INGREDIENTS:
For the Cream Puffs:
- 60 g butter softened
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2/3 cup all- purpose flour
- 2 large whole eggs
For the Pastry Cream Filling:
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup mixture of 2 tbsp corn starch + enough all- purpose flour
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup cream, at room temperature
- 4 egg yolks, beaten
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup cream, chilled
For the Topping:
- 1/3 cup caramelized sugar
HOW TO COOK:
For the Cream Puffs:
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Preheat the oven to 400 F or 200 C.
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Pour half a cup of water into a pan. Add the butter, sugar, and salt. Heat until the butter melts.
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Take the pan off the heat, dump the flour all at once and mix with a wooden spoon to combine.
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Put the pan on the stove and, over medium heat, cook the dough with constant stirring until it pulls away from the sides of the pan.
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Transfer to a mixing bowl and beat for about a minute to cool the mixture.
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Add the eggs, one at a time, while mixing after each addition. You should have a soft and sticky dough.
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To make round shells, drop by teaspoonfuls, at least two inches apart, on a baking tray lined with non-stick paper.
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Bake the cream puff shells at for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on their size.
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The shells are ready when the surface is dry to the touch and sounds hollow when tapped with a finger.
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Cool the shells on a rack before filling.
For the Pastry Cream Filling:
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While the pastry shells are in the oven, make the custard. In a pan, mix together the sugar, starch-flour mixture, salt, milk and one cup cream. Stir until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Off the heat, stir in the vanilla extract.
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Pour half of the flour mixture into the beaten egg yolks, mixing to incorporate.
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Pour the egg yolk mixture into the pan, stir well, and continue cooking for about 10 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom constantly, until the mixture is thick and coats the back of a spoon.
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Transfer the custard to a bowl and lay a sheet of cling film directly on the surface to prevent skin from forming. Cool to room temperature then chill in the fridge until needed.
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Using a wire whisk or an electric mixer, whip the half cup of chilled cream until soft peaks form.
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Make the pastry cream filling. Take the chilled custard out of the fridge and fold in the whipped cream. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a small round tip.
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Using a small pointed knife, poke a hole on the side of each cooled pastry shell. Pipe the pastry cream filling into the pastry shell by inserting the round tip into the hole and pressing the piping bag. Do not overfill the pastry shells. You’ll know you’ve overfilled them if the filling oozes out of the hole.
For the Topping:
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Arrange the filling pastry shells on a silicone mat or a rack. Spoon the caramelized sugar over them and leave to set.
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Serve the cream puffs immediately or chill in the fridge in a covered container before serving.
IMAGE: maichou.com
Also try: Cheese Puffs
