Caramel Cream Puffs

Photo: flickr user scaredy_kat

Ingredients

Pate a Choux:

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 cup all purpose flour

4 eggs

Caramel Pastry Cream

1/4 cup cornstarch or flour (you can use either)

1/2 cup sugar

4 egg yolks

1 cup milk

1 cup heavy cream (this makes it much silkier)

2 tablespoons water

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation

Pate a Choux

Combine butter, 1 cup water and 1/8 tsp salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil. Add the flour all at once, stirring vigorously. Cook and stir till mixture forms a ball that does not separate. Remove from heat. Cool 10 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating with a wooden spoon after each addition until smooth.

This is your cream puff batter, you can drop by spoonfuls or use a pastry bag and make the puffs or eclairs.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Split puffs and remove any soft dough from inside. Fill with the Pastry Cream!! Yum.

I used a caramel glaze to top the puffs, I dipped them in caramelized sugar before I split them so they wouldn't crumble in my hands later.

Caramel Pastry Cream

Place remaining 1/4 cup sugar and water in small heavy pot and stir to combine. Cook over medium heat, swirling pan but not stirring until sugar turns medium amber.

Carefully pour in remaining milk and heavy cream and stir until smooth.

Bring mixture to a simmer and then pour hot mixture over mixture in bowl whisking constantly.

Pour back into pan, cook over moderate heat stirring until smooth and thick.

Remove from heat, stir an additional minute, add the vanilla.

Transfer to a bowl, immediately cover with plastic wrap. Cool for at least 2 hours.

Tools

Place your ad here
Loading...

About

I've been making cream puffs and eclairs for a while now, and have the pate a choux down thank goodness. But, I had never tried caramel pastry cream, have always wanted too but just never got around to it. OMG!! Why did I wait so long??? I found this recipe, tweaked it a little bit and got the creamiest caramel pastry cream I've ever tasted.

I guarantee you will love these, they are exquisite!