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Make a classic French cream puff filled with delicious sweet chantilly cream at home. Creating your own French pastries is easier than you think.
This pandemic has left me craving a trip to France, my favorite country. I dream about walking the streets of Paris and stopping at the neighborhood Patisserie to enjoy a delicious French pastry.
So until I can travel to France again I will just have to make my own French pastries and pretend I am walking the streets of Paris! One of the easier pastries to make is a cream puff and today I’m going to walk you through the process, it’s easier than you think.
Are Cream Puffs and Eclairs the Same?
Both an eclair and a cream puff are made from pate a choux which is the French word for dough. The difference between the two is their shape and what they are filled with. You can find my recipe for eclairs here.
What Is Pate a Choux?
Cream Puffs are made from a pastry dough that the French call Pate a Choux which is a cooked dough made from flour, butter and eggs. See my full tutorial on making Pate a Choux here.
How to Make Cream Puffs
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Put water, butter and salt in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.
- Remove from heat and add the sifted flour.
- Beat the dough with a wooden spoon; Put back on heat and beat the dough for one minute or until it pulls away from the sides of the pan and doesn’t stick to the spoon.
- Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl and add the eggs one at a time while stirring. The dough will be smooth and slightly loose.
- Using a 1/2 inch plain tip fill the pastry bag with mixture.
- Pipe cream puffs onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Open the door 1-2 times to release the heat. Then lower the heat to 350 degrees and keep door ajar with a wooden spoon until they are golden brown. This helps prevent them from collapsing.
- Cool completely at room temperature.
How Do I Tell if They Are Done?
The color is the best indicator of doneness. You want them to be deep golden. You can also open up a cream puff and the center should be mostly hollow. If it still seems wet and spongy, bake for another few minutes.
Cream Filling
This French pastry is traditionally filled with Chantilly Cream which is a sweetened cream.
- Combine cream and vanilla in mixing bowl. Whisk till foamy and add sugar. Beat until soft peaks form.
- Cut off the upper 1/3 of cream puff.
- Using a pastry bag full of cream with a large star tip, fill each shell with cream.
- Replace top of cream puff.
- Dust cream puff with powdered sugar.
Do they Need to Be Refrigerated?
Yes, because of the cream they should be kept in the refrigerator. Dust with powdered sugar right before serving.
Can I Freeze Them?
The filled pastry can be frozen when put in an airtight container. To thaw, leave them for 2 hours in the refrigerator, or 30 minutes at room temperature. Dust with powdered sugar after thawing and before serving.
Just take a bite and then close your eyes and imagine yourself in Paris at a patisserie enjoying a delicious French pastry.
More delicious French treats:
And if this post gets you in the mood for a visit to France check out my list of What to Do in Paris here.
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Cream Puffs Recipe
Cream Puffs
Ingredients
Pate a Choux
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup unsalted butter 8 oz.
- 1 tsp salt 1/4 oz.
- 2 cups flour sifted (8 oz.)
- 7-8 eggs
Chantilly Cream
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Pate a Choux
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Put water, butter and salt in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.
- Remove from heat and add the sifted flour.
- Beat the dough with a wooden spoon; Put back on heat and beat the dough for one minute or until it pulls away from the sides of the pan and doesn’t stick to the spoon.
- Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl and add the eggs one at a time while stirring. The dough will be smooth and slightly loose.
- Using a 1/2 inch plain tip fill the pastry bag with mixture.
- Pipe eclairs or cream puffs onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Open the door 1-2 times to release the heat. Then lower the heat to 350 degrees and keep door ajar with a wooden spoon until they are golden brown.
- Cool completely at room temperature.
Chantilly Cream
- Combine cream and vanilla in mixing bowl. Whisk till foamy and add sugar. Beat until soft peaks form.
- Cut off the upper 1/3 of cream puff and using a pastry bag full of cream with a large star tip fill each shell with cream. Replace top and dust with powered sugar.
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Nammi says
yumm love cream puffs