Who doesn't LOVE cream puffs??? This recipe with our vanilla beans is simply scrumptious!
Recipe & Photos by the talented Daria Cho
Instagram: @_dareats
Cream Puff Choux Batter
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter cubed
1 cup All Purpose flour
4 eggs
Craquelin
1/4 cup unsalted softened butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup AP flour
Pinch of salt
Filling (Pastry Cream mixed with Whip Cream)
Pastry Cream
1.5 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
6 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp corn starch
One vanilla bean
Pinch of salt
1.5 cup heavy cream, 1/4 cup sugar
Make your pastry cream first, then your craquelin, and lastly your choux batter and whip cream.
Pastry Cream:
1. Heat milk, heavy cream, and scraped vanilla from one vanilla pod, until it comes to a simmer.
2. While your milk mixture is heating, in a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar for a few min. Whisk in cornstarch till fully combined.
3. Slowly whisk in vanilla milk mixture into egg yolks, while constantly stirring to prevent eggs from cooking. Once the milk is fully combined with yolks, pour back into pot, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for 5-8 min until pastry cream thickens.
4. Strain through a sieve, and place in a bowl with saran wrap touching cream and let it cool at room temperature, then store in the fridge.
Craquelin:
1. In a bowl, mix softened butter, brown sugar, flour and a pinch of salt. Place on parchment paper and cover with another sheet of parchment and roll out until thin. Freeze until ready to use.
Cream Puffs and Assembly:
1. In a pot, add 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup butter, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp salt and bring to a light boil till butter is melted.
2. Turn off heat and add 1 cup of flour to mixture all at once and vigorously mix. Put back on heat and mix for 1-2 min till dough forms a ball and film forms on the bottom of the pot.
3. In a kitchen aid or bowl, cool batter for a few min. Beat 4 eggs in a separate bowl. Add eggs in small increments and mix till dough becomes incorporated.
4. To tell if the dough is done, pick up the dough with a spatula and try to drop it. The batter should form a “V” Shape. Transfer to piping bag with a round tip.
5. Preheat oven to 450F. On a tray with parchment paper or a silicone mat, pipe batter into circles a few inches apart. Spray with water, and flatten tips.
7. Place cut out craquelin over cream puffs and bake at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 min, then lower the heat to 350 and bake for 13-18min. Do not open the oven door until the cream puffs are done, or almost done (otherwise they will deflate!). You can check doneness by looking through the door to see if the cream puffs have risen and browned. The bottoms of the cream puffs should be browned, and outsides are browned, dried and firm. It may take a few times to experiment with the temperatures and time of your oven! Let cream puffs cool at room temperature completely.
8. As your cream puffs are cooling, whip 1.5 cup of heavy cream with ¼ cup of sugar until medium peaks form. Mix your pastry cream with your whip cream. Transfer to a piping bag with a smaller round tip.
9. Taking a sharp knife, create an opening on the bottom of each cream puff. Pipe the filling into each cream puff until full and repeat with all.
Serve immediately! Cream puffs taste best the day of, and the craquelin will only stay crisp for the day.