French Recipes/ Pastry

Choux Fritters with Orange Cream Filling (Les pets de nonnes)

Nun’s Farts?

I think I’ve gotten pretty good at making choux pastry- the kind of puffy dough used in French profiteroles and éclairs. I have always preferred baking my Pâte à choux, enjoying watching the airy balls gradually puff up in the oven.

However, all that changed when I saw a demonstration at the Paris Cordon Bleu school, where the chef fried the choux pastry instead of baking it, making airy puff balls filled with orange cream and dusted with powdered sugar. As we culinary students gathered around the chef’s table to have a taste of these ‘fritters’, we were amazed at how delicious this dessert was!

However, as I recently resurrected this recipe from my LCB notes, I noticed something interesting- the recipe was titled Les Pets de nonnes- which means Nun’s Farts in English! How strange, I thought. I don’t remember the chef saying anything about ‘nun’s farts’ when he demonstrated this recipe. In fact, the English translation on the recipe sheet called this dessert ‘Choux fritters’ and made no reference to any rude bodily functions! Maybe they were embarrassed about the meaning of the title?

This dessert is particularly popular in France’s Loire Valley and presumably originated in the Marmoutier Abbey in Touraine. Here,  legend has it that a group of nuns was busy preparing a meal for the impending visit of a local Archbishop. One nun was so excited that she farted and accidentally dropped a dollop of choux pastry into some hot oil!

Farting or not, you’ll definitely want to try this recipe! Traditionally, these fritters are made in the shape of small round balls, however I have decided to make them look a little more elegant, shaping them like a doughnut with a hole in the middle. So, if you prefer to save time and effort, you can revert to the simple ‘ball method.’

Although the dough is fried, you can get away with using between 2-3 inches of oil in a deep fry pan or wok- you won’t need a deep fryer!

The Method (see printable recipe below):

First, you make the choux pastry: heat the water and butter in a pan, then add the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt and baking powder) all in one go into the pan. Stir until the dough falls away from the sides of the pan. Gradually stir in three eggs (one at a time) until the mixture is smooth and elastic- add a bit more egg if too dry. Place in fridge while making the orange cream. (See my post on Profiteroles for more information on making choux pastry).

After adding the eggs, the dough should be smooth and elastic- not runny.

Next, make the Orange Cream Filling: whisk together the eggs and sugar in a saucepan, add the orange juice, zest and cornstarch (or white corn flour), stir until thickened. Whisk in the butter to finish; strain through a fine strainer (note: this sauce is so good you’ll have to restrain yourself from wolfing it down before filling your fritters)!

 

Cut out several 4-inch squares of baking paper. Brush one side of the square with oil, then pipe a double-layered circle of dough on top- around 2.5 inches wide.

Heat 2-3 inches of oil in a deep fry pan or wok. Drop several pieces of parchment paper (holding the dough) into the oil. The paper will automatically fall away from the dough- remove it using tongs. Cook one side of the dough until golden (about one minute or less), then flip over and cook the second side. Let drain on kitchen paper.

Alternatively, you could just drop a small round ball of dough into the oil for a simpler version.

Slice each fritter in half, then fill with the Orange Cream, dust with powdered sugar and top with a cherry. Close your eyes and enjoy!

 

Choux Fritters with Orange Cream Filling

Print Recipe
Serves: 10 Cooking Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

  • Choux Pastry:
  • 250 ml (1 cup) water
  • 90 g (6 Tbsp.) butter, cubed
  • 150 g (1 cup) plain flour
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • pinch salt
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 3-4 eggs
  • Orange Sauce:
  • 250 ml (1 cup) fresh orange juice
  • 90 g (5 Tbsp.) sugar
  • Zest from one orange
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 3 Tbsp cornstarch or white corn flour for thickener
  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • Cooking and Finish:
  • Vegetable or Canola Oil for frying
  • Powdered Sugar
  • Fresh or glacé cherries

Instructions

1

To make the choux pastry, combine water and butter in a saucepan and bring just to the boil. Remove pan from the heat. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder. In one go, add these dry ingredients to the water/butter mixture. Over medium heat, stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a dough and falls away from the sides of the pan. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.

2

Beginning with three eggs, beat in one egg at a time, stirring in each egg until the dough is smooth and the egg is fully incorporated into the mixture. After the third egg, the dough should be elastic and fall easily away from your spoon or spatula. If the dough is still a bit stiff, then add another 1/2 egg or another full egg until the dough reaches the right consistency; the dough should not be ‘runny’ like pancake batter, but smooth and elastic. Place the dough in the fridge to chill while preparing the orange sauce.

3

To make the orange sauce, whisk together the two egg yolks, two eggs and sugar together in a medium saucepan until light yellow in color. Add the orange juice, orange zest and cornstarch (or white cornflour) and stir over medium heat until the sauce thickens. Mix in the butter; let cool and place in the fridge until ready to use.

4

Cut out several 4-inch squares of parchment paper and place on your work bench. Brush one side of each square lightly with vegetable oil. Pipe a circle of dough on each paper, measuring about 2.5 inches across- using a piping bag with a large round- tipped (or star-shaped) nozzle. Pipe a second layer of dough on top of the circle. This will make your fritters nice and plump!

5

(To pipe your balls, you could also fill a large Ziploc bag with the dough and pipe the balls from a small hole cut from the corner of the bag).

6

Heat 2-3 inches of vegetable oil in a deep frying pan or wok until the oil reaches about 360 F (180 C). Dip several squares of parchment paper (holding the dough) into the hot oil. The paper will separate from the fritters in the hot oil- remove the paper using tongs. To cook the fritters, lift the handle of the fry pan slightly to gently swirl the oil around the fritters.

7

Fry until golden brown, then flip the fritters over to cook the other side. Be careful not to burn the fritters- you will only need to fry each side for probably less than one minute. Remove the fritters using a slotted spoon and let drain on kitchen paper.

8

To finish, cut each pastry in half and pipe the orange cream on the bottom half. Cover with the top half and pipe another swirl of cream in the middle of the 'doughnut hole.' Dust with powdered sugar and top either with a fresh or glace' cherry.

Notes

You also could bake the pastry instead of frying it. You would first pipe the circles of dough onto a tray lined with parchment paper, then bake at 375 F. for approximately 25 minutes until the pastries puff up. Let cool and the fill with the orange cream.

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11 Comments

  • Reply
    John / Kitchen Riffs
    April 12, 2019 at 1:18 pm

    Whenever I think choux pastry, the first thing I think of is cream puffs. Love the idea of deep frying it to make fritters — and I’m happy to call it whatever you tell me to. 🙂 Maybe we should call these nun puffs? 🙂 Anyway, neat recipe — thanks.

  • Reply
    Fran Flint
    April 12, 2019 at 1:41 pm

    John, thanks for your comment. Yes, I believe there is an alternative name of ‘Nun’s Puffs’ for this dessert, but I prefer the ‘naughty’ version!

  • Reply
    David
    April 14, 2019 at 1:21 am

    Love this, Fran! I never had heard of frying them before – what a nice texture that would give! And love the oranges cream! This us saved for a day when I can gird my loins and get out the fryer!

    • Reply
      Fran Flint
      April 14, 2019 at 2:39 pm

      I like your term ‘gird my loins.’ We foodies definitely have to put up with a lot of stress to get things just right!

  • Reply
    Jean | Delightful Repast
    April 14, 2019 at 7:53 am

    Fran, I’ve heard of these before, but without your amusing story! They sound wonderful. I don’t like deep frying (with the grease flying everywhere), but sometimes I cook at other people’s houses … bwah ha ha ha

  • Reply
    Fran Flint
    April 14, 2019 at 2:40 pm

    Jean, thanks for your comment. You could also bake the pastry instead of frying- would be a little less messy!

  • Reply
    Juliana
    April 16, 2019 at 5:50 am

    Wow, I have never thought in frying choux pastry, but now seeing your post, I can see why it will work and the taste must be awesome…like all the fry stuff…indeed it gives the baked choux pastry another level…and it looks perfect with the citrus filling…thanks for the post Fran…always learning with you. Have a fabulous week!

    • Reply
      Fran Flint
      April 18, 2019 at 7:11 am

      Juliana, thanks so much for your comment. I usually steer away from frying things due to the mess, but I didn’t need to use too much oil for this!

  • Reply
    Karen (Back Road Journal)
    April 17, 2019 at 5:06 am

    Your Choux fritters stuffed with that delicious pastry cream have to be wonderful.

  • Reply
    lisaiscooking
    April 23, 2019 at 1:09 am

    These look delightful! I’ve never fried choux pastry, but I’d love to try it. And, the filling sounds delicious.

  • Reply
    Lynn @ Oh-So Yummy
    April 25, 2019 at 10:46 am

    haha nun’s farts! kinda makes it sound extra interesting. orange cream filling sounds delish! you have this way of making me want pastries when i rarely crave them… 😀

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