| A sweet pastry made with a choux pastry dough that is baked to form small dome shaped puffs. The outer crust is golden tan and somewhat brittle after being baked while the inner crumb is dense and fluffy. The dough used to make Cream Puffs is the same dough that is used to make éclairs, gourgeres and profiteroles. The ingredients to be mixed together consist of water, butter, flour, sugar, and eggs. Recipes for making the pastry puffs all require a large amount of eggs, so when preparing the dough it is important to make sure the eggs are dispersed evenly throughout the mixture. As the eggs are being mixed in with the flour and water, the dough should begin to display a glossy appearance but not a moist or wet look. Too much moisture in the dough will not allow the crumb to be light and airy. When the dough is spooned onto a baking sheet, it should be dispersed in a stacked manner rising up to a little peak if possible rather than a short, flattened clump.
After baking, allow the Puffs to cool and then just before serving, slice each Puff open and fill with a cream filling such as whipped cream or custard and then dust the top of each Cream Puff with powdered sugar. Cream Puffs can be made to be filled with sweet ingredients or savory ingredients. |
