Baked by an Introvert

How to Make Cream Puffs

Jen Sobjack

Cream Puffs, with their crispy golden brown exterior and sweet whipped cream filling, add a glamorous French touch to any meal. This cream puff recipe uses basic pantry ingredients, such as flour, water, butter, and eggs to make a dessert that is anything but basic. Your family and friends are sure to say "Merci!"

Choux pastry, pronounced shoo pastry, is made with water, butter, salt, flour, and eggs. That's it!

Melt butter with water and salt in a saucepan.

01

Add the flour and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until no traces of dry flour are visible. cook on medium-low, stirring constantly for 5 minutes, until the paste pulls away from the sides of the pan and forms a smooth ball. 

02

Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Turn the mixer to low and mix until the paste feels slightly warm to the touch. If it's too hot it will cook the eggs and ruin the pastries.

03

Mix in ⅓ of the eggs until smooth and creamy. The dough will break but it will slowly become creamy. Once the dough is smooth and creamy, add another ⅓ of the eggs. Mix until the dough become smooth and creamy again then mix in the final ⅓ eggs. Stir until the mixture becomes smooth, stiff, and shiny.

04

Pipe mounds 2-inches in diameter and space them about 3-inches apart. 

05

Use a moistened fingertip to gently press down any pointed tips on the mounds.

06

Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes then reduce the temperature to 350°F and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until they are brown and completely hard on the outside.

07

Whip heavy cream, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla to stiff peaks

08

Split the pastry shells in half and pipe whipped cream into the bottom half. Place the top half of the pastry shell on the whipped cream and dust with confectioners' sugar.

09

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Jen Sobjack

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