Choux pastry is a batter created with water, eggs, and flour. When it bakes, the water turns to steam and makes the batter rise with an airy space in the center… perfect to fill with pastry cream or ice cream. If you fill with pastry cream, it’s a cream puff. If you make them elongated and fill them with pastry cream, it’s an eclair. If you fill them with ice cream, they are are called profiteroles!
A long time ago I made profiteroles.. sometime in July I think. Today I am going to show you how to make pastry cream, and link to the posts for the puffs and the chocolate topping, so you will know how to make a cream puff from scratch. Now I realize this isn’t something people often feel like embarking on, but they do taste RIDICULOUS and if you are a cream puff fan then there is nothing like a freshie!
If you’ve ever had pastry cream, you know it could easily be eaten on its own. Scan to the bottom to see a suggestion of how… it’s truly worth making independently of the puffs.
Puffs:
http://www.homebeccanomics.com/post/7264445340/profiteroles
Chocolate Ganache:
1 c. heavy cream
3/4 c. chopped (or chips) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
To make ganache, bring cream to steaming in a small saucepan. Set chocolate in a mixing bowl. Add steaming cream to chocolate and stir until combined.
Pastry Cream
3 c. milk
3 eggs
3/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. flour
1 tbsp. cornstarch
2 tbsp. butter
1Â 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 c. heavy cream
1. In heavy saucepan, heat milk until steaming.
2. Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, flour, and cornstarch.
3. In a steady but thin stream, pour milk into mixture, whisking constantly. I put my milk into a large glass measuring cup for easier pouring.
4. Return this mixture to clean pan.
5. Cook over medium heat, whisking, for about five minutes or just boiling. Continue to cook another 2 or 3 minutes or until mixture thickens.
6. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla.
7. Pour into a bowl and press waxed paper or saran wrap directly onto surface. Refrigerate at least four hours or overnight.
8. In a large bowl, whip heavy cream (with the whisk attachment on an electric mixer). Fold into pastry cream until just combined.
So if making the puffs seems like a whole lotta work, just make the cream! It’s ethereally light, perfectly sweet, and wonderfully creamy. Put it in a fancy glass and drizzle in some real maple syrup and scatter a few toasted walnuts. Heaven.
Puffs
http://www.homebeccanomics.com/post/7264445340/profiteroles
Chocolate Glaze
1 c. heavy cream
3/4 c. semisweet chocolate (chips or chopped)
To make ganache, bring cream to steaming in a small saucepan. Set chocolate in a mixing bowl. Add steaming cream to chocolate and stir until combined.
Pastry Cream
3 c. milk
3 eggs
3/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. flour
1 tbsp. cornstarch
2 tbsp. butter
1Â 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 c. heavy cream
1. In heavy saucepan, heat milk until steaming.
2. Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, flour, and cornstarch.
3. In a steady but thin stream, pour milk into egg mixture, whisking constantly.
4. Return this mixture to clean pan.
5. Cook over medium heat, whisking, for about five minutes or just boiling. Continue to cook another 2 or 3 minutes or until mixture thickens.
6. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla.
7. Pour into a bowl and press waxed paper or saran wrap directly onto surface. Refrigerate at least four hours or overnight.
8. In a large bowl, whip heavy cream. Fold into pastry cream until just combined.
