Cream Puffs

Source: Joy of Cooking

Cream puffs can take on many shapes, flavors, and fillings.  Our favorites are the Profiteroles, small puffs filled with a rich pastry cream (preferably vanilla, but chocolate can be used), then covered in rich dark chocolate.  We have found that in England and Ireland, the cream puffs tend to be filled with a rich whipped cream, while in Germany and Spain they tend to use a chocolate cream.  Only in France (and one pasteleria in Fuengirola, Spain) have we found them with the vanilla pastry cream.

Choux Paste

1 cup sifted flour (plain)                   4 ounces 115 grams ½ cup water                                             125 ml ½ cup whole milk                                        125 ml 8  Tbs unsalted butter                        4 ounces 115 grams ½ tsp salt                                               2.5 ml 4  large eggs

Combine the water, milk, butter and salt in a large saucepan.
Bring the mixture to a full boil over medium heat.
Add the flour all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan.
Continue to cook and stir the mixture for about 1 minute to eliminate excess moisture.
The butter may ooze our, which if fine; it simply means that the moisture is evaporating.
Transfer to a bowl and let cool for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Beat in 1 egg at a time by hand with a wooden spoon, making sure the paste is smooth before adding the next egg.
After all eggs have been added, beat the dough until it is smooth and shiny.
Choux paste can be covered and refrigerated for up to 4 hours.
When it is cold, you do not need to bring the paste to room temperature  before shaping.

Preheat oven to 400°F [205°C].
Shape the desired shapes onto ungreased baking sheets or parchment lined sheets for the larger pastries.
Scoop dough into a large pastry bag fitted with a 1" [2.5 cm] tip for large eclairs or ½" [1 cm] tip for the others.
Pipe onto the baking sheets, leaving about 2" [5 cm] between the pastries.
Bake as below, poking a hole in each before leaving to dry in the warm oven:

Shape Qty Size Bake at 400°F [205°]C Continue at 350°F [175°C] Dry in oven Eclairs 8-10 large 15 minutes 25-30 minutes 10 minutes Eclairs 24 miniature 15 minutes 10-15 minutes 10 minutes Cream Puffs 30 medium 15 minutes 20-25 minutes 10 minutes Profiteroles 48 small 15 minutes 10-15 minutes 10 minutes

Fill Eclairs and cream puffs with pastry cream or lightly sweetened whipped cream.
Fill Profiteroles with vanilla ice cream.
Top all with chocolate glaze or ganache

Pastry Cream

Use for filling Boston Cream Pie, Eclairs, fresh fruit tarts, etc.

⅓ cup sugar (caster)   2½ ounces   65 grams 2 Tbs all purpose flour  (plain)     30 ml 2 Tbs  cornstarch (corn flour)     30 ml 4 large egg yolks         1⅓ cups whole milk     330 ml ¾  tsp vanilla     4 ml

Bring the milk to a simmer (with vanilla bean, if using, then remove bean).
Meanwhile beat together remaining ingredients.
Gradually pour 1/3 of the warm milk over the beaten ingredients, stirring to combine.
Add remaining milk and blend well.
Scrape the egg mixture back into the pan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly to prevent scorching.  Be sure to scrape the bottom and corners of the pan as well.
Cook until the custard is thickened and begins to bubble.
Then continue to cook, whisking, for 45 to 60 seconds.
If you haven’t used the vanilla bean, add the vanilla extract (essence) and stir well.

Cover the surface of the custard with a piece of wax or parchment paper to prevent a skin from forming.
Let cool, then refrigerate before using.
This keeps, refrigerated, for 2 days.

Variations:

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