I’m guessing that the reason pâte à choux dough was invented in the 16th century was so that Catherine de Medici could serve cream puffs to her royal court in France. I might be wrong about cream puffs being the first pastry made from the dough, but I’m convinced that it’s the first pastry anyone new to pâte à choux should make. They’re pretty much foolproof, especially if, like me, you shape the puffs with a cookie scoop. Of course, if you love using a pastry bag, you should pipe away.