Daring Bakers Challenge: Filled Pate a Choux Swans

This month's Daring Bakers challenge was really tasty and fun. We were challenged to make filled pate a choux swans (please don't ask me to pronounce it ... French is definitely not one of my go-to languages!). I was initially intimidated by the thought of shaping the swan necks/heads, but was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was.

During my first attempt at making the dough for the swans, something went wrong and I wound up making a runny paste instead of a nice dough. I scrapped the gunk and tried again; this time, using Martha Stewart's recipe. I definitely had more luck with that one! I think the extra 1/4 cup of flour made all the difference.

I was a bit shocked by how easily everything came together and was thrilled with how the final products tasted. In the interest of time, I only made a few swans; the rest were more standard cream puffs.... sooo good! I even wound up bartering a dozen of them with a gal I know who offered us some of her plum harvest.Talk about a win-win!!

Swan heads, swan bodies, and general creme puff balls

A completed swan. Who knew I'd be such a fan of eating swan?!!?

Two swans "swimming" in my grandmother's china saucer

Kat of The Bobwhites was our August 2012 Daring Baker hostess who inspired us to have fun in creating pate a choux shapes, filled with crème patisserie or Chantilly cream. We were encouraged to create swans or any shape we wanted and to go crazy with filling flavors allowing our creativity to go wild!