Amazing and Foolproof Cream Puffs
User Reviews
4.5
102 reviews
Excellent
Amazing and Foolproof Cream Puffs
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Amazing and Foolproof Cream Puffs feature crisp yet tender pastry shells made from a classic choux dough baked in mini or regular muffin tins. Filled with a smooth vanilla cream made from eggs, milk, and cornstarch, the puffs can be topped with a lightly sweetened whipped cream and dusted with powdered sugar. The recipe offers a balanced approach to preparing reliable cream puffs that hold their shape well and can be made ahead for assembly and serving.
Description
This recipe for Amazing and Foolproof Cream Puffs starts with choux pastry cooked on the stovetop by boiling water and butter, then mixing in flour to form a dough. Eggs are beaten into the dough to create a glossy, thick batter that forms puffed shells upon baking. The mixture is portioned into greased mini or regular muffin tins and baked until puffed and lightly browned. The resulting shells are crisp outside with a soft, airy cavity. The filling is a vanilla cream prepared from milk, powdered sugar, eggs, and cornstarch cooked together until thick, then enriched with butter and vanilla extract for flavor and smoothness. A sweetened whipped cream topping complements the filled puffs and adds lightness. The recipe allows for the shells to be baked and cooled ahead of time without risk of sogginess when stored loosely covered. Fully assembled cream puffs can also be chilled for enhanced flavor and texture balance before serving. Dusting with powdered sugar finishes the presentation with a classic touch.
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Ingredients
Cream Puff Shells:
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup butter salted
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 large egg
Vanilla Cream Filling:
- 2 cups milk I use 2%
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 2 egg large yolks
- 1 egg large
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter salted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Sweetened Whipped Cream:
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- powdered sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- Place an oven rack in the lower-middle position. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (decrease by 25 or 50 degrees if using a dark coated pan). Lightly grease a 24-cup mini muffin tin or a 12-cup regular muffin tin (you'll bake in two batches).
- In a medium saucepan, bring the water and butter to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the flour, stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula until the mixture forms a ball.
- Scrape the warm mixture into a mixing bowl (or into the bowl of an electric stand mixer) and beat with a handheld electric mixer until the dough has cooled slightly, 1-2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating constantly, until the mixture is thick and smooth.
- Scoop a heaping 1/2 tablespoon into each mini muffin tin (about 1/2 full) or a couple tablespoons into a regular muffin tin (again, about 1/2 full). A cookie scoop works great for this.
- Once the mini muffin cups are filled, wet your fingers with cold water and dab them on the top of the mounded dough to smooth out any rough spots and even out the dough (this will help them bake into a pretty rounded top).
- Bake for about 15-20 minutes for mini cream puffs and 25 minutes for regular cream puffs until the tops of the shells are lightly golden and they are baked all the way through (if there is any doughy moisture inside the shells add a few minutes so they don't collapse).
- Remove the pan from the oven and working quickly, use a thin wooden skewer to pierce the side of each cream puff; doing this will allow any steam to escape. I try to poke the cream puff shell right in the middle where I'll be splitting it anyway to add the cream. Remove them from the tin and let them cool completely on a wire rack.
- Repeat the filling and baking process with the remaining dough.
- For the vanilla cream filling, in a medium saucepan, bring the milk and 1/4 cup powdered sugar to a simmer. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, egg, cornstarch and 1/3 cup powdered sugar. Slowly ladle or drizzle in the hot milk mixture to the bowl while whisking constantly (this tempers the eggs so they don't curdle and cook into hard bits). Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring and/or whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and thickens.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla.
- Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer (this part is optional but can help remove any lumps) into a clean bowl. Press plastic wrap directly on the top and refrigerate until cold. The vanilla cream filling can be made up to a week in advance.
- For the sweetened whipped cream, whip the heavy cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla to stiff peaks (I like to use my Blendtec for whipping cream; super simple and takes just a minute or two).
- Split each cooled cream puff shell in half right at the seam where the puffy top meets the smooth bottom. Spoon vanilla cream into the bottom of each shell and top with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream and place the top back on. Lightly dust all the cream puffs with powdered sugar.
- The cream puffs can be fully assembled up to a day in advance (they actually taste better if assembled ahead of time). I store them uncovered in the refrigerator up to a day before serving.
Notes
- Cream puff shells can be baked and cooled ahead, stored lightly covered (not airtight) for up to a day to prevent sogginess.
- The assembled cream puffs, filled with cream and topped with whipped cream, also benefit from resting refrigerated up to a day before serving.
- A mini muffin tin makes smaller cream puffs baked in two batches; a regular muffin tin yields larger puffs baked in one batch.
- Following Sally’s advice in the original recipe post provides additional insights into technique and troubleshooting.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Serving
1 Mini Cream Puff
Calories
88kcal
(4%)
Carbohydrates
5g
(2%)
Protein
2g
(4%)
Fat
7g
(11%)
Saturated Fat
4g
(20%)
Cholesterol
47mg
(16%)
Sodium
37mg
(2%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
2g
(4%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 48mini cream puffs
Amount Per Serving
Calories kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 Mini Cream Puff | |
| Calories | 88kcal | 4% |
| Carbohydrates | 5g | 2% |
| Protein | 2g | 4% |
| Fat | 7g | 11% |
| Saturated Fat | 4g | 20% |
| Cholesterol | 47mg | 16% |
| Sodium | 37mg | 2% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 2g | 4% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.5
102 reviews
Excellent
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