Cream puffs have been one of my favorite desserts since the first time I sunk my teeth into one. The first one I ever had was the kind that you purchase from the frozen section of the grocery store, which someone had brought to a party many, many, years ago. Indeed those actually were quite good, so immediately following that party, I remember going home and searching for a recipe to make them from scratch. The homemade version was of course far better than the store bought version. Since then I’ve tried several recipes and learned a few tips and tricks along the way. The two tips I like best are replacing the traditional all-purpose flour used in the cream puffs with bread flour and replacing one of the whole eggs with two egg whites. The bread flour add more gluten which will allow the use of more liquids and better rise and the egg whites will help dry the actual puffs more.
For these cream puffs I decided to use both a pastry cream and a whipped cream. Normally you’ll see cream puffs stuffed or filled with one or the other but I thought why not use both? Then you get the thick creaminess of the pastry cream and the light fluffiness of the whipped cream all in one. A perfect and dreamy, custard plus cloud-like combo. Also, I do like to mention the shortcut versions if I have tried and enjoy them, so the cheater version here which is also good (thanks to the use of the cream of course =) if you don’t have time to make the homemade pastry cream: simply combine 1 cup cream, 1 cup milk and 1 (5.1) oz package of instant vanilla pudding mix and stir about 3 minutes. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 6 Tbsp butter, diced
- 2 tsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup (5.4 oz) bread flour
- 3 large eggs
- 2 large egg whites
- Chocolate sauce (store bought or homemade) or powdered sugar, for topping
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 c cornstarch
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 6 Tbsp powdered sugar
Directions
- Prepare pastry cream according to directions listed. During the last hour of chilling prepare cream puffs as follows. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium saucepan bring water, butter, sugar and salt to a boil. Remove from heat, add in bread flour and mix until well combined. Return to medium heat and continue to cook, stirring mixture constantly until mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan and forms a ball. Allow mixture to cool for 5 minutes. Stir in eggs and egg whites one at a time, stirring after each addition until combined (You can do this by hand or with an electric mixer. Mixture will seem to separate when adding eggs, continue to stir until it comes together). Drop mixture about 2 Tbsp at a time onto Silpat lined baking sheets, spacing them about 2-inches apart. Bake in preheated oven 25 - 30 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven, transfer to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool completely. Once cool, cut into halves then fill with pastry cream, sweetened whipped cream and top with chocolate sauce or dust with powdered sugar. For best results served immediately once filled.
- For the pastry cream:
- In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring milk and cream just to a boil. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl whisk together sugar, eggs, cornstarch, flour, and salt until well blended and slightly pale, about 1 minute. Remove saucepan from heat, while whisking pour 2/3 cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture and mix until combined, then pour egg mixture into milk mixture in pan while whisking mixture in pan. Return to heat and reduce temperature to medium-low. Cook whisking mixture constantly to prevent curdling, until mixture has thickened (it should be quite thick and feel heavier to stir), about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Press mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a heat proof bowl, cover bowl with plastic wrap pressing directly against surface of pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming, and chill 2 hours or until mixture is cold (do not stir mixture at this point or the starch bonds that have formed will be broken and the pastry cream will thin).
- For the sweetened whipped cream:
- In a mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer set on high speed, whip heavy cream until soft peaks form. Stir in powdered sugar and continue to whip until stiff peaks form.
- Recipe Source: cream puffs adapted slightly from whatscookingamerica, pastry cream - Cooking Classy
Marta: Oh dear these Cream Puffs look so delicious! xx February 26, 2013 at 9:16am
Jaclyn: Thanks Marta! February 26, 2013 at 8:54pm
Shawn @ I Wash…You Dry: These look fantastic Jaclyn! I love the combination of both the pastry cream and the whip cream, it sounds magical! February 26, 2013 at 10:45am
Jaclyn: Thanks so much Shawn =)! February 26, 2013 at 2:50pm
Kayle (The Cooking Actress): I love that you used pastry & whipped cream! Best of both worlds, I def. need to try! February 26, 2013 at 11:19am
Jaclyn: I hope you do try it it’s amaze. Thanks for your comment Kayle! February 26, 2013 at 2:50pm
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious: Amazing! I would gladly skip lunch and eat a dozen of these! February 26, 2013 at 12:38pm
Rachel @ Bakerita: These look phenomenal! Such gorgeous pictures as well. I need to try this – I tried making cream puffs once, and while the puff turned out good, something I did to the pastry creme was weird and they turned out bizarre. Need to try again though!! February 26, 2013 at 3:26pm
Jaclyn: Thanks so much Rachel =)! March 1, 2013 at 9:29pm
Camilla: I love these puffs! In Denmark we often eat them with jam and/or ice cream! It is really delicious, and also one of my favorite desserts! But maybe I should try this American version, it sounds great to fill them with cream! :-D February 26, 2013 at 3:39pm
Jaclyn: Camilla – I need to try the Denmark version! That sounds delicious with ice cream, I don’t know why I’ve never thought of that. Ice cream is basically my very favorite dessert so to add that to a cream puff with some chocolate sauce – just Heaven. Thanks so much for your comment! February 27, 2013 at 10:19am
Camilla: Your welcome, then I think I will try them with chocolate sauce or maybe a caramel sauce! It really sounds good! February 27, 2013 at 11:29pm
Sister Spice: My mouth is watering just looking at these…honestly, they do look like they’ll just melt in your mouth! February 26, 2013 at 5:10pm
Jaclyn: That is just why I love them – their melt-away goodness =). February 27, 2013 at 10:18am
Faith: These look absolutely wonderful. February 27, 2013 at 7:48am
Jaclyn: Thanks Faith!! February 27, 2013 at 10:16am
Wendy: I absolutely adore pastry cream. When no cream puff is available, I could just eat the cream! Your puffs are beautiful! The perfect melt in your mouth holder for the pastry cream :) February 27, 2013 at 4:51pm
Jaclyn: Thank you Wendy! March 1, 2013 at 9:31pm
Maria: These look perfect! February 27, 2013 at 8:28pm
Jaclyn: Thanks so much Maria! I just love your blog =)! Yours and a few others inspired me to start my own, so thanks =)!! February 27, 2013 at 11:30pm
Natasha: I remember eating pre-packaged frozen cream puffs as a kid. I bet these homemade ones are miles better. Beautiful photos! February 28, 2013 at 7:35pm
Jaclyn: Thanks Natasha! March 1, 2013 at 9:37pm
Justine@cookingandbeer: These are absolutely beautiful!! Almost too good to eat! …almost… March 3, 2013 at 3:23pm
Jaclyn: Thanks Justine =)! March 4, 2013 at 12:45am
Jacqueline: These look absolutely heavenly! I fell in love with creme puffs when I was in high school. They are wonderful. Thanks for this recipe. Going to pin it now! March 16, 2013 at 10:21am
Lewis Bainbridge: They look lovely, shame i’m no cook like you Jaclyn, mine always come out burnt or crumbly, got any tips to help me? March 22, 2013 at 6:14am
Jaclyn: I would recommend that you try a steam bath near the bottom of the oven, also you may want to reduce the oven temperature and bake time a bit from what you’ve cooked them at in the past. Thanks for your nice compliment by the way =). March 28, 2013 at 9:54pm
Elizabeth: In the ingredients for the pastry cream, butter is listed, but in the directions it never says to add the butter. I’m just alittle confused. Did I miss something? March 24, 2013 at 10:06am
Jaclyn: No, sorry. I forgot that extra 1 Tbsp, just added it. Even when I re-read the recipe 3 times I do still manage to miss adding it to the directions. Thanks! March 24, 2013 at 6:41pm