French Cream Puffs with Vanilla Custard and Whipped Cream

Ingredients

• 33 g Unsalted butter (softened, for shortbread base)
• 40 g Granulated sugar (for shortbread base)
• 40 g All‑purpose flour (for shortbread base)
• 60 g Unsalted butter (for choux dough, melted)
• 65 g Milk (whole milk, room temperature)
• 65 g Water (cold)
• 2 g Salt (fine sea salt)
• 65 g All‑purpose flour (for choux dough)
• 3 Eggs (large, room temperature)
• 2 Egg yolks (separated from eggs for custard)
• 35 g Granulated sugar (for custard)
• 10 g Cornstarch (for custard thickening)
• 200 g Milk (for custard, whole milk)
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract (optional, for flavor)
• 170 g Heavy cream (cold, for whipped cream)
• 17 g Granulated sugar (for whipped cream)

Instructions

1. Prepare shortbread base (optional)

   In a bowl combine 33 g softened unsalted butter, 40 g sugar and 40 g flour. Mix until a smooth dough forms.

   Time: PT5M

2. Chill shortbread dough

   Press the dough to a 2–3 mm thickness on a sheet of parchment, sprinkle a little flour, then cut 5 cm circles with a cookie cutter. Place the circles on a tray, cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 15 minutes.

   Time: PT15M

3. Melt butter for choux dough

   In a stainless‑steel saucepan melt 60 g unsalted butter over medium heat until fully liquid.

   Time: PT2M

4. Boil liquid and add flour

   Add 65 g water and 65 g milk to the melted butter, bring to a boil (about 10 seconds), then quickly stir in 65 g flour. Keep stirring for 1 minute until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan.

   Time: PT2M

5. Cool dough and incorporate eggs

   Remove the pan from heat and let the dough cool for 1 minute. Add the three room‑temperature eggs in 3‑4 portions, mixing after each addition until the dough forms a smooth “V” shape and is glossy.

   Time: PT5M

6. Pipe choux shells

   Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a 1 cm round tip. Pipe 5 cm circles onto a parchment‑lined baking sheet, spacing them about 2 cm apart. Sprinkle a few tiny frozen butter pieces on top of each circle (optional).

   Time: PT5M

7. Bake choux shells

   Bake in a pre‑heated oven at 190 °C for 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 170 °C and bake another 15 minutes until golden and puffed.

   Time: PT30M

   Temperature: 190°C then 170°C

8. Cool baked shells

   Turn off the oven, crack the door open slightly and let the shells sit for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.

   Time: PT10M

9. Make vanilla custard – whisk yolks

   In a bowl whisk together 2 egg yolks, 35 g sugar and 10 g cornstarch until the mixture turns pale yellow and thick.

   Time: PT5M

10. Cook custard

    Heat 200 g milk (add vanilla extract if using) in a saucepan until just simmering. Gradually pour the hot milk into the yolk mixture while whisking, then return everything to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until large bubbles form and the custard thickens (about 5 minutes).

    Time: PT5M

11. Cool and set custard

    Spread the hot custard onto a flat tray, cover with plastic wrap (direct contact to prevent skin), and place in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm.

    Time: PT15M

12. Whip cream

    In a chilled bowl, combine 170 g heavy cream with 17 g sugar. Whisk quickly until soft peaks form.

    Time: PT5M

13. Assemble cream puffs

    Using a chopstick or a small spoon, make a hole in the top of each choux shell. Fill the cavity with a spoonful of chilled custard, then pipe or spoon whipped cream on top. Seal the opening with a dab of cream.

    Time: PT5M

14. Set assembled puffs

    Place the filled puffs on a tray, cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or up to 3 hours) to let the flavors meld.

    Time: PT2H

15. Cleanup

    Wash all bowls, whisk, saucepan, piping bag, tray and utensils; wipe down countertops.

    Time: PT20M

Nutrition Facts

Calories

260

Protein

4 g

Carbohydrates

30 g

Fat

15 g

Fiber

1 g

Ingredient Substitutions

• Instead of Unsalted butter: salted butter (reduce added salt)
• Instead of Granulated sugar: coconut sugar, powdered sugar
• Instead of All‑purpose flour: pastry flour
• Instead of Unsalted butter: salted butter (omit extra salt)
• Instead of Milk: half‑and‑half, almond milk (for dairy‑free)
• Instead of Salt: kosher salt (adjust amount)
• Instead of All‑purpose flour: pastry flour
• Instead of Eggs: egg substitute (for vegans)
• Instead of Egg yolks: pasteurized egg yolks
• Instead of Granulated sugar: coconut sugar
• Instead of Cornstarch: all‑purpose flour (double amount)
• Instead of Milk: half‑and‑half
• Instead of Vanilla extract: vanilla bean seeds
• Instead of Heavy cream: whipping cream
• Instead of Granulated sugar: powdered sugar

Equipment Needed

• Kitchen scale
• Mixing bowls
• Whisk
• Stainless steel saucepan
• Piping bag
• Round piping tip (≈1 cm) (optional)
• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper
• 5 cm cookie cutter (optional)
• Plastic wrap
• Freezer
• Oven
• Spatula
• Cooling rack (optional)

Critical Steps — Do Not Skip

• Stirring the flour into the boiling butter‑milk‑water mixture until the dough pulls away from the pan (step 4).
• Adding eggs gradually to achieve the correct dough consistency (step 5).
• Baking with the two‑stage temperature to ensure proper rise and color (step 7).
• Cooking custard without scorching; stop when large bubbles appear (step 10).
• Refrigerating assembled puffs for at least 2 hours for proper set (step 14).

Chef Tips from the Video

• Use ice‑cold water and milk for the choux dough to keep the butter from melting too early.
• Pipe the dough in uniform circles; a kitchen scale (5 g each) guarantees even size.
• For an extra glossy finish, brush the tops of the shells with a light egg wash before baking.

Troubleshooting

Storage

Refrigerator: Store assembled cream puffs in an airtight container for 2–3 days.

Freezer: Unfilled choux shells freeze well for up to 1 month; thaw at room temperature before filling.

Room temperature: Do not keep filled puffs at room temperature longer than 2 hours.

Make-Ahead Tips

• Bake the choux shells a day ahead and store them in an airtight container.
• Custard can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance; keep chilled.
• Whipped cream can be stabilized with a pinch of cream of tartar for longer holding.