A profiterole, cream puff, or chou à la crème is a filled French choux pastry ball with a typically sweet and moist filling of whipped cream, custard, pastry cream, or ice cream. The puffs may be decorated or left plain or garnished with chocolate sauce, caramel, or a dusting of powdered sugar.
The foundation of the perfect cream puffs is super light and airy. This true clastic French dessert is known all around the world and the pastry is used in many European cuisines, including the Spanish cuisine- making deserts such as churros.
If you never have the chance to try fresh out of the oven Cream puffs you are missing a great deal. Nothing taste better than freshly bake French desert. You can find them in every bakery , but you will be surprise how easy are to make at home.
With only few ingredients and 1 hour of love you will have the best delicious and airy puffs.
What I love about this recipe?
- It may sounds very fancy name to pronounce, but its is super easy recipe to make. You will be a pro in no time.
- Perfect dessert for big parties
- Very versatile to use -you can fill it with Ice-cream, whipped cream, custard etc.
- Easy to make in advance. You can make the pastry shell up yo 2 days in advance
What is Puff Pastry or Pate a Choux?
It is a delicate French pastry dough. Basic ingredients usually only include butter, water, flour and eggs. This pastry is used to make choux (small puffs), as the name implies, but also profiteroles, eclairs, croquembouches and more.
Tips for Success
The most ask question you will find on the internet is why my puff pastry deflate? It is a few reasons for that to happen
- Opening the oven early – the loss of heat hinders their ability to rise
- Under-baking – causes collapse shortly after removing from oven
- Too much moister has built up in the dough
- Ingredients are not thoroughly combine
- Temperature of the oven is really important- usually you start with 425 F for 10 minutes and then lower to 350 for about 20 more minutes.
- The Puffs need to cool down on wire rack after remove from oven
Making Cream puffs teaches you how much fun you can have with only few simple ingredients.
Simple ingredients and simple culinary techniques let you create a pastry that is simultaneously crisp and tender, ready to serve as a tasty hors d’oeuvre or fanciful dessert. The challenge of cream puff pastry, pate a choux, is precision. The steps are easy but must be followed exactly to avoid cream-puff collapse.
With your love and care your efforts will be paid with this puffs of delight.
Cream Puffs (Pate a Choux Pastry)- True Classic French Dessert
Equipment
Ingredients
Ingredients for the Choux Pastry:
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup water
- 8 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 (large) eggs - room temperature
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp. salt
Ingredients for the Cream Filling:
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream - chillde
- 4 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp powder sugar - to dust on top
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract - optional
Instructions
How to Make the Cream Puffs:
- Preheat oven to 425˚F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone cooking mat. I prefer to use the parchment paper.
- In a Medium saucepan, combine 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup milk, 8 Tbsp butter, 1 tsp sugar and 1/4 tsp salt. Bring just to a boil over medium heat then remove from heat and stir in 1 cup flour all at once with a wooden spoon.
- Ones the flour is incorporated, place back over medium heat stirring constantly for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes to release extra moisture and partially cook the flour. A thin film will form on the bottom of the pan and dough will come together into a smooth ball.
- Transfer dough to a large mixing bowl and beat using an electric mixer on medium speed for 1-2 minute to cool mixture slightly. Then add 4 eggs, 1 at a time, allowing to fully incorporate between additions. Beat another 1-2 minutes until dough is smooth and forms a thick ribbon when pulled up.
- Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a 1/2" round tip. Pipe 28 puffs each 1 1/2” diameter and 1/2” tall rounds or if you make them slightly larger you will have around 20. Keep them 1" apart and avoid making peaks, but if you do get peaks, wet finger tips lightly with water and smooth them out.
- Bake at 425˚F for 10 minutes in the center of the oven. Without opening oven, reduce temp to 325˚F and, bake 20-22 min longer or until golden brown on top. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
How to Make the Whipped Cream:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 cups heavy cream, 4 Tbsp sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional). Beat on medium-high speed until fluffy with stiff peaks (2-3 minutes). Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip.
- Once cream puffs are completely cooled, fill them with cream. There are 2 ways to fill them:1)-Pipe the cream into the puffs by pushing the pastry tip into the side2)-Cut off tops of puffs and pipe cream inside using a pastry bag.You can add raspberries, blueberries ort strawberries down the center if you like and then cover with the top.Dust with powder sugar.