Recipe: Custard Cream Puffs

One day, I suddenly had cravings for cream puffs. Specifically, the cream puffs I always get from Beard Papa's. However, there was a problem... There are no Beard Papa's in downtown Toronto! Determined to fulfill my cravings, I decided to look up recipes and make my own cream puffs!

I got the recipe from joyofbaking.com but they used whipped cream instead of custard.

Choux Pastry:
1/2 cup (65 g) all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon granulated white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (57 g) unsalted butter
1/2 cup water
2 large eggs (lightly beaten)
* you can also have some confectioners sugar on the side for dusting the puffs

Glaze:
1 large egg

Custard:
3 large egg yolks
55g granulated white sugar
30g flour
300 ml milk
20 g unsalted butter
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
80 ml whipping cream

Yield: 15 small or 10 medium/large sized cream puffs



Instructions:
For Custard:
1. Mix sugar and egg yolk in a bowl and whisk until smooth
2. Sift in flour and mix until smooth
3. Heat milk and remove from the stove right before it starts to boil
4. Slowly add the milk to your mixture and mix until even
5. Strain the mixture back into the saucepan used to heat the milk
6. Stir constantly on medium heat until mixture becomes smooth and shiny
7. Turn off heat and add butter and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth
8. Place the mixture into a ceramic bowl/plate and cover with saran wrap

9. Keep refrigerated for 30-60 minutes. (If you want to save time, you can start on the puff pastry while waiting for the custard mixture to cool)

Once custard mixture is chilled or while waiting for the pastry to cool...
10. Use an electric mixer to beat whipping cream until bubbles form

11. Place custard mix in a mixing bowl and add bubbled whipping cream. Mix until smooth.
12. The custard is ready to serve. You can keep it in the bowl or put it in a piping bag

For Choux Pastry: 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) and line baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil
2. In a bowl, sift or whisk together flour, sugar and salt.
3. Place butter and water in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to boil
4. Remove from heat and quickly stir in flour mixture with a wooden spoon or spatula
5. Return saucepan to heat and stir constantly until the dough comes away from the sides of the pan and forms a thick smooth ball
6. Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl and beat on low speed with an electric mixer or hand mixer to release the steam from the dough
7. Add the lightly beaten eggs to the dough and continue to mix until you have a smooth thick paste
8. Spoon or pipe mounds of dough onto baking sheet.

9. Beat together egg and salt for glaze and use a pastry brush and gently brush the glaze on the tops of the dough
10. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and bake for another 30 to 40 minutes until the shells are a nice amber colour
11. Remove from oven and let cool
12. Once the puffs are cooled, you can insert the custard in several ways. I went with the easier way and just cut an opening from the side and piped in the custard. If you don't have a piper/decorating kit/ syringe, I would imagine spoons to work just as well

In terms of presentation, you can dust confectioners sugar onto the puffs, although I don't think its necessary since the puffs have a glazed shiny top that looks nice. 

This was my first time attempting cream puffs and I'm very happy that it turned out so well! I hope you enjoy the recipe as much as I did! I always thought cream puffs were hard to make but this recipe is fairly easy and the total time needed is only about 1 hour. If you ever crave Beard Papa's like I do, save yourself the trip and have some fun making your own!

Feel free to let us know if there are any other recipes you want us to post or try!