If you go to famous gourmet restaurants, one of the pastries they’d offer would probably be cream puffs. Crispy on the outside and filled with creamy goodness, cream puffs have become one of the most delectable pastries today. The good news is, you can make these in the comfort of your home. You don’t need to be an expert patissier to create perfect cream puffs. Here’s a simple and easy recipe you can try.
Making The Pastry
Ingredients:
cream puffs
One cup of flour, sifted
One cup of boiling water
1/2 cup of butter
1/4 teaspoon of salt
Four eggs
Materials:
Small saucepan
Stove
Cookie sheets
Knife
Scoop
Oven
Spatula
Eggbeater or whisk
Procedure:
Prepare your small saucepan. Put it over high heat, and place the water and butter in it. Stir continuously, until the butter melts and the liquid boils rapidly.
cream puffs
Add the flour and salt at once, then lift up the saucepan a few inches above the heat. Use mitts when doing this, so you won’t burn yourself. Stir the mixture with a spatula briskly. You’ll see the mixture beginning to come off the from the side and form a ball in the center of the saucepan.
Keep cooking and stirring for 30 more seconds, then remove from heat.
Get an egg and break it, mixing it in the paste. Use an eggbeater or whisk until it becomes smooth and fluffy. Repeat this procedure for the other eggs.
Get the cookie sheets and drop the mixture on them, depending on what size you like. Put three-inch space in between the balls. Afterwards, put it in the oven and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the dough becomes puffy and golden.
Take out the puffs and let cool. Using a knife, cut off the tops, then scoop out the dough inside, to provide more room for the filling. Fill, then replace the lid.
Serve with syrup, powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg or ice cream on top.
Making The Filling
The filling is a very important component of the cream puff. Without it, what you’ll have is just a bland and flaky pastry. Of course, the wonderful thing about cream puff fillings is they come in various kinds. Here are a few examples you can make.
Cream Filling
Ingredients:
cream puffs
2 cups of milk
2 egg yolks
1/3 cup of sugar
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of vanilla
2 tablespoons of cornstarch
Procedure:
Beat the eggs slightly with a whisk or fork.
Get a small saucepan, and mix the cornstarch, sugar and the eggs in it. Carefully stir in the milk, in gradual amounts.
Put the mixture over medium heat, while stirring occasionally. Wait for it to boil and thicken.
When it becomes thick, remove the mixture from heat. Stir in the vanilla and butter. Once this cools, you can put it in puffs you made.
Strawberry Filling
Ingredients:
Two pints of strawberries
4 tablespoons of divided powdered sugar
Two cups of heavy cream
Procedure:
Wash the strawberries (Learn how to grow strawberries) and remove the hulls. Put them on paper towels to dry. Slice them into a medium-sized bowl. You can reserve a few pieces for garnish.
Stir in two tablespoons of the sugar, then put in the fridge to chill.
In another bowl, get the cream and mix in the remaining powdered sugar. Chill this in the fridge too.
Fold the berries in the cream, then put in the puffs.
Chocolate Filling
Ingredients:
cream puffs
One cup of softened butter
Six eggs
Four ounces of unsweetened chocolate
One cup of sugar
Two tablespoons of vanilla
Procedure:
Melt the unsweetened chocolate, then let it cool.
Mix the butter and sugar, until you create a light and fluffy cream.
Mix in the vanilla and chocolate, then start adding the eggs. Add them one at a time, beating each one two minutes after the first.
Keep beating until the sugar is dissolved completely. Put the mixture in the fridge and chill.
Mushroom Filling
Ingredients:
Half a pint of heavy cream
1/2 box of mushrooms (Tips on how to grow showrooms)
Two onions
1 to 2 tablespoons of cream cheese
Butter
Salt and pepper
Procedure:
Chop the onions and the mushrooms finely.
In a saucepan, saute the onions in butter until they become transparent. Add the mushroom, then continue sauteeing.
Pour in the cream and reduce. Add the cream cheese, then mix.
Add salt and pepper before you put the filling in the puffs.
Homemade Goodness Is The Best
Cream puffs can be easily bought at any bakery or gourmet pastry store. They’re affordable, and getting a dozen won’t be very hard on your budget. Still, there’s nothing better than knowing the delicious cream puffs you’re eating were made by your own hands. Create delicious cream puffs with this recipe. All the hard work in the kitchen will definitely be worth it.