Passover Cream Puff Shells

When I saw this recipe in the L.A. Times last year, it went on my list of things to make for 2018's Seder.  The recipe is basically the same as choux paste, just a little heavier on the egg to make up for using matzoh cake meal.  Both are leavened by steam, with egg creating the structure.  These are basically the same thing as the "soup nuts" sold around Passover, only larger.

I had no intention of making two dozen, however, for only a single table of diners.  And it had 5 eggs in it.  A little food math later, I did turn this into a 2-egg recipe.  Stupid prime numbers.  Look for crazy amounts in tablespoons.

Also like standard profiteroles, these are neutral.  You don't have to make them into desserts, but I did.  I flavored some whipping cream with strawberry-lavender syrup and sprinkled blueberries on it. You could just as easily fill these with tuna salad, brie, or veggie cream cheese for a savory snack.

1/2 C water
4 Tb unsalted butter, cut in chunks
1/4 tsp salt
9-1/2 Tb (1/2 C + 1-1/2 Tb) matzo cake meal
2 eggs

1.  Preheat oven to 400ºF with a rack in the middle or lower-middle setting.  Line baking sheet with parchment or Silpat.

2.  In a small saucepan, combine the water, salt, and butter over medium-low heat.  Melt butter, then bring to a boil.  Add the matzo cake meal all at once.  Stir briskly with a wooden spoon until mixture is a thick paste, about 1 minute.  Remove from heat and allow to cool about 5 minutes.

3.  Beat eggs into mixture one at a time.  By hand is fine.  If you make the 5-egg recipe, go ahead and get the stand mixer dirty.  Continue to mix until dough is smooth and not oily.

4.  You can go all pastry bag at this point (or ziplock with the corner cut off), or make them more "rustic" by mounding with a spoon.  Since these are matzoh, keep them fairly small.  Anything between a soup nut and a slider should be ok.  I wouldn't go as big as, say, a McDonald's hamburger.  You can make them that big with regular choux paste, but they would get too heavy with this stuff.  If there are any points, dip a finger in water and flatten them out so they don't burn.

5.  Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 375º and bake until golden and firm, 14 to 20 more minutes, depending on size.

6.  Turn off oven, leave it open a crack, and leave the puffs in there for 30 more minutes to dry out.  If your oven has a low-temp convection setting, like a dehydrator, you can use that.

7.  Remove puffs from the oven and, using a very sharp knife, pierce one side near the middle.  This will allow any remaining moisture to escape so they don't get stale or soggy as fast.

8.  If all the puffs didn't fit in the oven the first time, reheat it to 400º and put them in.  It's ok for the paste to have been at room temperature for an hour, but I wouldn't go past two.

9.  It's best to use the shells on the same day they're made.  You can store them for one day in a sealed container at room temperature.  They can also be frozen as soon as they're cooled.  In either of the storage scenarios, a quick trip through the toaster oven or a low-temp oven will crisp them back up.  Once filled, try to serve them within a few hours.

Yield depends on size (1 dozen 2-inch)

Difficulty rating  :-0