More potato things...because who doesn't love taters? Now, I'd never made pate' choux before. It's the dough that cream puffs and eclairs are made from. Light and crispy and fancy sounded all French and such. Surprisingly easy if you follow the directions to a T. Don't shortcut. Don't substitute margarine for the butter. in fact, NEVER substitute margarine for butter. For anything. I don't care if the recipe says margarine. Just don't. In fact, if you have margarine (and you're not dealing with a dairy allergy or maybe you're a vegan) (though to my knowledge I don't know any vegans) (not intentionally anyway) just back away from the margarine and use the all natural-from-a-cow-as-God-intended-it butter.
One of the most disappointing culinary experiences in my entire life involved a gorgeous 17 layer caramel cake at a coffee shop. (anyone in the Deep South knows of which I speak. Every Baptist church has at least one person who makes this confectionary miracle and brings it to the 4th Sunday potluck lunch, or it should.) I got my delicious fresh pour-over coffee and a lovely slice of that glorious cake. My first bite was anticipated like a 6 year old anticipating Christmas. It had been so very long since I'd had a delicious, buttery slice of caramel cake. and....(you see where this is going)....it had been made with margarine. It felt like that 6 year old got socks for Christmas. That were wrapped up in a Nintendo box. I didn't even want another bite though I did in the hopes that maybe my taste buds had somehow briefly glitched and it actually was a butter caramel cake. It wasn't. They hadn't.
So what I'm saying is this: please use real butter. It doesn't matter if it's salted or unsalted (easier to control the seasoning if it's un- but you do you.) So here's the super fun and easier-than-you'd-think recipe for Potato Puffs.
- 4 small Yukon Gold potatoes, quartered (apparently you can also use russets but Yukon Golds tend to be smaller)
For the pastry dough:
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup butter
- kosher salt to taste
- 1/2 cup flour (I used gluten free though not grain free)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg
Preheat the oven to 450F. Generously butter a 24-cup mini muffin pan
Put the potatoes in a pot and boil them until soft. When they're done, drain off the water, peel, and mash them until smooth. I used a ricer so they had no lumps at all. I don't think you'd want any lumps.
For the dough, bring the water and butter to a boil, with a bit of salt. Turn off the heat and add the flour, stirring vigorously to make a kind of stiff dough. Put it over into a mixing bowl and smush up the sides of the bowl so it will cool quickly. When it's cool, add the eggs and beat until it's smooth. I used a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. A hand mixer would work just fine. Add the potatoes and beat some more, until it's smooth.
Scoop about 2 tablespoons of the mixture into each well greased (IMPORTANT. Don't assume because it might be non-stick that you don't want it buttered) muffin cup. Bake for 20 minutes. Let them sit one minute after taking them out of the oven, then turn onto a wire rack to cook 5 minutes. Serve warm with butter.
Note: I think you could add chopped herbs/chives/bacon to the dough. I don't know how cheese would affect the way they puff up.
I want to try making the dough ahead of time (maybe the day before) and see if that messes with the quality of the end product. Since it doesn't have any leavening in it there's no time-specific chemical reaction taking place that would be ruined by a long wait. It would be nice to be able to make it ahead of time, because it kind of takes up a lot of counter space.
I made these in 2 batches because I have just one 12-cup mini muffin pan. Everyone kept "testing the first batch for quality control purposes". (You know, you don't want to serve substandard food to guests. Here, let me check one to see if they're any good. Ok, I'd better check again to be sure. Hey guests, try one and see if you think they're ok. Try another one to be sure.) They were light, potato-y crispy goodness, like a cross between a pre-stuffed cream puff and a tater-tot only smooth. I kept the slim remainder of the first batch warm while the second batch baked and there was no loss of quality. Even at the end of the meal when everything was cooled off and there were 4 left, those were still delicious. I really would use a ricer to mash the taters. It makes such a smooth, chunkless result. If you're a more diligent sort than I, and can make perfectly smooth mash without one, more power to you.
For your viewing pleasure, here's some Yukon Gold potatoes.
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