Equipment
Ingredients
Caramelized Red Onions
- 3 red onions, thinly sliced
- 15 ml olive oil
- 15 g unsalted butter
- 30 ml balsamic vinegar
- 10 g dark brown sugar
Choux Pastry
- 120 ml water
- 120 ml whole milk
- 110 g unsalted butter, cubed
- 3 g fine sea salt
- 135 g all-purpose flour
- 4 eggs, lightly beaten
Goat Cheese Filling
- 250 g soft goat cheese, room temperature
- 100 ml heavy cream, cold
- 2 g fresh thyme, finely chopped leaves
- black pepper
Garnish
- 50 g walnuts, roughly chopped and toasted
- 20 g rocket leaves, washed and dried
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 144 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbohydrates
- 7 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 113 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 6 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 52 mg
- Potassium
- 83 mg
- Calcium
- 41 mg
- Iron
- 0.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 9 mg
- Phosphorus
- 65 mg
- Zinc
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin A
- 100 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 1 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.3 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin K
- 2 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.07 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.13 mg
- Niacin
- 0.4 mg
- Folate
- 19 mcg
- Water
- 45 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Heat olive oil and 15g of unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the sliced red onions and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until deeply browned and soft. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and brown sugar, then cook until the liquid reduces into a sticky syrup. Remove from heat and let cool.
In a medium saucepan, combine the water, milk, 110g cubed butter, and salt. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, ensuring the butter is completely melted before the liquid boils.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and immediately pour in the flour all at once. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until it forms a cohesive dough. Return the pan to medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, to dry out the paste.
Transfer the hot dough to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for 2 minutes to cool the dough slightly. With the mixer running, gradually add the beaten eggs in four additions, waiting until each addition is fully incorporated before adding the next.
Transfer the choux dough to a piping bag. Pipe 24 small mounds onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving generous space between each. Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C (390°F) for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 180°C (350°F) and bake for another 15 minutes until puffed, golden, and dry.
While the choux buns cool, prepare the filling. In a clean mixing bowl, whip the softened goat cheese, cold heavy cream, chopped thyme, and black pepper together until light and fluffy. Transfer this mixture to a clean piping bag.
Slice the top third off each cooled choux bun. Pipe a generous rosette of the whipped goat cheese mixture into the base of each bun. Spoon a small cluster of caramelized red onions on top of the cheese, then press a few toasted walnut pieces and a small sprig of rocket into the cheese to garnish. Place the choux lid back on top, slightly askew.
Chef's Notes
- Drying out the panada on the stovetop is the most critical step for successful choux. The drier the paste, the more egg it can absorb, which translates to superior expansion in the oven.
- Egg sizes vary wildly, which means hydration varies wildly. The specified 4 eggs is an approximation. Always use the visual cue of the dough falling from your spatula in a smooth V shape to determine when you have added enough egg.
- For the neatest appearance, dab a finger in water and gently pat down the pointed peaks on your piped choux mounds before baking. This prevents the tips from burning.
- To prepare for a party, the choux buns can be baked a month in advance and frozen. Re-crisp them in a 180 C oven for 5 minutes, let them cool, and they will taste freshly baked.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Store unfilled buns in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day, or keep filled buns in the refrigerator. Filled buns will soften over time.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze unfilled baked choux buns in an airtight bag. Crisp in a hot oven for 5 minutes before filling.
Troubleshooting
Choux buns deflated after baking
Cause: Oven door was opened too early or buns were underbaked, leaving trapped moisture inside
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Never open the oven during the crucial first 20 minutes of baking. Ensure buns are baked until deeply golden, and optionally prick the bases with a skewer immediately after baking to let steam escape.
Choux dough is too runny to hold its shape when piped
Cause: Too much egg was added, or the initial flour paste (panada) was not dried out sufficiently on the stove
Fix: Cannot be fixed by adding raw flour. You must make a new half-batch of just the water, butter, and flour paste, cook it, and blend it into the runny dough.
Prevention: Cook the dough on the stove until a film forms on the pan. Add the final egg very gradually, assessing the texture constantly.
Goat cheese filling is too dense or clumpy
Cause: Goat cheese was too cold when mixing began
Fix: Let the mixture sit at room temperature for 15 minutes, then rewhip.
Prevention: Ensure the goat cheese is at room temperature before whipping, and mash it gently before slowly drizzling in the cream.
Cultural Context
Choux pastry traces its origins to the 16th-century courts of France and Italy, evolving over centuries into sweet cream puffs and savory cheese-laced gougeres. This recipe modernizes the classic savory application by treating the plain choux bun as an edible vessel. By filling it with rich goat cheese and topping it with a composed, texturally dynamic bite of caramelized onion and rocket, it mimics the flavor profile of a refined bistro salad in a single elegant mouthful.
