I just got back from a 4 mile run. Why? I told myself I was only allowed to eat one cream puff if I made them, and ended up eating SIX. Ughhh the lack of self control is horrible. I must say, it was worth it!! This was my first attempt at baking choux à la crème, aka cream puffs in America. They remind me of the time I spent in Paris a few years ago (that’s me with the Eiffel Tower & at the cutest French café below). I miss the bakeries and all of the amazing treats you can get there. These cream puffs seem difficult to make, but if you follow the directions EXACTLY as written, I promise they will come out beautiful and delicious. I did not have heavy cream for the créme pâtissiére (pastry filling), so I did some research and saw that some recipes used milk. If any of you out there know the TRUE French way of making pastry cream, let me know!! I have seen so many variations. I went with using the milk I had in the fridge (2%) and it came out really, really good. I wouldn’t make it with heavy cream because it is much more fattening, and I am perfectly happy with how the filling came out this time.
- 1¼ cups milk
- 3 egg yolks
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1½ tbsp flour
- 2 tbsp corn starch
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup milk
- ½ tsp sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 4 tbsp butter
- ½ cup flour
- 2 eggs
- Powdered sugar for garnish
- Heat milk in a saucepan over medium heat.
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour and corn starch.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together egg yolk and sugar until blended (save egg whites for brushing later).
- Add flour mixture to egg mixture and whisk until smooth and well blended.
- Just before the milk starts to boil, add ⅓ of it to the egg mixture and stir quickly with a whisk until blended. Add back into saucepan with remainder of the milk and whisk together over medium high heat constantly until thickens.
- Lower heat to medium and continue stirring, but more slowly. Remove from heat once lighter and easier to stir.
- Add butter and vanilla, and stir with whisk.
- Transfer to a bowl and let cool a few minutes before covering.
- Cover with plastic wrap, pressing on the top layer to avoid clumping, and place in refrigerator.
- Mix together water, milk, sugar, butter, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Once it begins to boil, remove from heat and add flour, stirring rapidly with a wooden spoon.
- Put back over medium heat and stir. Dough should be well-blended, but firm and pulling away from pan easily.
- Remove from heat and continue stirring to cool.
- Add eggs, one at a time, and stir until the flour mixture soaks them up. This may take a few minutes of stirring. The dough will become very smooth.
- Put dough into a cake decorating bag or ziplock bag, and cut off the top corner (about ½ inch hole).
- Preheat oven to 410 degrees F.
- Squeeze dough out onto parchment paper, keeping hand steady over one spot, until you make a 2 inch thick mound. Twist and pull up to release the dough.
- Brush with egg white gently, and use brush to flatten tips down.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then lower heat to 350 degrees F and bake another 10 minutes. Do not open the oven or they may not bake properly. Check to see if tops are browning too quickly during the first 10 minutes through the window if you have one.
- Let cool, then cut a small hole in the bottom with a paring knife (or cut off the top ⅓, whichever way you prefer to fill them).
- Put filling into a clean decorating bag.
- “Inject” filling through bottoms of the puffs and hold them with two fingers on your other hand to feel them become full.
- Dust with powdered sugar.
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Gorgeous! I love your process photos and description of a tricky dish. You rock!
Why thank you! It SEEMS more complicated than it is
Absolutely gorgeous photos! You definitely deserve one of those after a long run!
Love these! I think this will be my weekend experiment.Thanks for sharing!
Hope you like the recipe
Let me know how they turn out for ya!!
You got me so excited! I’m going to be in Paris for 3 days this summer and I can’t wait! Your Choux a la Creme look amazing! What a wonderful pastry!!!
Ahhh I am so jealous, I wish I could go back and spend more time there
You will have so much fun, and hopefully lots of amazing foooood!
These look simply divine. Such a great idea for Easter brunch. Hope you have an amazing holiday weekend.
xo E + J
Happy Easter to you as well! Thank you for the sweet comment
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I followed your recipe and made these yesterday. I couldn’t believe how easy it was, and they were incredible! I am very excited to try more of the recipes…. Everything looks delicious!