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Cream Puffs with Vanilla Bean Pastry Cream

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All righty. So, cream puffs. Believe it or not, very easy to make. Just like Bavarian doughnuts, there are two typical types of filling. A thicker pastry cream or a lighter whipped filling. For these I went with a vanilla bean pastry cream. Do not imagine vanilla pudding, this pastry cream is from scratch and so tasty. Drizzle with melted chocolate if desired.

Ready for the recipe?

Cream Puff Shells
Makes 20 – 25 Puffs

1/2 cup butter
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs

1.Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

2.In a large pot, bring water and butter to a rolling boil. Stir in flour and salt until the mixture forms a ball. Transfer the dough to a large mixing bowl. Using a wooden spoon or stand mixer, beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet.

3.Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Centers should be dry.

4.When the shells are cool, either split and fill them with the pudding mixture, or use a pastry bag to pipe the pudding into the shells.

Source: Allrecipes.com

Vanilla Bean Pastry Cream
Makes 3 cups

2 cups milk
1/2 cup white sugar
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
6 egg yolks
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pinch salt

1. Place the milk, half the sugar and the vanilla bean in a saucepan over medium heat.

2. Combine the egg yolks and the remaining sugar in a bowl and whisk until light in color. Add in the flour and the salt, mix to combine.

3. When the milk just begins to boil, remove from heat and remove vanilla bean. Very slowly dribble the hot milk into the yolk mixture, stirring all the time. When about half of the milk has been added, place all of the yolk mixture into the saucepan over medium heat. Using a spatula or a whisk, mix the pastry cream as it heats, making sure to reach all of the corners of the pan when you stir. Bring the mixture to a boil. Let boil for about 1 minute, stirring constantly. The mixture will be thick.

4. Remove from heat and add the butter. Strain if you wish for a smoother cream. Place into a bowl and cover directly with plastic wrap to stop a skin from forming on the cream. Chill and use within a few days.

Source: Allrecipes

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42 Comments

  1. OMG. You are the answer! My parents are coming for the week, and I wanted to make them a special treat. This is it. Thank you!!! They love cream puffs! Off to make a shopping list (just need more eggs).
    Aimee

  2. I'm always surprised how easy cream puffs are to make. They look so elegant. I love pastry cream too.

  3. Maggie – rolling boil : A rolling boil (also roiling boil) is when a liquid is boiled rapidly with lots of bubbling.

  4. what if you're lactose intolerant? does using an alternative to milk spoil (no pun intended) all the fun? Let me know.

  5. Shari – Since I am not lactose intolerant, I cannot answer that question. You might try googling alternatives or try the recipe with your alternative ingredients and see how it goes. Sorry, I cannot help any more than offering that. 🙂

  6. Oh wow. My mouth is watering. I love cream puffs, I could eat so many of them! But in the past I've just made them with mere vanilla pudding (the lazy way). This vanilla bean cream sounds AMAZING!

    Stopping over from the Made by You Monday party. 🙂

  7. These look amazing! I have been wanting to make cream puffs all summer. This is the filling my family would enjoy too.

  8. This recipe looks really good! It would be great if you came over to Cast Party Wednesday tomorrow and shared some of your recipes.
    Thanks,
    I hope to see you there!

  9. YUM!!! I love cream puffs! They were one of the things me and my brother would beg my mom to make us when we were little.

  10. This looks amazing! I love cream puffs of all sorts and look forward to trying this recipe! I would love for you to share the recipe at my Savvy HomeMade blog party!

  11. LOVE THIS. I could eat cream puffs all day long, but with vanilla bean??? I love vanilla bean. I used to put vanilla paste in EVERYTHING I made 🙂 But at 12 bucks a bottle… Well, let's just say I still dream about it 😉 Thanks for sharing!!

    Ashton
    http://www.somethingswanky.com
    {Sweet Treats Thursday}

  12. Anything with pastry cream…yum! I just recently posted about homemade vanilla extract that would be perfect for this!

  13. Oh, this looks really delicious. The pastry cream looks rich and wonderful. Thanks for sharing on A Well-Seasoned Life's Sweet Indulgecnes Sunday.

  14. Pinned this so I can find this recipe for my daughters birthday party. Thank you so much! These look divine!

  15. Ali, you did this elegant classic proud with your perfect recipes! Mmmmm…vanilla bean!

    Thank you for sharing your wonderfulness on "A Little Birdie Told Me…" Tuesday!

    Jenn

  16. Hi Ali,
    We just love Cream Puffs and your recipe looks delicious. Your photo is awesome! Thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and hope to see you again real soon. Hope you are having a great week!
    Miz Helen

  17. Thank You So MUCH for joining me last week for Cast Party Wednesday. I hope you will come back tomorrow and share more of your recipes with us.
    Thanks,
    I hope to see you there!

  18. This looks so yummy! Thanks for linking up with me last week! I just added this to my pinterest!

  19. I have so got to try making cream puffs one day! Yours look terrific. Thanks for linking it up to Sweets for a Saturday.

  20. Fantastic recipe! I love it when the recipe and filling are both wonderful on the same page! I used 2T vanilla extract instead of the bean because well, I'm cheap! It turned out delicious! Thank you thank you!