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Turn French pastry puffs into savory appetizers or sweet desserts

Tap into your inner French pastry chef.
/ Source: TODAY

TODAY's lead food stylist, Ashley Holt, is sharing her go-to pate a choux recipe to make delicious desserts and mouth-watering appetizers. She shows us how to make the classic French pastry dough and uses it to create sweet cream puffs and cheesy gougères.

Pate a Choux

Pate a choux is one of my favorite pastries to make. It's easy, very rewarding and super versatile. You can make a big batch and use half for appetizers by including a savory element and the other half can be used for dessert by filling them with custard and dipping in chocolate. These shells also freeze really well, so you'll always have a quick treat to offer when unexpected guests drop by!

Fancy Gougères

I love how easy it is to enhance a traditional pate a choux recipe by simply adding grated cheese and pepper to the dough. It's the perfect vehicle for an easy, elegant appetizer.

Creamiest Cream Puffs

Cream puffs are so nostalgic to me and just scream holidays! I love that they're so versatile and poppable. If you want an interactive element to your party, create a cream puff bar! Provide filled cream puffs (or let guests fill their own!), a variety of melted chocolates and topping and let your friends go crazy with their own cream puff creations.

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