Tasty Tuesday: Cream Puffs

TASTY TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2022 — CREAM PUFFS

This time last year we posted our very first Tasty Tuesday recipe blog and we are celebrating with cream puffs! Cream puffs may seem a bit complicated, but they are actually quite simple to make…and delicious to eat.

CHOUX PASTRY (Cream Puffs)

FOR PASTRY SHELLS

Ingredients

1 cup All Purpose Flour

½ cup Butter

½ teaspoon Salt

4 Eggs

1 cup water

Instructions               

  1. In a saucepan put 1 cup water and bring to a rolling boil.
  2. Add the butter and salt to the boiling water. Place back on heat and bring back to a boil.
  3. Then reduce the heat and add all of the flour at one time.
  4. Beat by hand until the mixture leaves the side of the pan.
  5. Remove from heat and add eggs, one at a time beating good after each egg. (By hand or mixer.)
  6. Heat oven to 450 degrees F.
  7. If you want very small puffs use a teaspoon to put the batter on a “dallop” on the baking pan. (Do not grease pan but you may use a sheet of parchment if needed.) If you want larger puffs, use a tablespoon and make the dallops of dough large. Remember they will expand. But it will depend on what you intend to fill them with or how you want to serve them. Leave space between the mounds of dough. (It’s ok to test this out before baking the entire batch – make 1 or 2 to see the size, etc. then proceed.)
  8. Bake at the 450 deg. F until they start to brown, about 5-9 minutes, watch at 5 minutes (depends on your oven). Then without opening the door, reduce the oven temperature to 350 deg. F and bake about 12 minutes longer (check at 10 minutes). They need to be brown on the outside but need to be baked on the inside!

This recipe using a teaspoon makes about 4 dozen puffs.  It’s ok to double the recipe but it takes some muscle to beat the flour into the water/butter and again to add the eggs.

This recipe may also be used for ECLAIRS – they are basically the same as Cream Puffs except they are long instead of round. When you fill them with pastry cream (below), then top them with a chocolate ganache.  YUM!

FILLINGS FOR THE BASIC CHOUX PASTRY (Cream Puffs)

You may use whatever filling you would like – Here I’ve made a chicken salad and also vanilla and chocolate cream (pudding), ham salad is another favorite, butterscotch pudding, etc.

Don’t fill too far ahead of serving/eating or the outside will absorb too much of the filling and the “crispy” shell will no longer be “crispy.”

VANILLA CREAM (PUDDING)

Ingredients

½ cup granulated sugar

3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

½ teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups milk

3 egg yolks, slightly beaten

1 Tablespoon butter or margarine

1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

  1. Combine sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt in the top of a double boiler pan and mix with a wooden spoon to combine.
  2. Blend in milk gradually.
  3. Cook over boiling/simmering water (that does not touch the bottom of the pan or heat proof bowl that you are making the cream pudding in).
  4. Slowly add egg yolks one at a time mixing well after each.
  5. Keep stirring until it begins to thicken. When thick, carefully remove from the boiling/simmering water (it’s hot!). Takes about 7 minutes or so to thicken. Remember to stir.
  6. Add vanilla and stir until smooth and blended. Scrape sides of pan. Taste!
  7. Optional: Add a dash of ground nutmeg for additional flavor

To make Chocolate Cream: Melt 1 ½ squares of unsweetened chocolate in the milk – increase sugar to ¾ cup.

To make Butterscotch Cream: Substitute the granulated sugar with brown sugar and increase it to ¾ cup. Increase butter to 2 Tablespoons.

Let cool before filling the puffs.

To fill the puffs, either use a tube inserting in the side or cut the top off and fill then place the top back on and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE (FOR ECLAIRS – or cream puffs)

Melt chocolate – either milk, semi sweet, or dark chocolate – but preferably use a chocolate bar. (Chocolate chips don’t melt as well.)

Add a little cream or half and half (milk works as well) and stir well until right consistency to pour over the puffs or frost with a mini spatula.

CHICKEN SALAD

You can use either chicken you’ve cooked, roasted, baked, boiled, or use rotisserie chicken leftovers – chicken needs to be in bitesize pieces.

I like to add a little onion, maybe a little celery all chopped fine. Maybe some pimento for color and taste if desired. Salt, pepper, sweet pickle relish, a little yellow mustard, and some mayonnaise – each amount depends on the other.

HAM SALAD: Same with diced or flaked ham that’s been cooked. Or turkey or even seafood – be creative but don’t add too much binder like mayonnaise. 

EGG SALAD: is also a treat, using hardboiled chopped eggs instead of a meat.

So, my friends – make, eat, and enjoy!

Bon Appetite’ with Love,

Granni K

To download this recipe, click here.