Best Classic Cream Puffs Recipes

CLASSIC CREAM PUFFS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine butter, sugar, salt and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil and quickly stir in the flour with a wooden spoon. Continue to stir until a film forms on the bottom of the pan.
• Remove from heat and transfer contents to a bowl to cool slightly, about 3 minutes. Add 4 eggs, one at a time, stirring vigorously to entirely incorporate egg after each addition.
• For the egg wash, whisk together the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon water. Set aside.
• Transfer the pate a choux to a large pastry bag fitted with a 5/8-inch plain tip. Pipe 1-1/2-inch rounds onto each prepared pan. Gently smooth the pointed peaks with a moistened finger, rounding tops to ensure even rising. Brush tops with reserved egg wash. Bake until puffs rise and are golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Puffs can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 day.
• Transfer pastry cream to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/8-inch plain round tip. Insert the tip into the opening of each pastry, and pipe to fill with pastry cream. Serve immediately.

CLASSIC CREAM PUFFS WITH CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Steps:

• Make the pastry cream: In a medium saucepan, whisk together the granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk in the egg yolks until combined, then whisk in the milk. Heat over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until it starts to thicken, 4 to 5 minutes. Immediately remove from the heat.
• Whisk in the butter and vanilla bean paste. Transfer to a bowl, then press a sheet of plastic wrap on the surface of the pastry cream. Let cool, then refrigerate until chilled through, at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
• Start the cream puff dough: In a medium saucepan, bring the milk, butter and salt to a simmer over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture comes together. Cook until the mixture starts to pull away from the sides of the pan into a ball and looks dry, 3 to 5 minutes more.
• Finish the cream puff dough: Using a wooden spoon, beat in the eggs, one at a time, waiting until they are fully incorporated before adding the next. Mix until the batter is shiny and stiff. Alternatively, you can use a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-low speed to incorporate the eggs. Transfer the batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round pastry tip.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Form and bake: On the prepared baking sheet, pipe rounds of dough that are 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide and about 1 inch high, allowing 1 inch between each. Alternatively, measure out a scant 1/4-cup dough for each puff. Wet your finger and press down any pointed tops on the cream puffs. Bake for 15 minutes. Lower the oven to 350 degrees F and bake until firm to the touch, another 15 to 20 minutes.
• Finish baking: Shut the oven off. Let the puffs dry inside the oven for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool.
• Assemble: Using a paring knife, hollow out a hole in the bottom of each of the puffs. Pipe the pastry cream into the hole. Alternatively, you can cut the top off each puff and remove any undercooked dough in the center, then fill with the pastry cream and top with the top again. Hold in the refrigerator until ready to garnish and serve.
• Make the chocolate sauce: In a small pot, heat the cream. In a small bowl that fits over the pot of cream (without the bottom of the bowl touching the cream), combine the chocolate with the cinnamon. Use the pot of cream as the bottom of the double boiler and melt the chocolate over the cream. When the chocolate is melted, add the heated cream to the bowl with the chocolate and whisk to combine. Keep warm.
• Top the cream puffs with a sprinkle of confectioners' sugar and some of the chocolate sauce.

CLASSIC EGGNOG CREAM PUFFS

Steps:

• First pre-heat the oven to 400F. Then in a 2 1/2 quart saucepan. Heat the water & butter to a rolling boil. The stir in the flour. Make sure to stir vigorously over low heat for about 1 min or until the mixture forms a ball. Then remove from the heat. Then beat in the eggs all at once. Continue beating until mixture is smooth.
• Next drop dough by scant about 1/4 cupfuls 3 inches apart onto a ungreased cookie sheet. Then bake for about 35 to 40 mins or until puffy & golden brown. Keep cool away from a draft.
• Next in a large bowl beat all the eggnog cream ingredients except the cream with an electric mixer on low speed 1 to 2 mins or until smooth.
• Then cut off the tops of the cooled puffs. Pull out any soft dough & fill the puffs with eggnong cream. Then replace the tops. Sprinkle with the powdered sugar & serve immediately. Store covered in the refrigerator.

CLASSIC CREAM PUFFS

Steps:

• 1. In a 3-4 quart pan, combine 1 cup water, butter, and the sugar if using; bring to a boil over high heat. Add flour all at once and stir quickly until mixture pulls away from pan sides and masses together.
• 2. Remove from heat and stir until flour is incorporated and mixture is smooth. Let cool about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• 3. To mix by hand, add eggs, one at a time, to warm butter-flour mixture in pan, beating with a wooden spoon after each addition until dough is smooth and satiny. To mix with an electric mixer or food processor, scrape warm butter-flour mixture into a bowl.
• 4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating or whirling after each addition just until smooth; do not overmix.
• 5. Spoon Cream Puff Dough into 10 equal puffs are golden, 25-35 minutes; if baking the sheets at the same time in one oven, switch their positions halfway through.
• 6. With a wooden skewer, poke each puff in several places, then continue baking until golden brown, dry, and crisp, 5-8 minutes longer.
• 7. Transfer puffs to racks to cool completely.
• 8. 3. Slice the top third off each puff. Fill each bottom with 1/2 cup of one of the following: ice cream, chocolate orange cream, lightly sweetened whipped cream flavored with vanilla or a liqueur. Cover with tops, and drizzle each puff with 2-3 teaspoons chocolate chocolate ice cream topping or sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar.
• 9. Note: You can make the puffs (through step 2) up to 12 hours ahead; wrap airtight and store at room temperature. Freeze to store longer. To use, place puffs (thawed, if frozen ) slightly apart on a 12- by 15 " baking sheet. Bake in a 400 degree oven until crisp, 5-8 minutes.