Description
Light, airy, and elegant cream puffs made from crisp choux pastry shells and filled with sweet vanilla whipped cream. These bakery-style pastries are simple to make, versatile, and perfect for special occasions or an everyday treat.
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a saucepan, combine the water and butter and bring to a boil over medium heat.
- Once the butter has fully melted, add the flour and salt all at once. Stir quickly until a smooth dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the pan.
- Remove the pan from the heat and let the dough cool slightly for a few minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition until the dough becomes smooth and glossy.
- Spoon or pipe small mounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving space between each one.
- Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until the puffs are golden brown and fully risen. Let them cool completely.
- In a mixing bowl, whip the heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla extract until soft peaks form.
- Slice each cooled puff in half and fill generously with the whipped cream.
- Place the tops back on and finish with a dusting of powdered sugar or a drizzle of chocolate if desired.
Notes
- Make sure the oven is fully preheated before baking for the best rise.
- Do not open the oven door too early while baking, or the cream puffs may collapse.
- If the shells seem moist inside, poke a small hole in each and return them to the oven briefly to dry out.
- Unfilled cream puff shells can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- Filled cream puffs should be refrigerated and enjoyed within 24 hours.
- To refresh the shells, warm them in a 150°C (300°F) oven for a few minutes before filling.
- You can vary the filling with pastry cream, custard, chocolate mousse, berries, or ice cream.
- Unfilled shells can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cream puff
- Calories: 190
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 70mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 12g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 85mg
