topic Re: Cream Puffs in Kitchen

Cream Puffs

ScrapHappy — Wed, 01 Apr 2020 18:46:45 GMT

Anyone ever make cream puffs? Is it easy? It's one of two of my husband's favorite desserts, the other being banana fosters. I was thinking about giving it a try for Easter.

Re: Cream Puffs

SugarPuff — Wed, 01 Apr 2020 18:57:57 GMT

I'm a pretty good cook and make bagels and raised doughnuts from scratch. Cream puffs are incredibly difficult to get the pastry to the correct consistency. I would recommend getting them from a bakery or ordering them from the grocery store bakery.

Re: Cream Puffs

IdahoGram — Wed, 01 Apr 2020 19:03:37 GMT

I'm a average cook and have made them in the past and found them easy to make. I suppose if you want bakery quailty that might not happen. But considering the state of things these days, homemade might seem especially good. Go for It!!

Re: Cream Puffs

homedecor1 — Wed, 01 Apr 2020 19:08:42 GMT

extremely easy if you get the dough done correctly. I use a pate a choux recipe from Martha Stewart. It's easy you can find online.

When I pipe the dough I use a pastry bag with large star tip for decorative look or just pipe without tip.

The biggest thing is to make sure the dough is thoroughly baked thru and tops should be crisp. This is how I like them. I make rounds, longs (eclairs) and fancy style.

I either cut in center horizontally (depending on size) or use a pastry bag w/tip to fill from bottom. I'll make a custard pastry cream but you can always use a pudding, lemon filling or what you like.

We love them especially during holidays! Enjoy!

Re: Cream Puffs

Group 5 minus 1 — Wed, 01 Apr 2020 19:09:21 GMT

If I remember the receipe it says to add the eggs 1 at a time and beat into the batter. Also after they come out of the oven make sure you cut a small slit in them so they dry out a little.

Re: Cream Puffs

KatieB — Wed, 01 Apr 2020 21:20:12 GMT

Here's a recipe from Carol1229 who was a recipe poster from several years ago. Her recipes were the best you could find:

Cheesecake Cream Puffs (from Carol1229)

Makes 12 regular size cream puffs or 24 miniature cream puffs.

Ingredients

Cream Puffs:

1 c water

1/2 c butter

1/4 tsp salt

1 c all-purpose flour

4 large eggs

Filling:

2 pkg of (4 serving size) cheesecake instant pudding mix

2 c cold milk

1 pt heavy cream

Glaze:

2 Tbsp butter or margarine

2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

2 Tbsp water

1 c sifted confectioners' sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Bring water, butter and salt to a rolling boil in a saucepan. Add flour all at once; stir vigorously over low heat for about 1 minute or until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan and forms a ball.

Remove from heat. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth after each addition.

Drop dough in individual mounds onto ungreased baking sheets (I use an ice cream scoop for regular size cream puffs and my medium size Pampered Chef cookie scoop for miniature cream puffs).

Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for 35-40 minutes for regular size cream puffs, or 25-30 minutes for the miniature cream puffs. Shut off the oven and let the puffs sit in the oven for 15-20 minutes longer.

Remove from the pan immediately to wire racks and let cool completely.

For the filling, beat cream until stiff peaks form; set aside. Whisk pudding mixes with milk; let stand for 1 minute. Fold in the whipped cream.

Fill the cream puffs generously with filling (I pipe the filling into the puffs using a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip).

For the glaze, combine butter, cocoa and water in a small saucepan over low heat until smooth. Remove from heat; stir in confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract until smooth. Drizzle glaze over the cream puffs. Chill until serving time.

Re: Cream Puffs

Carmie — Wed, 01 Apr 2020 21:36:07 GMT

I think they are easy to make. You just have to be sure the Pastry is cooked all the way through. I remember making them when I was a teenager.

After I bake them, I turn off the oven and let them stay inside with the door closed until the oven cools. That way the pastry is dry enough.

I have more trouble with the custard. Sometimes I just give up and use Bird's Custard Powder.

it is good to use for just plain custard for those who are allergic to eggs too.

Re: Cream Puffs

nana59 — Wed, 01 Apr 2020 21:40:12 GMT

i remember my mom making pate a choux ....round ones....she would freeze them....then thaw....fill with ice cream....top with chocolate sauce!! it was my favorite....she was not a pastry chef....but they were always delicious.....

Re: Cream Puffs

Pook — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 00:11:17 GMT

@ScrapHappy I make them a lot and find them very easy to make. Just follow the recipe.

Re: Cream Puffs

4kitties — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 00:39:45 GMT

If I can make them anyone can! They are really not difficult. I still have the recipe that my high school French teacher gave us. It is so old, from 1973. It is that old purple mimeograph print! It has her little drawings on it!💕💕

She was a native Parisian who met and married a US service man during WW11. I just loved her.

Re: Cream Puffs

nana59 — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 00:42:42 GMT

@4kitties wrote:
If I can make them anyone can! They are really not difficult. I still have the recipe that my high school French teacher gave us. It is so old, from 1973. It is that old purple mimeograph print! It has her little drawings on it!💕💕

She was a native Parisian who met and married a US service man during WW11. I just loved her.

care to share that old recipe?!

Re: Cream Puffs

deepwaterdotter — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 01:10:46 GMT

My favorite creamy filling makes enough for 24 cream puffs:

2 cups milk

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 egg + 2 egg yolks

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/3 cup powdered sugar

2 tbsp butter

1 tsp vanilla

Bring milk and 1/4 cup powdered sugar to a simmer in a saucepan.

Whisk egg and yolks, cornstarch, and 1/3 cup powdered sugar in a bowl.

Slowly ladle hot milk mixture into egg mixture while whisking constantly. Pour back in to saucepan and cook, whisking constantly, until bubbling and thickened.

Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. (At this point, you may want to remove any lumps by pouring filling through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl.)

Press plastic wrap on top of filling and refrigerate until cold.

After placing filling onto bottom of pastry half, I like to spoon a dollop of sweetened whipped cream on top before covering with top half of pastry puff.

Re: Cream Puffs

HLP — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 15:51:17 GMT

@ScrapHappy wrote:
Anyone ever make cream puffs? Is it easy? It's one of two of my husband's favorite desserts, the other being banana fosters. I was thinking about giving it a try for Easter.

Yes I make them. They can be made sugar free and when my husband was living, a diabetic, I made them often.

Re: Cream Puffs

HLP — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 15:54:35 GMT

@Carmie wrote:
I think they are easy to make. You just have to be sure the Pastry is cooked all the way through. I remember making them when I was a teenager.

After I bake them, I turn off the oven and let them stay inside with the door closed until the oven cools. That way the pastry is dry enough.

I have more trouble with the custard. Sometimes I just give up and use Bird's Custard Powder.

it is good to use for just plain custard for those who are allergic to eggs too.

Use instant pudding for the cream, any flavor. and sugar free if need be.

Re: Cream Puffs

wagirl — Sat, 04 Apr 2020 15:34:47 GMT

I have been making pate chou--cream puff pastry since I was a teenager---am 65 now and have always made them successfully----not very hard to do---now i have my KA stand mixer, easier than ever---I used a hand mixer back in the olden days!

Re: Cream Puffs

sfnative — Sun, 05 Apr 2020 01:59:35 GMT

Follow your recipe to a "T." Specifically with regard to placing your piped cream puffs or eclairs into the oven, pay attention to what your recipes says about opening and not opening the oven door or later placing a wooden spoon to ****** open your oven door at the end. There is SO much controversy here. Recommend you do not do the wooden spoon technique.

Also, make sure you allow your pastries sufficient time to cool completely. If you're going to slice them open horizontally, do use a bread knife or at least a serrated knife. If you're not going to slice and fill, then you'll need a pastry bag with a piping tip large enough to protrude into the cream puff or eclair. If an eclair, some people will fill from the bottom at 2 or 3 points.

Before you begin, ask your husband what kind of filling or filling combos he likes. Does he like just whipped cream? Maybe he would like whipped cream on top of creme patisserie. Or maybe you could make a small batch of fresh jam (good produce stores have great frozen berries). You'd make a cream puff, slice it in half, pipe whipped cream artfully inside, then drizzle some berry jam of your choice on top of the whipped cream. Or, replace the jam with a swirl of chocolate and caramel. Then, place the top on and lightly dust the top with confectioner's sugar.

Have fun!

Re: Cream Puffs

Snooky60 — Sun, 05 Apr 2020 02:22:49 GMT

@ScrapHappy - I found a cream puff cake recipe on the internet from "all recipes" that my family likes even better than individual cream puffs. It's a lot easier and not much chance of mistakes. Just google it.💗