Cream Puffs

Cream Puffs: Pate a Choux, Vanilla Pastry Cream, and Chocolate Ganache

Pate a Choux

• 1.5 cups milk
• 8 oz (2 sticks) butter
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups all purpose flour (sifted)
• 8 eggs

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Bring the milk, butter, and salt to a boil in a medium sized pot.
3. Stir in the flour quickly, and cook the dough over medium heat for 2 minutes. The dough will begin to dry out and should easily pull away from the sides of the pot.
4. Transfer the dough into a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and mix on low for 1 minute. This will release the heat from the dough.
5. Add the first seven eggs 2-3 at a time, scraping the bowl after each addition. If the dough is the correct consistency, it should create peaks when poking finger into the dough. It should also create a “V” shape as it falls off the paddle. Lastly, if you run your finger through the dough, it should slowly collapse in on itself.
6. If the dough does not pass those three tests, whisk the 8th egg in small bowl and add a little bit at a time until the dough is the correct consistency.
7. Transfer dough into a piping bag with a star tip.
8. Place wax paper on a cookie sheet and pipe the choux into small rosettes, keeping the size consistent (about 1-1.5 in).
9. Bake the choux for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
10. Rotate the sheet and bake for an additional 5 minutes.

Pastry Cream

• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 3 tbs cornstarch
• 6 egg yolks
• 3 oz (6 tbs) butter

1. Combine the vanilla extract and milk in a medium pot.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and egg yolks until it is a pale yellow color.
3. Place butter in another bowl with a strainer on top of it.
4. Bring the milk to a boil and then remove it from the heat.
5. Temper the milk slowly into the yolk mixture and then transfer it all back into the pot.
6. Whisk on medium heat until the custard is boiling and the starch has cooked out, causing it to thicken.
7. Remove from heat and pass the custard through the strainer, onto the butter.
8. Whisk the pastry cream until the butter is fully incorporated.
9. Cover the pastry cream directly with plastic wrap, so a skin does not form.
10. Place pastry cream in the refrigerator until time to pipe into the puffs.

Ganache

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 8 oz bittersweet chocolate

1. Bring the cream to a boil.
2. Pour cream over the chocolate.
3. Let chocolate melt for 5 minutes, then whisk to combine.

Creating the Finished Product

1. Poke small holes in the bottom of the cooled puffs.
2. Fill piping bag with cream filling.
3. Pipe filling into the bottom of the puffs until full.
4. Dip puffs directly into ganache or pipe on in any desired pattern.
5. Enjoy!