**Cream Puffs: A Journey Through Sweetness**
Indulge in the delightful world of cream puffs, where delicate choux pastry shells embrace a velvety filling of whipped cream or pastry cream. These airy and addictive treats are perfect for any occasion, from casual gatherings to special celebrations. Discover the secrets behind creating the perfect cream puffs, with step-by-step instructions and expert tips to guide you. Explore variations such as profiteroles, éclairs, and croquembouche, each offering a unique twist on this classic dessert. Let your culinary creativity soar as you master the art of cream puffs, leaving a trail of sweet memories with every bite.
HOW TO MAKE CREAM PUFFS
Steps:
- For the pastry cream:In a large bowl, whisk 1/4 cup milk, cornstarch, flour, and egg yolks. Set aside.Combine remaining 2 3/4 cups milk, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Split the vanilla bean and scrape out the seeds. Add seeds and vanilla pod to the pan. Heat over medium-high heat until boiling. Remove from heat. Gradually whisk about half of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture. Pour the egg mixture back into the pan. Heat on medium heat, constantly stirring, until the mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 30 seconds then remove from heat. Pour the mixture through a fine sieve placed over a bowl. Once the cream has gone through the sieve, stir in the butter until melted and combined.Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the cream and refrigerate until chilled, several hours. Whisk before using. For the cream puff shells (choux pastry):Preheat oven to 425ºF. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a medium saucepan, heat water, butter, and salt until mixture comes to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Remove pan from heat, add flour all at once, and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon. Once all of the flour is incorporated, place the pan back over medium-high heat. Stir continuously for 2-3 minutes until dough is smooth, shiny, and is pulling away from the edges of the pan. Place dough into a bowl of an electric mixer and let cool for 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl each time. Beat until egg is fully incorporated. After the third egg, the mixture will start to look fluffy when beaten. Before adding the fourth egg, check the batter. Lift a silicone spatula with the batter over the bowl. If the batter hangs off the spatula in a V-shape, there's no need to add the final egg. If not, add the egg and beat until fluffy. Transfer the batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip. Pipe the batter into 12 rounds on the prepared cookie sheet. With a wet finger, tap down any peaks on top. Bake for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 350ºF and bake for 15 minutes more. The batter should have risen and puffed. Turn off the oven, crack the door, and let the puffs rest in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove the puffs from the oven, gently lift off of the sheet, and place on a wire cooling rack. Pierce the side of each with a paring knife to allow steam to release. Let cool completely before filling.For the sweetened whipped cream:Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and continue whipping the cream until stiff peaks form. To assemble the cream puffs:Whisk the cooled pastry cream. Fold in the whipped cream until combined. Place cream in a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Cut the cream puffs in half. Pipe the cream generously on the bottom half. Place the top half on the cream. Dust with powdered sugar. (Alternately, spoon the cream into the cut shell.)Best served soon after filling, cream puffs may be stored in the refrigerator. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.
CREAM PUFFS
An easy and impressive way to make a great dessert. Whip them up and watch them disappear!
Provided by Shellie Wendel
Categories Desserts
Time 55m
Yield 20
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Mix together vanilla instant pudding mix, cream and milk. Cover and refrigerate to set.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
- In a large pot, bring water and butter to a rolling boil. Stir in flour and salt until the mixture forms a ball. Transfer the dough to a large mixing bowl. Using a wooden spoon or stand mixer, beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Centers should be dry.
- When the shells are cool, either split and fill them with the pudding mixture, or use a pastry bag to pipe the pudding into the shells.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 189.7 calories, Carbohydrate 15.2 g, Cholesterol 76.9 mg, Fat 13.3 g, Fiber 0.2 g, Protein 2.9 g, SaturatedFat 8 g, Sodium 230.6 mg, Sugar 8 g
CLASSIC CREAM PUFFS
The foundation of the perfect cream puff is light, airy pâte à choux, which is made with eggs, flour, and butter. Once the cream puffs are shaped and baked, they're filled with a rich homemade pastry cream.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Dessert & Treats Recipes Pie & Tarts Recipes
Yield Makes about 28
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine butter, sugar, salt and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil and quickly stir in the flour with a wooden spoon. Continue to stir until a film forms on the bottom of the pan.
- Remove from heat and transfer contents to a bowl to cool slightly, about 3 minutes. Add 4 eggs, one at a time, stirring vigorously to entirely incorporate egg after each addition.
- For the egg wash, whisk together the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon water. Set aside.
- Transfer the pate a choux to a large pastry bag fitted with a 5/8-inch plain tip. Pipe 1-1/2-inch rounds onto each prepared pan. Gently smooth the pointed peaks with a moistened finger, rounding tops to ensure even rising. Brush tops with reserved egg wash. Bake until puffs rise and are golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Puffs can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 day.
- Transfer pastry cream to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/8-inch plain round tip. Insert the tip into the opening of each pastry, and pipe to fill with pastry cream. Serve immediately.
CREAM PUFFS (PUFFED SHELL OF CHOUX PASTRY)
Tenderly spiced with cardamom puffy shells, Choux pastry or pate a choux is an unusual pastry in that flour is added to a boiled mixture of butter and water (roux like) and then cooked until it forms a smooth ball of dough. After cooling the dough to lukewarm, eggs are slowly added and the dough is beaten until it becomes a smooth thick paste. The the dough can either be piped or dropped into mounds onto a baking sheet and then baked, first at a high temperature and then at a slightly lower temperature. The high temperature is needed so the dough will rise quickly (giving it a hollow center) and to set the structure of the shells. Bakers' Ammonia is a leavening ingredient called for in many old world recipes, especially those from Scandinavia. It is also called "hartshorn". Unlike baking powder or soda, Bakers' Ammonia (ammonium carbonate) leaves no unpleasant alkaline off-flavor in baked goods. You can find it in any major supermarket or a Greek store.
Provided by Rita1652
Categories Drop Cookies
Time 40m
Yield 10-12 shells
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Prepare baking sheets by greasing and flouring or by lining with Parchment.
- Place water and butter in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the flour, cardamom and salt all at once and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan and forms a ball. Blend in the milk well. Remove pan from stove burner and stir in the eggs, one at a time, stirring well until completely blended.
- Mix in the Bakers' Ammonia well.
- Drop on cookie sheets about 3 to 4 inches apart. Bake 20 to 25 minutes.
- Cut one of the shells in half at the end of baking to make sure they have dried out enough. If not dried completely, turn the oven off, punch a small hole in the bottoms of the shells, and place them back upside down in the oven to dry out for about 10 minutes. If the insides of the pastry shells are still very moist you may want to bake the shells longer so the shells won't deflate when you take them out of the oven.
- Allow to cool completely before filling.
- Fill with chocolate, vanilla or any flavor custard you enjoy!
Nutrition Facts : Calories 98.2, Fat 6.2, SaturatedFat 3.4, Cholesterol 75.9, Sodium 113, Carbohydrate 7.4, Fiber 0.3, Sugar 0.1, Protein 3
PATE A CHOUX (CREAM PUFF PASTRY)
Basic dough from which you can make cream puffs, profiteroles, eclairs, cream puff swans or any manner of other desserts.
Provided by P48422
Categories Dessert
Time 20m
Yield 60 small cream puffs or eclairs
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Place a bowl on your mixer and fit the paddle attachment to it.
- Put your eggs next to the mixer.
- Mix the milk, water, butter, sugar and salt in a 2-quart saucepan.
- Bring to a full boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
- Stirring constantly, add the flour all at once, and stir quickly and without stopping until the flour is thoroughly incorporated.
- Then continue to cook and stir for another 45 seconds, or until the dough comes into a ball and a light film of paste coats the bottom of the pan.
- Immediately scrape the dough into the bowl of your mixer, and turn the mixer on low speed.
- Let it mix for a minute or two - the first few turns of the paddle will put up a cloud of steam.
- That's fine.
- Just let it mix until no more steam is coming off the dough.
- Then add the first egg, letting it mix in fully before adding the next one.
- Keep the mixer on low speed - you don't want to incorporate too much air into the paste.
- Scrape down the bowl every 2nd egg just to make sure everything is mixing together.
- Before adding the 6th egg, stop the mixer and check the consistency of the dough.
- You will know it is perfect if, when you lift the paddle, it pulls the dough with it, then the dough breaks away and forms a peak that slowly bends down.
- If the dough is too thick and doesn't form that peak, add the last egg.
- The dough is now ready to be used to make éclairs, cream puffs, profiteroles, or any other recipe calling for choux paste.
- It should be used immediately.
- NOTES FOR MAKING CHOUX PASTE SUCCESSFULLY: The liquid must be heated to a full boil.
- Add the flour all at once and stir madly until every last speck of flour is incorporated, then keep cooking and stirring some more - it's this last bit of cooking that will take the raw taste out of the flour; you'll know you are ready to quit when the dough forms a ball around your wooden spoon and the bottom of the pan is covered with a light film of paste.
- Stop mixing when you still have one egg left to add and inspect the dough.
- Depending on the condition of the flour, the room, or the moods of the pastry gods, the dough may or may not need the last egg.
- The dough is finished when you lift the paddle and it pulls up some dough that then detaches and forms a slowly bending peak - if you don't get a peak, add another egg.
- And relax.
- Even if you can't decide what to do, add the egg - you will still get a good puff.
- Use the paste while it is warm.
- It cannot be kept.
- Unfilled puffs or éclairs can be well wrapped and frozen for a few weeks.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 31.3, Fat 1.8, SaturatedFat 1, Cholesterol 19.3, Sodium 45.9, Carbohydrate 2.7, Fiber 0.1, Sugar 0.3, Protein 0.9
Tips:
- Use high-quality ingredients: Fresh eggs, real butter, and good-quality flour will make a big difference in the final product.
- Follow the recipe carefully: Choux pastry is a delicate dough, so it's important to follow the recipe exactly.
- Don't overmix the dough: Overmixing will make the dough tough.
- Let the dough rest before baking: This will help the dough to relax and rise properly.
- Bake the cream puffs in a preheated oven: This will help them to rise evenly.
- Don't open the oven door while the cream puffs are baking: This will cause them to collapse.
- Let the cream puffs cool completely before filling them: This will help to prevent the filling from making the shells soggy.
Conclusion:
Cream puffs are a delicious and versatile dessert that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. With a little care and attention, you can make perfect cream puffs at home. So next time you're looking for a special treat, give this recipe a try. You won't be disappointed!
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