Perfect choice — cream puffs are classic little pastry shells (choux pastry) filled with whipped cream or custard. Here’s a simple but elegant recipe:
🥐 Classic Cream Puffs
Ingredients
For the pastry shells (choux pastry):
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½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
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1 cup water
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¼ tsp salt
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1 tbsp sugar (optional, for sweet puffs)
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1 cup all-purpose flour
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4 large eggs
For the filling:
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2 cups heavy whipping cream
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¼ cup powdered sugar
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1 tsp vanilla extract
(or use pastry cream/custard if you prefer a richer filling)
Optional topping:
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Powdered sugar for dusting
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Melted chocolate for drizzling
Instructions
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Make pastry shells:
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Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment.
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In a saucepan, bring butter, water, salt, and sugar to a boil.
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Add flour all at once, stirring vigorously until the mixture forms a ball and pulls away from the pan (1–2 minutes).
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Remove from heat, let cool for 5 minutes.
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Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each, until smooth and glossy.
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Bake:
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Drop rounded tablespoonfuls (or pipe with a bag) onto baking sheet, spacing apart.
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Bake 20–25 minutes until puffed and golden brown. Do not open oven while baking.
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Remove and cool completely on a rack.
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Make filling:
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Whip cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form.
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Assemble:
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Slice puffs in half, fill with whipped cream (or pipe pastry cream through a pastry bag).
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Dust with powdered sugar or drizzle chocolate.
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✨ Tips:
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For sturdier cream puffs, bake an extra 5 minutes at 350°F after the first bake to dry out centers.
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Freeze unfilled shells in an airtight bag for up to 2 months — fill when ready to serve.
Would you like me to also give you the recipe for a big “Cream Puff Cake” version (same ingredients, but baked as a slab and layered with filling), or keep it to individual puffs?