Choux Cream Puffs

Method

1. 01

   Make the vanilla cream first so it can chill. Heat the 500 ml milk until steaming. In a bowl, whisk the 4 egg yolks, 100 g sugar, 35 g cornstarch, and 2 teaspoons vanilla until smooth, then slowly whisk in about one third of the hot milk. Pour the warmed yolk mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thick and just bubbling.

   ⏱ 10 min
2. 02

   Remove the cream from the heat and whisk in the 30 g cold butter until glossy. Transfer to a shallow bowl, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface, and chill until completely cold.

   ⏱ 120 min
3. 03

   Heat the oven to 190 C, or 170 C with fan. Line two baking trays with parchment. For even round puffs, draw twelve 5 cm circles on the underside of the parchment, leaving space between them for expansion.

   
4. 04

   Make the choux paste. Combine 125 ml water, 125 ml milk, 100 g butter, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 0.5 teaspoon salt in a saucepan and bring to a full boil so the butter melts completely. Remove from the heat, add the 150 g flour all at once, and beat firmly with a wooden spoon or stiff spatula until no dry flour remains.

   ⏱ 5 min
5. 05

   Return the pan to medium-low heat and stir for 1-2 minutes to dry the dough; it should pull from the sides and leave a light film on the pan. Transfer to a bowl and cool for 5 minutes, then beat in the 4 eggs a little at a time until the dough is glossy and slowly falls from the spoon in a thick V shape. Stop adding egg if the paste becomes pipeable before all the egg is used.

   ⏱ 8 min
6. 06

   Transfer the choux paste to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe tall round mounds inside the guides, then smooth any peaks with a wet fingertip so the puffs rise evenly instead of forming sharp tops.

   
7. 07

   Bake at 190 C without opening the oven door until the puffs are well risen, deeply golden, and feel light for their size. They should look like hollow round buns, not flat cookies or long eclair logs.

   ⏱ 32 min
8. 08

   Pierce a small hole in the bottom of each hot puff to release steam. Return them to the turned-off oven with the door slightly open for 10 minutes, then cool completely on a rack before filling.

   ⏱ 10 min
9. 09

   Whip the 200 ml cold heavy cream to soft-medium peaks. Whisk the chilled vanilla cream until smooth, then gently fold in the whipped cream to make a lighter filling. Transfer to a piping bag with a small round tip and fill each puff through the bottom hole until it feels full but not bursting.

   ⏱ 10 min
10. 10

    Dust the filled puffs with powdered sugar and serve the same day. Present them as individual round cream puffs rather than chocolate-topped eclair logs; refrigerate leftovers, but expect the shells to soften after filling.