CREAM PUFFS!!!

I'm posting my last 2 sweet recipes today just in time for Christmas! Savory and breakfast holiday fare to come after the holiday...(won't help for Christmas this year, but maybe New Years or next year?!)

I cannot adequately sing the praises that these pastries deserve. Cream puffs and eclairs (as far as I'm concerned they're pretty much the same thing, just in different shapes and maybe true cream puffs don't have icing?) are my all-time favorite pastry delight. Let's just sum it up with: light and creamy custard filling that is to die for-you'll want to just pull up a chair and spoon and dig in, easier than you think choux paste, CHOCOLATE icing, and fancy show stopping dessert, k? K.

You can make these as 12 LARGE cream puffs or any number of smaller sizes. A large soup spoon size blob of pastry dough makes a couple dozen or so 2-3 inch (2-bite) puffs. Or a regular spoon size blob of dough makes upwards of 3 dozen or more 1 1/2 inch (bite-size) puffs. And the pastry cream can be any flavor you want. This recipe is measurements for either almond or vanilla cream. It's the best pastry cream recipe I've found. Use it for fruit pizza or tarts, anything that calls for pastry cream and you'll be one happy camper.

LOVE.

Cream Puffs

{I have tripled and quadrupled this recipe with great success. I don't do the same amount of pastry cream though. For a triple batch of dough, I only make a double batch of pastry cream and so on. But if only making one batch, particularly if you plan to make 12 large puffs, I'd still make the full batch of pastry cream.}

Choux Paste:

1/2 cup salted butter

1 cup water

1/4 t salt

1 cup flour

4 eggs

Oven at 375. Have 2 large cookies sheet with silpat liners or parchment paper sprayed with cooking spray ready. In 2 quart saucepan, over medium-high heat, stir water, butter, and salt until boiling. Remove from heat and add flour all at once. Stir vigorously until ball forms. Place mixture in bowl of mixer. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Using a large spoon, drop batter onto cookie sheets in 12 large mounds. Bake at 375 for 50-75 minutes. You want them really dry, but obviously not burnt! Start checking at 50 minutes. If making smaller puffs 50 minutes it usually spot on. Cool and fill with pastry and ice with chocolate icing. Recipes follow...

Pastry Cream:

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

1/4 t salt

1 1/2 cups whole milk

6 egg yolks

either 1 1/2 t vanilla or 1 t almond extract, choose your flavor

1 1/2 cups cold heavy whipping cream

Combine sugar, flour, and salt in a heavy saucepan. Stir in milk. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly (a flat edged wooden spoon comes in handy here for scraping the bottom as it thickens to prevent burning) until it thickens and boils, about 7-10 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk 6 egg yolks together. Add a small amount of hot milk mixture to egg yolk bowl to temper and then using a wire whisk, slowly add tempered egg yolks into remaining hot milk mixture. Cook over medium low (DO NOT BOIL) until thickened and easily coats the back of a spoon. About 8 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in chosen extract. Cover surface with plastic wrap. (You want the plastic wrap to actually touch the custard, this prevents a nasty crust from forming!) Refrigerate and chill well, at least 2 hours. Once custard has chilled, whip heavy cream until stiff peaks form and gently fold the 2 together.

To fill puffs: If making large puffs, just cut a slit in each puff and spoon filling inside. It's OK for it to show, more rustic and appetizing that way. OR you may fill a pastry bag, with a decent size tip, full of the cream and pierce each puff and fill that way. Squeeze bag slowly until a little cream comes out of fill hole, or until the puff gives way a bit.

Chocolate Icing:

2 squares (2 oz) semi-sweet baking chocolate

2 T butter

1 cup powdered sugar

2 T milk

Melt chocolate and butter together in a saucepan over low heat. Add powdered sugar and milk. Whisk really well, until lumps are gone. Doing this over the heat helps. I keep mine on the heat while I ice, so that the icing stays on the thin side and can easily coat. To ice: Dip filled cream puffs upside down in icing, let excess drip off a bit and then place right side up on cookie sheet or plate. Serve immediately or refrigerate till ready to serve.

NOTE: If I'm making a large batch, I usually make and freeze the puffs either filled or un-filled until I'm ready to do the rest. It can be a labor intensive process, but thankfully lends itself well to being done in stages. And when serving at christmas time I crush up some candy canes and sprinkle on top before the icing sets.