Cream Puffs

So, I was out and about with the boyfriend, and we wanted to get a snack.  We're looking around and we see a Beard Papa.  Cream puffs.  They seem to have become the dessert of the time a couple of years ago and now, they are EVERYWHERE.  I think that I was just picky about the ones that I had at Beard Papas just because I saw that they filled a whole bunch and just took some of them out of the fridge when we bought them while others were filled to order.  But, that's besides the point.  I like them when they are fresh, and not so much when they are soggy from being filled in advance.  The idea to sell cream puffs and only cream puffs was a brilliant one, but maybe not the easiest to do, but, like I said earlier, that's besides the point.  After the little outing and the cream puffs,  I got back home and decided that cream puffs were going to be my next project.

Cream puffs:
1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs

Pastry Cream filling
5 egg yolks
2 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the cream puffs, combine everything except for the flour and eggs into a pot and bring to a boil.  Once it has come to a boil, add the flour all at once and stir.  Continue to stir over medium heat until it becomes thick and it pulls away from the sides of the pan and is slightly shiny.  Transfer the paste to a medium bowl, and beat with a wooden spoon until cool to the touch. Add the eggs, one at a time, incorporating each one thoroughly before adding the next.  Continue to add the eggs until mixture, when taken between your forefinger and thumb can be stretched all the way.  Place in piping bag, and pipe onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper.  Or a scoop can be used to portion the pieces equally.  Then bake in a oven preheated to 400 degrees until browned and light and airy.

For the filling, scald the milk and while waiting for the milk, combine the sugar and cornstarch in a bowl.  Whisk the cornstarch mixture to get all lumps out, then add the egg yolks and mix well.  Temper the milk to the egg yolk mixture, and then return to the pot and cook until thick.  Take the custard off the heat and mix in the vanilla.

To fill the cream puffs, there are two methods.  You can cut off the top of the cream puff, fill and place the top back on.  Or you can make a little hole in the bottom of the cream puff and pipe the filling in from a piping bag with a small tip.  Both ways are good, but the first cannot be covered with a chocolate glaze.

So with the I had some fresh cream puffs today.  I also played with some ideas and had some fun with the bag of pate a choux, or cream puff dough.
Happy chomps and nibbles.