Cream puffs are a classic, light pastry that “puff” while baking, and are filled with sweetened whipped cream and dusted with powdered sugar.
Cream Puffs
Where did cream puffs originate? Cream puffs are made from choux pastry, or pâte à choux, which is French in origin. This pastry is made from by boiling butter, water and flour and then adding eggs to form a sticky pastry that then steams and “puffs up” as it bakes. They are traditionally filled with pastry cream, whipped cream, or even ice cream – hence the name cream puff. This same pastry is also used to make other pastries like eclairs and profiteroles.
Cream puffs have historically been popular in the Midwest, especially in the dairyland state of Wisconsin where it is their “unofficial” state dessert. You can find cream puff bakeries throughout the state; there is even an iconic cream puff stand at the Wisconsin State Fair that has been around since 1924 and sells around 400,000 cream puffs each year. That is a lot of cream puffs!
How to Make This Recipe
Intimidated by making choux pastry for cream puffs? You shouldn’t be! This pastry is actually fairly simple to make, although you must follow the directions for this recipe in the correct order for your cream puffs to turn out. This version of these classic cream puffs are filled with sweetened whipped cream and dusted with powdered sugar, however, you can fill them with a traditional pastry cream, ice cream and even drizzle melted chocolate on top. The possibilities are endless!
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter
- Water
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Heavy Whipping Cream
- Powdered Sugar
- Vanilla Exctract
To make the choux pastry: a mixture of unsalted butter, water and salt are cooked on the stovetop until boiling. Once boiling, flour is added and the mixture is strongly beaten with a wooden spoon until a ball of dough forms. Once a ball of dough forms, the mixture is removed from heat and eggs are beaten in, one at a time. The pastry dough continues to be strongly beaten after each egg is added, until the dough is soft.
Once the dough is soft, it is scooped onto lined baking sheets and then baked at 400°F for 35 minutes, or until the pastries have “puffed up” and are golden brown. After removing the puffs from the oven, a sharp knife is used to cut slits into the top of the puffs to release the steam. Once completely cooled, the top 1/3 of the puff is cut off and is filled with sweetened whipped cream. The tops of the puffs are placed back on and then the entire cream puff is dusted with powdered sugar.
Tips for Cream Puffs
- To make larger cream puffs, use 1/4 cup of dough per cream puff (yield will be 12 cream puffs)
- Cream puffs will keep in the refrigerator for up to 72 hours (store in an airtight container)
- Alternately, can fill the cream puffs with a pastry cream or ice cream. If using ice cream, store cream puffs in the freezer.
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Cream Puffs
Equipment
- medium sized saucepan
- mixing bowls of various sizes
- electric mixer
- wooden spoon
- baking sheet
- parchment paper or silicone baking mat
Ingredients
For the cream puffs
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the whipped cream filling
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream, very cold
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
For the cream puffs
- In a medium sized saucepan, combine the 1/2 cup unsalted butter, 1 cup water and 1/4 teaspoon salt over medium-high heat. Continue to heat over medium-high heat until boiling.
- Once boiling, reduce heat to low and stir in 1 cup all-purpose flour with a wooden spoon. Continue to stir over low heat until a ball of dough is formed.
- Remove from heat and beat in the 4 large eggs, one at a time. Continue to beat the dough strongly after each egg is added. The dough should begin to become smooth.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Scoop the dough using a cookie scoop (about 1 1/2 tablespoons each) onto the lined baking sheet, leaving enough space between each scoop of dough so they do not touch. Repeat with the rest of the pastry dough.
- Bake at 400°F for 35 minutes, or until the pastries have "puffed up" and are golden brown (do not overbake).
- Once puffs are removed from the oven, gently poke the side of each puff with a sharp knife to release the steam. Cool puffs on the cookie sheets at least 1 hour before filling.
For the whipped cream filling
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the cold 2 cups heavy whipping cream, with the 1/4 cup powdered sugar on high speed with an electric mixer until very soft peaks form. Add in the 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and continue to beat until the peaks are more firm.
- Using a sharp knife, slice each cream puff 1/3 of the way from the top and remove the top. Gently remove any strands of dough inside the puff and discard.
- Fill each cream puff with the sweetened whipped cream. Replace the top back on the cream puff and dust with powdered sugar. Repeat with remaining cream puffs. Store cream puffs in an airtight container, refrigerated.
Notes
- To make larger cream puffs, use 1/4 cup of dough per cream puff (yield will be 12 cream puffs)
- Cream puffs will keep in the refrigerator for up to 72 hours (store in an airtight container).
- Alternately, can fill the cream puffs with a pastry cream or ice cream. If using ice cream, store cream puffs in the freezer.
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