Chocolate Swan Choux Variation
Elegant cream puff swans are a very classic variation of choux pastry.
Swan Method
1. Follow the same choux pastry recipe for the first 8 steps and complete chocolate cream steps.
2. Once dough is in piping bag equipped with the same tip, pipe a teardrop shape that measures 7 cm from the point to rounded edge. This can be achieved by holding your piping bag at a 45º angle to baking tray, and by applying pressure to the bag while staying in one place. When a mound of pastry starts to shape on the tray, stop applying pressure to the piping bag and start pulling away slowly to create the teardrop shape.
3. To create the head and neck of the swan, transfer some of the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a number 8 circular tip. While holding the bag a couple centimetres from the tray, pipe a number 2 while letting the dough fall into place on the tray, creating a 3D strand of dough. The height of the shape should be 7 cm. Flatten out the top of the number 2 in order to elongate the beak of the swan.
4. Bake tear drops at 375ºF for 30-45 minutes, then bake swan necks for a few minutes until hard.
Assembly
1. Cut off top third of the teardrop shape horizontally, then cut the top part in half from point to middle of rounded edge to make swan wings.
2. Pipe chocolate cream in an oval shape, creating 3 layers.
3. Place wings on each side of the cream, then slide the bottom of the 2 shape under the mound of cream, giving the illusion of a swan’s neck.
Yield 10 swan cream puffs