Allow 2-3 hours in order to make this recipe. You can also prepare the pastry cream filling up to a day in advance. While the pastry cream is chilling make the cream puff shell recipe.
Do you want to challenge your cooking skills and make a fabulous dessert? Our French cream puff recipe will delight your taste buds and bring out your inner pastry chef.
Check the ingredient and kitchen utensil list before you begin and put your eggs on the counter so they get to room temperature. Next scrape the vanilla beans and make sure you have enough COLD unsalted butter. This French cream puff recipe is rather easy so long as you follow our instructions and prepare your ingredients.
Kitchen Utensils:
- large sauce pan
- baking sheet
- wooden spoon
- parchment paper
- medium sized ice cream scoop or every day table spoon (not the measuring one)
Cream Puff Shell Recipe
- ½ C Butter
- 1 C Water
- ¼ t Salt
- 1 C Flour
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
First preheat your oven to 450℉. While your oven preheats you can make the cream puff shell recipe.
Bring water, salt, and butter to a rolling boil. Remove from heat. With a wooden spoon stir in flour all at once, beating well until mixture leaves the side of the pan. Cool for 1 minute. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Beat until mixture is glossy and smooth.
Using a medium sized ice cream scoop or every day table spoon (not the measuring spoon) make mounds and drop onto a greased baking sheet (can be small or large). You can also use a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Place mounds on top of the parchment paper.
Bake 15 minutes at 450 degrees Fahrenheit, reduce heat to 350 Fahrenheit and bake for 30 minutes more. Remove from oven and baking sheets and place the pastries on a cooling rack until cool.
I fill my cream puff shells with a chilled vanilla pastry cream which is mixed with heavy whipping cream. You may also use ice cream or your favorite filling.
Vanilla Pastry Cream Filling
- Makes about 2 cups or 18 two-inch sized puffs
- 2 cups whole Milk
- 2 Vanilla beans, split and scraped
- ⅓ cup Sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 large egg yolks
- 3 tablespoons of COLD unsalted butter, diced
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and vanilla beans and seeds over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 4 minutes, until the milk is very hot and steaming but not boiling.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the sugar, cornstarch, and salt together.
In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks until well mixed. Add the sugar mixture into the eggs and beat until lightened and fluffy.
While whisking, pour about a third of the hot milk over the yolk mixture and whisk very well until combined. Add another third of the hot milk and beat well. Whisk in the remaining milk and pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Return the pan to medium heat and whisk constantly until the mixture begins to boil. Once it is bubbling, beat the mixture vigorously at a boil for 2 full minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter, a little at a time. Pass the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a small bowl. Discard the vanilla bean or reserve for another use. Place plastic wrap directly on the pastry cream. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. You can also refrigerate over night if you are preparing this recipe in advance.
Before you serve these cream puffs you will need to beat the heavy cream to stiff peaks with a mixer. When you have stiff peaks add the heavy cream to the pastry cream. Fold together with a spatula to mix and loosen.
Take the baked cream puff shells and slice a little off the top about 1/4 of the puff or less. Gently remove part of the soft middle and fill the hole with the pastry cream. Place the top back on the cream puff shell and drizzle with melted chocolate if desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve no longer than 4 or 5 hours.
Do you need a dessert recipe that is quick and easy? Try our single serving dessert mousse. You can make this vanilla cream with fresh berries and put it in the refrigerator while you make dinner.