Gretchen’s Vegan Bakery
3Vegan Croquembouche
Another treat from Gretchen’s Vegan Bakery, this recipe will show you how to use Price’s signature vegan choux recipe to create a stunning croquembouche tower that is worthy of any celebration. However, the recipe developer warns that you may want to try a few simpler recipes before trying this one, as this takes baking to a whole new level. “For those ready for a challenge this one is for you,” she says.
Get the recipe
Little Lighthouse Baking Co
4Vegan Matcha and Chocolate Eclairs
Chocolate eclairs are divine, but adding a little matcha powder into the mix gives them a unique and impressive flavour (the bright colour comes from the powder and a dash of food colouring). Again, this vegan choux recipe calls for a liquid egg alternative. “If you like matcha and you like chocolate, we think you’ll really enjoy this recipe,” promise recipe developers Eduardo and Jimmy of the blog Little Lighthouse Baking Co.
Get the recipe
Little Lighthouse Baking Co
5Vegan Cream Puffs
Another tasty treat from Little Lighthouse Baking Co, these vegan cream puffs are delicious, simple, and the perfect dinner party dessert to make to impress your loved ones. Once baked, they’re hollow inside, and you can fill them with whatever flavour of cream you like, from classic vanilla to indulgent chocolate.
Get the recipe
No comments:
Post a Comment