Cream Puffs
Classic choux pastry shells filled with crème légère: a lightened vanilla pastry cream. The consistency tests built into this recipe take the guesswork out of choux so your shells come out hollow and crisp every time.
Servings: 150 4 cm puffs
Ingredients
For the Pastry Cream
- 2 cups whole milk
- ½ vanilla bean split and seeded
- ½ cup granulated sugar divided
- 1 large egg
- 2 egg yolks
- ¼ cup cornstarch
For the Crème Légère
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Choux Pastry
- 1 cup unsalted butter cubed
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs variable quantity
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Make the pastry cream. Warm the milk in a saucepan. Whisk yolks, sugar, and cornstarch together in a bowl until pale. Temper the hot milk into the yolk mixture, return to the pan, and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Continue cooking at a gentle bubble for 1 to 2 minutes to cook out the starch. Remove from heat, whisk in butter and vanilla, and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface. Refrigerate until fully chilled.
- Make the choux paste (panade). Combine water, milk, butter, sugar, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a full boil. Add the flour all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the dough pulls cleanly from the sides of the pan and a thin film forms on the bottom, about 1 to 2 minutes. The paste should look smooth and matte.
- Add the eggs. Transfer the panade to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes to release steam. Add eggs one at a time, allowing each to fully incorporate before adding the next. Stop adding eggs when the paste holds a trench when a spoon is dragged through it, falls from a spoon in a thick ribbon, and hangs in a V-shaped hook. Do not add eggs beyond this stage.
- Pipe and egg wash. Transfer choux paste to a piping bag fitted with a round tip. Pipe rounds onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Whisk together the egg wash and lightly brush each round, smoothing any peaks with a dampened finger.
- Bake. Bake at 375°F conventional (or 350°F convection) until the shells are deep golden brown all over, including the creases, 30 to 35 minutes. Do not open the oven during the first 25 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack before filling.
- Make the crème légère. Whisk the chilled pastry cream until smooth. Whip the heavy cream to medium-stiff peaks separately, then fold it into the pastry cream in two additions until fully combined and light.
- Fill and serve. Pipe crème légère into the bottom of each shell or slice the tops and fill. Serve immediately for the best texture.
Notes
Storage: Store choux paste in a piping bag in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Store piped, egg-washed unbaked rounds tightly wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month; bake from the refrigerator or allow frozen rounds to soften in the fridge for 1 hour before baking. Unfilled baked shells freeze for up to 1 month; refresh in a 350°F oven until crisp, cool completely, then fill. Filled cream puffs can be refrigerated for up to 3 days, but the texture is best within a few hours of filling.
Doneness cue: The shells must be deep golden brown all over, including all creases. A pale shell will collapse as it cools. If uncertain, bake an additional 3 to 5 minutes.
Egg quantity: The number of eggs will vary based on egg size, humidity, and how long the panade cooked. Trust the consistency tests over the recipe quantity: trench, ribbon, and hook before you stop.
Doneness cue: The shells must be deep golden brown all over, including all creases. A pale shell will collapse as it cools. If uncertain, bake an additional 3 to 5 minutes.
Egg quantity: The number of eggs will vary based on egg size, humidity, and how long the panade cooked. Trust the consistency tests over the recipe quantity: trench, ribbon, and hook before you stop.
Nutrition
Calories: 33kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 25mg | Potassium: 16mg | Fiber: 0.05g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 85IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 0.1mg