Classic Cream Puffs Food

CREAM PUFFS RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425˚F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with Silpat or parchment paper.
• In a Medium saucepan, combine 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup milk, 8 Tbsp butter, 1 tsp sugar and 1/4 tsp salt. Bring just to a boil over medium heat then remove from heat and stir in 1 cup flour all at once with a wooden spoon.
• One flour is incorporated, place back over medium heat stirring constantly for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes to release extra moisture and partially cook flour. A thin film will form on the bottom of the pan and dough will come together into a smooth ball.
• Transfer dough to a large mixing bowl and beat using an electric mixer on medium speed for 1 minute to cool mixture slightly. Add 4 eggs, 1 at a time, allowing to fully incorporate between additions. Beat another minute until dough is smooth and forms a thick ribbon when pulled up.
• Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a 1/2" round tip. Pipe 28 puffs, each 1 1/2" diameter and 1/2" tall rounds. Keep them 1" apart and avoid making peaks* but if you do get peaks, wet finger tips lightly with water and smooth them out.
• Bake at 425˚F for 10 minutes in the center of the oven. Without opening oven, reduce temp to 325˚F and, bake 20-22 min longer or until golden brown on top. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 cups heavy cream, 4 Tbsp sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed until fluffy with stiff peaks (2 min). Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip.
• Once cream puffs are completely cooled, fill them with cream. There are 2 ways to fill them: (#1) pipe the cream into the puffs by pushing the pastry tip into the side and piping until cream pushes back, or (#2) Cut off tops of puffs and pipe cream inside using a pastry bag, push a raspberry down into the center if desired, then cover with the tops. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.

CLASSIC CREAM PUFFS

Steps:

• Place the water, milk, butter, sugar if using, and salt in a sauce pot over medium high heat. Stir until butter is melted and everything comes to a boil. When the mixture is boiling, take it off the heat and pour the flour into the pot all at once. Stir quickly and vigorously. This mixture is called the panade.
• When the mixture becomes smooth, flatten it to the bottom of the pan and return it to medium heat. Let the mixture sit on the bottom of the pan until you start to hear it crackling. At this point pull the mixture to the side and if there is a thin film left on the bottom of the pan it is dried out enough. If there is not, let it heat for a little while longer until a film forms.
• Remove the mixture from the heat and stir until most of the steam has evaporated. This is called "evacuating the steam" and is important to further dry out the pastry dough.
• Off of the heat, add one egg at a time into the mixture and stir vigorously until it is completely absorbed into the dough before adding the next. The batter will look smooth and glossy when it is ready. Use immediately or store covered in a cool spot for up to 3 hours.
• Place batter in a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip or a zip top bag with the tip cut off. Preheat oven to 425F (we will crank up the oven heat once we put the cream puffs in). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Hold the pastry bag over the baking sheet and squeeze over one area until you have about a 1 1/2 inch round (or 2" for larger cream puffs). Release the pressure from the bag and pull up to release the dough mound. You will have a little peak on the each that can be smoothed out with a wet fingertip. Keep the mounds about 2 inches apart.
• Place one baking sheet at a time in the oven and turn to heat up to 450F. This will create an active heating cycle for your oven so that the shells will puff up quickly. Bake for 10 minutes (without opening the oven) then drop the heat down to 350F and bake for 13-15 more minutes until the shells are crispy on the outside and set. Allow the oven to preheat back to 425 F before baking the next sheet.
• Fill cooled pastries with creme chantilly (recipe follows) and dust with powdered sugar.
• Whip cream by hand, in stand mixer with whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer until just starting to thicken.
• Add sugar and vanilla and continue whipping until soft to medium peaks form.
• Fill a pastry bag with the cream, and pipe into the bottom of the puffs until filled.

THE BEST HOMEMADE CLASSIC CREAM PUFFS RECIPE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat together the heavy cream, dry pudding mix, and milk until thick and whipped.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the butter, water, and vanilla to a boil.
• Add the flour to the mixture and stir constantly until it begins to come together and form a ball.
• Remove from the stove and set aside to cool.
• Once cooled, beat in the eggs, one at a time, until the batter is smooth.
• Pour into a prepared piping bag, snip the end, and create rounds on the baking sheet approximately 1" apart.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes until risen and golden brown, then set aside to cool.
• Once cool, slice each puff in half and fill with the homemade cream. Top with the second half, and serve with a sprinkle of powdered sugar on top.

CREEP PUFFS

Steps:

• Boil the water and butter in a pot. As it begins to really boil, stir in the flour and salt. As you stir, the mixture will form into a ball. Move that to a mixing bowl and fold in a beaten egg one at a time - mixing between each one.
• Drop by the tablespoon onto an ungreased cookie sheet (non-stick is great too). Be sure to space them apart and place in a preheated, 425 degree oven. Bake until golden brown (about 20 minutes -- maybe longer). Let shells cool.
• When the shells are cool, using a pastry bag, fill the shells with Somebody's Mother's chocolate, caramel, or white chocolate sauces. To vary the recipe, you can fill the shells with ice cream and drizzle one or more of the sauces over the tops of the shells.

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 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.

CREAM PUFFS

Steps:

• To make the cream puffs: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a large saucepan, bring the water, butter, salt, and granulated sugar to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. When it boils, immediately take the pan off the heat. Stirring with a wooden spoon, add all the flour at once and stir hard until all the flour is incorporated, 30 to 60 seconds. Return the pan to the heat and cook, stirring, 30 seconds to evaporate some of the moisture.
• Scrape the mixture into a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix at medium speed. With the mixer running, and working 1 egg at a time, add 3 of the eggs, stopping after each addition to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix until the dough is smooth and glossy and the eggs are completely incorporated. The dough should be thick, but should fall slowly and steadily from the beaters when you lift them out of the bowl. If the dough is still clinging to the beaters, add the remaining egg and mix until incorporated.
• Using a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip, pipe the dough onto the baking sheet, in 2-inch diameter rounds or balls. Whisk the remaining egg with 1 1/2 teaspoons water. Brush the surface of the rounds with the egg wash to knock down the points (you may not use all the egg wash). Bake 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375 degrees F and bake until puffed up, and light golden brown, about 20 minutes more. Try not to open the oven door too often during the baking. Let cool on the baking sheet.
• To fill the cream puffs, place a pastry tip on your finger and poke a whole in the bottom of each puff. Whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla until stiff. Pipe whipped cream into each cream puff and chill until ready to serve, no more than 4 hours.
• Notes about the recipe: The moisture in the eggs turns to steam and puffs the batter to try to release itself. You can fill them with anything.