Whenever I think of retro, classic-but-not-trendy desserts, the first two desserts that come to mind are an ice cream sundae, and pate choux swans. I just remember seeing them on every cruise ship dessert menu. Two little cream puff swans with a chocolate sauce underneath to visually represent a lake. Even though I try not to roll my eyes at super vintage desserts like that, I cannot help but think back to when I was younger, and less-jaded by what I now know as fining dining pastry. Back then, seeing those little swans with a chocolate sauce was such a magical feeling. I would be so impressed seeing such a pretty little dessert. Even though now, it’s such a simple recipe. Pate choux uses minimal ingredients. Even the filling, if you go the chantilly route, uses 5 ingredients tops. And a chocolate sauce is not the hardest thing in the world to make. That being said, the combination still holds up to this day, even if the presentation of it feels really dated – a quick Google search told me that this sort of recipe was all the rage in the 70’s. People born in the 70’s would be in their 50’s by now. And on top of that, people who lived in the 70’s who could remember when choux swans were nouvelle are even older than that. But that being said, i would rather not let a tradition die off completely. Yes, vintage desserts like jello salads might be better off in history books, but these pate choux swans do dessert some love, even if they are something a freshman year culinary student would learn how to make the first time they are taught pate choux.

To say the least, this recipe is probably a 2 or 3 out of 10 on my difficulty scale. The choux batter is not terribly hard to make, but the challenging part is just making sure it has ample time to bake, otherwise it will deflate and you will have pate choux roadkill instead of swans. The chantilly cream is heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla whipped together. This can over-whip, so I prefer doing it by hand, but you can use a stand mixer so long as you keep an eye on it. If you overdo the cream, it will separate and you will have whey and sweetened butter. Great for biscuits, but not great as a cream puff filling. Trust me, I tried to use Italian meringue buttercream as a filling for a cream puff before, and it was unappetizingly heavy. Butter on butter overload. Keep the cream cold at all times, before it will hold its shape and volume better that way! The chocolate sauce, so long as you melt the chocolate, milk, and cream on low heat, then you’ll be fine. It really is not rocket science, fortunately. Stir it on occasion while the chocolate is melting, just so that the sauce has an even, smooth consistency, and you’ll be good to go there. Ideally, the chocolate ganache sauce will be a pourable consistently, but not so warm that it will melt the cream in the puffs upon contact. Overall, this dessert takes me back to my early childhood, where seeing the choux swans felt magical.

Makes 6 to 8 choux puffs or 3-4 servings:
For the pate choux:
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp unsalted butter
a pinch of salt
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg

In a pot, bring water, butter, and salt to a boil. Once the butter is fully melted, add to that the flour and stir until a shiny dough ball forms. Place the dough ball into a large bowl and allow it to cool slightly before stirring in an egg to form your pate choux batter. Transfer the batter into a piping bag. On a parchment or silpat-lined sheet tray, pipe the choux into 2-inch rounds, keeping them at least 2 inches apart. Additionally, on the same sheet tray, pipe the torsos of each swan, doing a small teardrop shape for the heads, then an “S” connected against the rounded side to form the necks. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes first, then another 10 minutes at 350 degrees F. Allow the choux to fully cool before cutting them in half.

For the chantilly:
8oz heavy cream
1 tbsp confectioner’s sugar
a pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a bowl, whisk everything together until the cream starts to form soft peaks. Transfer the cream into a piping bag.

For the chocolate ganache:
1/4 cup dark chocolate
1/3 cup whole milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
a pinch of salt

On a low heat, stir everything together in a pot or pan until melted together. Allow the sauce to cool slightly before using.

To plate:
Start with a round dot of the ganache sauce on the bottom. For the choux swans, start by piping cream onto the bottom halves of two choux buns. Cut the top halves in half and place them on top of the cream to form your wings. Then place the swan heads on to finish. Place two swans onto each plate, as it will be two choux per serving.