Episode 3: Cream Puffs

Cream Puffs
Recipe Type: Dessert
Author: Jeanne Zablotskyy
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6-12
Ingredients
  • For the pastry
  • 1 cup Water
  • ½ cup Butter or Margarine
  • 4 Eggs
  • ¼ teaspoon Salt
  • 1 cup All Purpose Flour (sifted)
  • For the vanilla custard filling
  • 1 cup Milk
  • 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
  • 1 packet Instant Vanilla Pudding (about 3.4 oz, you may use your favorite brand)
  • For Presentation
  • Powdered Sugar
Instructions
Pastry
  1. Pour one cup of water in a medium to large <g class=”gr_ gr_63 gr-alert gr_spell gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling ins-del” id=”63″ data-gr-id=”63″>sauce pan</g>, add butter and bring it to <g class=”gr_ gr_65 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_run_anim Grammar only-ins doubleReplace replaceWithoutSep” id=”65″ data-gr-id=”65″>rolling</g> boil.
  2. While the mixture of water and butter still boiling add flour, half a cup at a time. Stir well to incorporate the flour so it starts pulling away from the pan and forms a ball.
  3. Place the mixture of flour into a mixer. Turn the mixer on and add the eggs, one egg at a time letting it fully incorporate before adding the next one.
  4. Place the pastry mixture into a piping bag and pipe individual “puffs” onto a greased baking pan. This recipe is aimed at making 12 medium size cream puffs. But if you make them smaller you can get 18-20 smaller cream puffs.
  5. Bake the cream puffs at 400°F in a pre-heated oven for 10 minutes then reduce the temperature to 350°F and bake for another 25 minutes until the puffs are doubled in size.
  6. Once baked, remove the puffs from the oven and make a small slice with a knife in the bottom of each puff. This lets the hot air out and prevents the puffs from collapsing.
Filling
  1. Combine milk, heavy cream and instant pudding in the mixer.
  2. Mix on medium speed for about 5 minutes or until you get “soft peaks”.
  3. Place the filling into a piping bag with #12 decorating tip attached. Fill each puff <g class=”gr_ gr_58 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_run_anim Grammar multiReplace” id=”58″ data-gr-id=”58″>through</g> the slice you made in step 6. If you do not have a piping bag you can slice the puffs in half (horizontally) and fill them with a spoon.

 

Meet the Author

Fr Vlad

Fr. Vlad Zablotskyy is the rector of Holy Trinity Orthodox Church in Yonkers, NY. He enjoys cooking, baking bread and gardening.