Cream Puffs To-die-for!
published by mo hoyal on Feb 6, 2010
Delicious, easy to make and better than bought from the bakery because you make your own cooked custard filling too!
A cream puff, also called profiterole, is a popular choux pastry. Of French origin from circa 1540, invented by a Chef Panteralli. Over time this dough evolved into Popelins which were “small cakes made in the form of women’s breasts”-their words, not mine!
If that wasn’t bad enough, this dough evolved again into becoming Pate a’ Choux (choux buns) to resemble cabbages. See, even from that time on or probably before, breast size was an issue???
After “cabbage size”, this dough then became known as profiteroles. Now we simply call them cream puffs. Who would of ever thought that a simple dough could be so highly evolved? If they ever go to watermelon size…..I’m outta here!
Batter:
You can make cream puffs, eclairs or profiteroles-with this same batter, only changing and elongating the size for the eclair.
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1 cup all purpose flour
4 large eggs
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Heat water and butter to a rolling boil in a 2 or 2-1/2 quart saucepan. Stir in flour and reduce heat to low setting. Stir vigorously for about one minute or until mixture forms an almost shiny ball. Remove from heat.
*This will be what the dough looks like when ready to come out of the pot, it will stick together in a form of a ball.
After removing from heat, beat the egg yolks in all at one time and continue beating until the dough is smooth. Drop dough by scant 1/4 cupfuls, 3″ apart onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake about 30-40 minutes or until puffed and golden. Cool out of draft for about 30 minutes. Cut tops off each puff and set aside until ready for use. Makes 12 or more.
Cooked custard filling:
1/3 cup sugar, or a little over
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups milk
2 large egg yolks-slightly beaten (yolks only please)
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Mix cornstarch, sugar and salt in 2 quart saucepan and gradually stir in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture boils and thickens. Boil and stir for one minute more and slowly stir half of the hot mixture into the bowl of egg yolks. Stir well and put mix back into the saucepan. Boil and stir for another minute then remove from heat. Pour into bowl and cover with a cling wrap (film) and press film down to cover the entire pudding so it won’t form a crust on top of it. Chill for about 1 hour in the refrigerator.
*This is how the chilled custard should look after being refrigerated for one hour. Some use short cuts and fill the puffs with store-bought whipping cream, but I can guarantee it won’t taste as good.
After custard has chilled, fill each cream puff and put the top back on. You can melt your choice of chocolate in a double boiler, or you can purchase milk or dark chocolate icing already made. Brush the tops of the puffs with this icing. When using soft melted chocolate, drizzle it over the tops of the puffs.
When the cream puffs are filled and iced, dust with Confectioner’s sugar. This is a dessert that must be kept in the refrigerator before or after eating. Do not let them sit out so as to take precautionary measures against food poisoning. There can be different fillings used for these puffs, to include: broccoli and cheese, steak and onions with gravy, strawberries and other berries, and whipped cream to replace the custard. The sky is the limit!
*images by bing.com
*quotations used are courtesy of wikipedia.com
# 1 by Guy Hogan
February 6th, 2010 at 9:18 am #
Yes, even something as simple as a cream puff has a long history. And I thought they were just something good to eat.
# 2 by sambhafusia
February 6th, 2010 at 9:56 am #
seems delicious…nice share
# 3 by albert1jemi
February 6th, 2010 at 10:51 am #
very delicious dish
# 4 by qasimdharamsy
February 6th, 2010 at 2:32 pm #
Very Nice…I like it…
# 5 by AlmaG
February 6th, 2010 at 6:12 pm #
I bookmarked it!
# 6 by drelayaraja
February 7th, 2010 at 11:13 pm #
My mouth is watering………..
# 7 by standingproud
February 8th, 2010 at 1:27 am #
yep I would die for these
# 8 by Frances Lawrence
February 8th, 2010 at 3:58 am #
Very tempting
# 9 by seema1962
February 9th, 2010 at 2:02 am #
sound delecious
# 10 by mo hoyal
February 9th, 2010 at 12:18 pm #
Thank you all so much for your nice comments. I have noticed that someone put a fat bellied girl on the ads where I have my cream puff recipe! Well, cream puffs will cause a person to gain weight when eaten in excess, but I don’t feel these ads are appropriate to put on my recipe page so my warning to you is to not be excessive. I think I should complain to Triond about this, it’s like really obvious!
Anyway, I thank you lovely readers for coming by to read and comment.
# 11 by mo hoyal
February 9th, 2010 at 12:20 pm #
I see the ad is gone so maybe it was a rotating ad and I am simply being too sensitive, ha!
# 12 by Ruby Hawk
February 16th, 2010 at 6:47 pm #
I copied your recipe, I will try and see how mine turns out.
# 13 by Sourav
February 18th, 2010 at 2:05 pm #
This is good!
# 14 by Priyanka D
February 18th, 2010 at 3:31 pm #
Cream puffs are really yummy! Thanks for sharing the recipe! Along with its interesting history!
# 15 by mo hoyal
February 21st, 2010 at 1:17 am #
Dear Ruby,
thanks so much for taking interest, this is really an easy recipe but takes a little time due to the processes until completed, but I can guarantee you a delicious dessert!
# 16 by mo hoyal
February 21st, 2010 at 1:19 am #
priyanka,
thanks so much for coming by, I truly appreciate it!
# 17 by willyonline
February 21st, 2010 at 10:03 am #
Welcome In WORLD`s Friend. Its Best way to communicate & increase good writing also gets best opportunity online through comments. Nice to see you on Triond. I just started my way to Triond. I hope it will be a great experience to see others writings also.”
# 18 by standingproud
February 21st, 2010 at 3:55 pm #
Hay Mo, I thought to how odd having a diet add with fatness displayed on a recipe page was just awful.
It is certainly just fine for us to have yum yum cake goodies from time to time,in fact any food as like you say taken in moderation.
Making us feel guilty all the time is just not healthy for our morale.
I haven’t had a sweetie for ages so Mo come and join me for a cuppa , I will have two cream puffs please.:)