DessertEleonora ValentiApril 22, 2018glutenfree, gluten free, matcha, recipe, bignè, choux, beignet, baking, homemade, cream, dessert, sweet, pastryComment

Matcha Bignè (Cream Puffs)

DessertEleonora ValentiApril 22, 2018glutenfree, gluten free, matcha, recipe, bignè, choux, beignet, baking, homemade, cream, dessert, sweet, pastryComment

Do you ever feel like something is too complicated to try? With a few things I feel like "I'm not a chef, or a pastry expert! How can I make it gluten-free?".

It was totally the case with bignè, the Italian version of choux pastry. I didn't know where to start, but I missed gluten-free pastry so much that I checked a couple of recipes and gave it a try. I was so satisfied in the end!

That's why I'm sharing this recipe. If you also feel like it's too complicated, you'd be so proud of the final result...and of your cooking skills!

Ingredients (12 bignè)

2 eggs
100 gr water
60 gr gluten-free flour
40 gr butter
6 gr salt

For the cream:

150 gr cream
1 tsp matcha
1 tbsp sugar

Place the water, salt and butter in a pot and warm up over medium heat. As soon as it starts boiling turn to low heat and add the gluten-free flour. Stir with a whisk or spatula until the dough is all combined and it separates from the sides of the pot.
Transfer the dough into a bowl, add the eggs and mix well. When it's ready, place all the dough in a pastry bag.
Cover a large baking tray with baking paper and use the pastry bag to create little balls of dough. Make sure you leave at least a couple of centimeters between each ball.
Bake in pre-heated oven at 200 °C for 30 minutes. After that, let the bignè cool down for 30 min at least. In the meantime, prepare the cream. Place the cream, sugar and matcha powder in a bowl, and whip with an electric mixer until fluffy.
To create the final bignè: cut off the top of the pastry and set aside, fill in with the cream (better using a piping bag), put the pastry piece on top, and dust with powdered sugar.

TIPS: If you are not planning to eat all the bignè right away, don't add the cream just yet. You can preserve the plain choux for at least 5 days in an air-tight container. If you add the cream, I'd suggest to consume within 24 hours. Do you prefer other fillings? Feel free to customize your sweets!