Pâte à choux is an amazingly simple, quick, and versatile pastry dough; used for both sweet and savory dishes. Pâte à choux (pronounced �pat ah shoe�) is made on top of the stove. Start by boiling water and butter, then add flour, salt, and sugar and stir to form an elastic ball. Eggs are beaten in last, off the heat, until the mixture is smooth and glossy. The finished dough can be spooned to form rustic balls; however it is more commonly piped to create uniform shapes. While baking, steam forms from the liquid ingredients to expand the dough into an airy shell. Many traditional recipes use only whole eggs, however using additional egg whites provides a crisper and lighter crust. Classic sweet desserts such as éclairs, croquembouche, Gateau Saint-Honore, Paris-Brest, and profiteroles are made with pâte à choux. Gougeres are savory appetizers created by adding grated cheese to pâte à choux dough. It�s also fun to bake the dough in cream puff shapes to cut open and fill with a sweet or savory filling of your choice.