Soft Boil Stories

Tag: vanilla cream puffs

  • Cream Puffs: Pâte à Choux. Pastry Cream. Pure Magic.

    Cream Puffs: Pâte à Choux. Pastry Cream. Pure Magic.

    Cream puffs look like they came from a French bakery. They came from your kitchen.

    Light, airy choux pastry. Silky vanilla pastry cream. Dusted with powdered sugar. 1 hour. Easier than they look. Fancier than they should be.

    Ingredients

    Makes 12-15 cream puffs.

    For the Choux Pastry:

    • ½ cup water
    • ½ cup milk
    • ½ cup unsalted butter
    • 1 tbsp granulated sugar
    • ¼ tsp salt
    • 1 cup all-purpose flour
    • 4 large eggs

    For the Pastry Cream:

    • 2 cups whole milk
    • ½ cup granulated sugar
    • 4 large egg yolks
    • ¼ cup cornstarch
    • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract

    For Topping:

    • Powdered sugar for dusting

    Step-by-Step Instructions

    Step 1: Make the Pastry Cream

    1. Heat milk in saucepan until steaming. In a bowl, whisk sugar, egg yolks, and cornstarch.
    2. Slowly whisk hot milk into egg mixture. Return to pot. Cook until thick.
    3. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla. Cover with plastic wrap (touch surface). Chill.

    Step 2: Make the Choux Pastry

    1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line baking sheet with parchment.
    2. In a saucepan, combine water, milk, butter, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil.
    3. Add flour all at once. Stir vigorously until dough forms a ball (about 2 minutes).
    4. Remove from heat. Cool 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each.

    Step 3: Pipe and Bake

    1. Transfer dough to a piping bag. Pipe 1.5-inch mounds onto baking sheet.
    2. Bake 20-25 minutes until puffed and golden. Do not open oven! Cool completely.

    Step 4: Fill the Cream Puffs

    1. Cut each puff in half. Pipe or spoon pastry cream into bottom half.
    2. Replace tops. Dust with powdered sugar.

    Step 5: Serve

    1. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 4 hours before serving.

    Summary

    Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 20-25 minutes | Total Time: ~1 hour

    Yield: 12-15 cream puffs

    Difficulty: Medium (worth it)

    Storage Notes

    Best Fresh:

    Fill just before serving. Unfilled puffs keep 2 days in airtight container.

    Freezer Friendly:

    Freeze unfilled puffs for 2 months. Reheat at 350°F for 5 minutes before filling.

    Pro Tip:

    Do NOT open the oven while baking. Cold air = deflated puffs.