Cream Puffs
These classic cream puffs combine light and airy puffs filled with the creamiest and most delicious pastry cream! Finished with a dusting of powdered sugar, these cream puffs are a true delight!
Servings: 24
Ingredients
For the choux pastry
- 1 stick (115g) unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (7g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup (120ml) whole milk
- 1/2 cup (120ml) water
- 1 cup (135g) all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs beaten
For the pastry cream
- 5 large egg yolks
- 1 1/4 cups (320ml) whole milk warmed
- 1 1/4 cups (320ml) heavy cream warmed
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons (9g) vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup (35g) cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Toppings
- powdered sugar
Instructions
For the choux pastry
- Preheat oven to 425°F and set the rack on the middle level. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silpats.
- Place the butter, sugar, water, and milk in a large saucepan. Turn the heat to medium and let the mixture come up to a boil.
- Once boiling, add the flour and using a spatula stir well until all of the flour is incorporated and the mixture comes together into a ball (about 2 minutes).
- Remove the pan from the heat and move the dough around with the spatula to cool it down. Wait at least 5 minutes before adding the eggs.
- Add one lightly beaten egg and mix well until it is fully incorporated. Repeat the process for the remaining eggs, one at a time.
- Place the dough into a piping bag with a circular tip. On the prepared baking sheets, pipe 1-inch tall by 2-inch wide mounds at least 2 inches apart. Any pointy tops should be flattened with a wet finger.
- Bake for 10 minutes at 425°F then lower the temp to 325°F and bake for another 17-20 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and after 10 minutes transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
For the pastry cream
- Prepare a large bowl filled with ice water.
- In a medium saucepan over low heat, warm up the milk, cream, and vanilla.
- To a separate saucepot (not on the stove) add the egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch and whisk until combined. Place the pot onto an unheated burner and begin whisking in the warm milk and cream mixture.
- Next, turn the heat to medium and continue to whisk. Slowly increase the heat, while continuing to whisk. Let the mixture come to a boil and thicken. Once it thoroughly coats the back of a wooden spoon turn off heat and mix in 1 tablespoon of butter.
- Pour the pastry cream into a medium bowl and tightly cover with plastic wrap. Place the bowl into the larger bowl of ice water. Once the cream is cold remove the bowl from the ice water and move on to filling the pastries.
Piping and finishing the pastries
- Slice the pastry in half for easy filling or make a hole. Note: slicing will allow more filling.
- Place the cooled pastry cream into a piping bag with a star tip. Fill the bottom of the pastry with cream then close it up like a sandwich.
- Sprinkle with powdered. Enjoy!
Notes
- Yield. This recipe yields 24-28 cream puffs that are roughly 2 inches in diameter.
- Slice or poke. Slicing the cream puff shells will allow more cream than poking a whole and filling. Poked-hole cream puffs are easier to eat and less messy than the sliced version.
- Consistency. The pastry cream should be fairly thick so that it doesn't fall out of the tip of the pastry bag. However, if the cream is too thick, thin with a teaspoon of milk at a time and whisk until the desired consistency is achieved.
- Easier version. For a simpler version, whipped cream can be used instead of the pastry cream.
- Leftovers. Cream puffs can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days or they can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cream puff | Calories: 129kcal | Carbohydrates: 8.3g | Protein: 5.9g | Fat: 8.1g | Saturated Fat: 3.1g | Cholesterol: 322mg | Sodium: 51mg | Potassium: 54mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 3.5g | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 2mg
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