Yeah, I called you a Cream Puff
I woke up this morning with an itch to bake something other than cake. I’m pretty sure I’m sweating cupcakes. (Great image right!) The game plan was to do something that involved egg whites and another that used yolks. So it was cream puffs and macarons… until the significant other challenged me to a bake off with croissants (I’ll let you know how that goes soon). I’ll wait for another day to pull my hair out trying macaron for the first time. So cream puff it is!
So to make cream puffs you need to make Choux (SHOO) pastry, which apparently is called that because it looks like cabbage (weird). When it’s baked they will puff up and hollow out. Anyway if you have ever read a recipe to make Choux it seems like a daunting task because it’s made on the stove, But don’t worry it is honestly really simple!
2 Tablespoons corn starch
1 ½ Teaspoon all-purpose flour
½ Cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks
In smallish mixing bowl whisk together the flour, cornstarch, yolks, and ¼ cup milk.
In medium saucepan stir together 1 ¼ cup milk, sugar, and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.
When the milk boils take it off the heat and slowly pour some of the liquid into the egg mixture whisking quickly. Then pour the egg mixture back in to the sauce pan and return it to the heat. Stirring constantly bring to a boil for 30 seconds, remove from the heat.
Strain through a fine sieve into another container. Stir in the butter and vanilla. Rub a piece of butter on the surface of the cream and cover with plastic wrap pressing it directly on the cream. Refrigerate till cool.
When cool fold in the cream into the whipped cream.
8 Tablespoons butter (1 stick, 4oz)
1 ¼ Cups all-purpose flour
In a medium saucepan add the water, butter, and salt. Bring to a rolling boil.
Remove from heat and add all the flour at once. Stir like you mean it! Put the pan back on the burner and continue to stir constantly until a ball forms, it should just take a minute (literally).
Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool for 5-10 min, it should still feel hot but be able to hold a finger in the paste for a few seconds.
Here is where you have a choice to make, you can either mix the next bit by hand or toss it in a mixer.
Once you choose your method, beat in your eggs one at a time. It will become fluffy and soft. Beat for at least 2 minutes (if you’re doing it by hand, enjoy your workout).
Fill a piping bag, either use a 1/2 inch round tip or trim the end of your bag to have the same size opening. Pipe rounds, I did a little bigger than an inch. This is also where you could make eclairs by piping lines.
Bake for 15 min, then REDUCE the heat to 375°F and bake for another 15min, turn the oven OFF crack the door and let cool in the oven for 30min. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
To fill your cream puffs you can either cut the top off, fill, and replace the top, OR poke a hole in the bottom (I used the pointy end of a paint brush ) and pipe the pastry cream in using a small round tip. Careful to not over fill them.
Dust with powdered sugar. Shove five in your mouth.
Apparently my husband had never had fresh cream puffs before today, didn’t realize the cream comes out if you bite too forcefully. He looked like a three year old with cream all over his shirt. I haven’t laughed that hard in a while.
