Cream Puffs

Cream puffs seem sort of sophisticated, but they actually aren't too hard to make. These are absolutely delicious and can be filled with pretty much anything - whipped cream, chocolate, jam, or lemon curd. I opted to fill mine with whipped cream, coconut cream, and frozen fruit, and it worked perfectly. 

Like eclairs and churros, cream puffs are made from pâte à choux, a type of pastry dough made of flour, eggs, butter, milk, and water. Although it does require cooking on a stovetop, it still comes together in a snap!

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Tips: 

- Read all the instructions on making pâte à choux (the pastry dough) before beginning. The process moves pretty fast, and you want to make sure you don't burn your dough. 

- Don't add more flour! It is crucial that you stir the dough over the heat for around a minute - it might look lumpy at first, but cooking the dough is crucial to creating its final tender texture. 

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Cream Puffs

Yield: 16-24 puffs, depending on size

Ingredients: 

6 tbsp butter

6 tbsp (90g) water

6 tbsp (90g) milk

Pinch of salt

2 tsp sugar

3/4 cup (95g) all-purpose flour

3 large eggs, beaten

Egg wash: 1 egg + splash of milk

Instructions: 

1. Measure out the flour, and set aside. 

2. In a large pot, add the butter, water, milk, salt, and sugar. Stir over medium heat until the butter has melted and the mixture begins to simmer. Then, reduce the heat to low, and add in the flour all at once. Stir vigorously, incorporating the flour into the liquid mixture. Don't worry if the mixture looks lumpy at first. Keep stirring for around a minute until the mixture forms a cohesive ball. 

3. Transfer the dough to a large bowl, and set aside until cool enough to add the eggs. Add the eggs to the dough one by one, fully incorporating each egg before adding the next. After all three eggs have been added, mix vigorously until the dough is smooth, pipeable, and shiny. 

4. Transfer the batter to a piping bag or a plastic bag. Cut a hole, approximately half an inch wide, at the tip of the bag. 

5. Preheat the oven to 400F, and prepare a baking sheet. 

6. Pipe rounds of your desired size onto the baking sheet, leaving at least 2 inches of space between each puff. (I piped rounds about 1.5 inches in diameter.)

7. Bake for 20 minutes at 400F, then bake at 350F for an additional 10 minutes. While adjusting the temperature, be sure to not open the oven - opening the oven will allow steam, which is crucial for the puffs to rise, to escape. 

8. Allow the cream puffs to cool on a wire rack until room temperature, then fill with the desired filling. 

9. After piping, you can put the cream puffs in the freezer for a delicious summer treat. Otherwise, cover and refrigerate if not eating immediately.