🥐 Cream Puff Dessert (Profiteroles)
Cream puffs are delicate, airy pastries made from choux pastry filled with sweet cream and often topped with chocolate or powdered sugar. They’re light, elegant, and a classic French dessert.
📝 Classic Cream Puff Recipe
Ingredients
For the Choux Pastry
- 1 cup (240 ml) water
- ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs
For the Filling
- 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional Topping
- Chocolate ganache (½ cup chocolate + ¼ cup cream)
- Powdered sugar
👩🍳 Instructions
1️⃣ Make the Choux Pastry
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
- In a saucepan, combine water, butter, and salt. Bring to a boil.
- Remove from heat and stir in all flour at once. Return to heat and stir 1–2 minutes until dough forms a ball and pulls from the sides.
- Transfer to a mixing bowl. Let cool 5 minutes.
- Beat in eggs one at a time until smooth and glossy.
2️⃣ Bake the Puffs
- Pipe or spoon dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet (about 2 inches apart).
- Bake 15 minutes at 425°F (220°C), then lower to 375°F (190°C) and bake another 20–25 minutes until puffed and golden.
- Do not open the oven during baking.
- Cool completely on a wire rack.
3️⃣ Prepare the Filling
- Whip heavy cream with sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form.
- Fill a piping bag with the whipped cream.
4️⃣ Assemble
- Slice cooled puffs in half or poke a hole in the bottom.
- Pipe in the cream.
- Top with chocolate ganache or dust with powdered sugar.
🔥 Tips
- Make sure choux pastry is cool enough before adding eggs.
- Don’t underbake; they must be crisp to hold the filling.
- For variation: use pastry cream, custard, or ice cream as filling.
🍽️ Serving Ideas
- Chocolate-covered profiteroles with warm ganache
- Ice cream-filled cream puffs for a summer treat
- Mini cream puffs for parties
- Dust with powdered sugar and serve with berries
If you want, I can also give a shortcut cream puff recipe using frozen puff pastry that’s quicker but still delicious.
