For this dessert I really wanted to try something that I had seen on The Great British Baking Show, in both an ironic but also very serious way. Choux pastry, and more specifically Cream Puffs, had always piqued my interest because I was really curious as to how they worked scientifically. Turns out that making them didn't really answer that, but it did satisfy my curious mind and resulted in severe deliciousness.
The pastry itself was actually worryingly easy to make (which may result in their reappearance at holidays and other family occasions), but the pastry creme I made to fill the puffs made up for that ease in spades. It was so user unfriendly that I actually had to make my first batch twice before getting it right so, a word for the wise, practice making your pastry creme before the day of because you are guaranteed to mess it up the first time. The upside, though, is that once you get the hang of it it becomes much easier and allows for some fun to be had with flavors. Speaking of flavors, I chose to make two flavors of filling, one lime and one vanilla, which was decided by what I had on hand. I had left over limes from a previous recipe and wanted to use them for the puffs, but then I realized that my picky sister would never eat a lime puff so I also made vanilla pastry creme to appease her.
Overall I was very pleased with how these Cream Puffs turned out and I will definitely make them again, but next time for a larger group than me and my family so that I don't have to eat 10 in order to finish them. 10/10, Great British Baking Show fantasy fulfilled.
Recipe:
Choux Pastry
(to be used for Cream Puffs or Eclairs)
8 tbsp unsalted butter
Pinch salt
1 cup flour
4 eggs
1.) Combine the butter and salt with 1 cup water in a saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and add the flour all at once. Stir constantly until the mixture pull away from the pan and forms a ball, about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and beat the eggs into the mixture on at a time (use a wooden spoon if you want an arm work out or an electric mixer). Stop beating when the mixture is glossy and try to handle the batter minimally from here on out.
2.) Bake immediately according to Cream Puff recipe.
Pastry Creme
* I made a half recipe for both the lime and vanilla creme so that it would be enough for one recipe of puffs, but I will add the full recipe so that it can be changed as desired
2/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp cornstarch
Pinch salt
2 eggs
2 cups cream, half-and-half or whole milk
2 tbsp butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla extract
For lime creme only:
Zest and juice of one large lime
1.) In a small saucepan, combine the sugar with the flour, cornstarch, and salt. Mix together the eggs and the cream. Whisk the cream-egg mixture into the sugar-cornstarch mixture over medium heat (for me this seemed to be too hot and caused my first batch to seize up, so I would suggest medium-low heat and to work slowly to avoid any mishaps). At first whisk occasionally to minimize the lumps, then whisk almost constantly until the mixture just begins to boil and thickens, about 10 minutes.
2.) Adjust the heat so the mixture bubbles gently and continue to cook until the mixture coats the back of a spoon (this was where my second mistake was, I was unsure of whether it was ready and I left it for too long, causing it to break. My advice would be to not second guess yourself when you think it is done). Take of the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla, and the lime zest for the lime recipe, and strain through a fine mesh sieve, and set aside. For the lime creme, after you strain the pastry creme whisk in the freshly squeezed juice a little at a time, tasting often, until it suits your taste. Cool the creme at room temperature before using (you can cover it with plastic and refrigerate for up to a couple of hours while you make your puff shells).
Cream Puffs
1 recipe of Choux Pastry
1 recipe Pastry Creme (or in my case 2 half recipes)
1.) Heat oven to 400 degrees, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2.) Pipe the pastry batter onto the baking sheet in about 1 inch wide and a little over that high mounds. Bake until very puffy, golden brown and hollow sounding when tapped, about 40 minutes. *Do NOT open the oven while the puffs bake for the first 20-30 minutes to avoid releasing steam and deflation*. Prick with a skewer once or twice to allow steam to escape, then move the puffs to a cooling rack and let cool until room temperature.
3.) Use a pastry bag with a small pointed or filling tip to pipe the filling directly into each cream puff. Serve immediately, as the puffs will start to get soggy.
The pastry itself was actually worryingly easy to make (which may result in their reappearance at holidays and other family occasions), but the pastry creme I made to fill the puffs made up for that ease in spades. It was so user unfriendly that I actually had to make my first batch twice before getting it right so, a word for the wise, practice making your pastry creme before the day of because you are guaranteed to mess it up the first time. The upside, though, is that once you get the hang of it it becomes much easier and allows for some fun to be had with flavors. Speaking of flavors, I chose to make two flavors of filling, one lime and one vanilla, which was decided by what I had on hand. I had left over limes from a previous recipe and wanted to use them for the puffs, but then I realized that my picky sister would never eat a lime puff so I also made vanilla pastry creme to appease her. Overall I was very pleased with how these Cream Puffs turned out and I will definitely make them again, but next time for a larger group than me and my family so that I don't have to eat 10 in order to finish them. 10/10, Great British Baking Show fantasy fulfilled.
Recipe:
Choux Pastry
(to be used for Cream Puffs or Eclairs)
8 tbsp unsalted butter
Pinch salt
1 cup flour
4 eggs
1.) Combine the butter and salt with 1 cup water in a saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and add the flour all at once. Stir constantly until the mixture pull away from the pan and forms a ball, about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and beat the eggs into the mixture on at a time (use a wooden spoon if you want an arm work out or an electric mixer). Stop beating when the mixture is glossy and try to handle the batter minimally from here on out.
2.) Bake immediately according to Cream Puff recipe.
Pastry Creme
* I made a half recipe for both the lime and vanilla creme so that it would be enough for one recipe of puffs, but I will add the full recipe so that it can be changed as desired
2/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp cornstarch
Pinch salt
2 eggs
2 cups cream, half-and-half or whole milk
2 tbsp butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla extract
For lime creme only:
Zest and juice of one large lime
1.) In a small saucepan, combine the sugar with the flour, cornstarch, and salt. Mix together the eggs and the cream. Whisk the cream-egg mixture into the sugar-cornstarch mixture over medium heat (for me this seemed to be too hot and caused my first batch to seize up, so I would suggest medium-low heat and to work slowly to avoid any mishaps). At first whisk occasionally to minimize the lumps, then whisk almost constantly until the mixture just begins to boil and thickens, about 10 minutes.
2.) Adjust the heat so the mixture bubbles gently and continue to cook until the mixture coats the back of a spoon (this was where my second mistake was, I was unsure of whether it was ready and I left it for too long, causing it to break. My advice would be to not second guess yourself when you think it is done). Take of the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla, and the lime zest for the lime recipe, and strain through a fine mesh sieve, and set aside. For the lime creme, after you strain the pastry creme whisk in the freshly squeezed juice a little at a time, tasting often, until it suits your taste. Cool the creme at room temperature before using (you can cover it with plastic and refrigerate for up to a couple of hours while you make your puff shells).
Cream Puffs
1 recipe of Choux Pastry
1 recipe Pastry Creme (or in my case 2 half recipes)
1.) Heat oven to 400 degrees, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2.) Pipe the pastry batter onto the baking sheet in about 1 inch wide and a little over that high mounds. Bake until very puffy, golden brown and hollow sounding when tapped, about 40 minutes. *Do NOT open the oven while the puffs bake for the first 20-30 minutes to avoid releasing steam and deflation*. Prick with a skewer once or twice to allow steam to escape, then move the puffs to a cooling rack and let cool until room temperature.
3.) Use a pastry bag with a small pointed or filling tip to pipe the filling directly into each cream puff. Serve immediately, as the puffs will start to get soggy.
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