Description
Vanilla Bean Cream Puffs are light and airy pastries filled with rich vanilla bean cream.
Ingredients
Scale
- For the Choux Pastry:
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (cubed)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs
- For the Vanilla Bean Cream Filling:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 vanilla bean (split and scraped) or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (cubed)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the water and cubed butter. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
- Once boiling, remove from heat and quickly stir in the flour and salt until a smooth dough forms. Return to low heat and stir for an additional 1–2 minutes until the dough pulls away from the sides of the pan.
- Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl. Allow it to cool slightly, then add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition until the dough is smooth and glossy.
- Using a piping bag fitted with a round tip, pipe small mounds (about 1 inch in diameter) onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes or until the puffs are golden brown and have puffed up. Avoid opening the oven door during baking. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.
- In a saucepan, combine the heavy cream, milk, granulated sugar, and the scraped vanilla bean (or vanilla extract). Heat over medium heat until just below boiling.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and cornstarch until smooth.
- Gradually pour the hot cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly to prevent curdling.
- Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens and bubbles, about 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the cubed butter until melted and smooth.
- Transfer the custard to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap (pressing it directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming), and refrigerate until completely chilled.
- Once the choux pastry has cooled completely and the custard is chilled, use a small knife or a pastry tip to make a hole in the bottom of each puff. Fill each puff with the vanilla bean cream using a piping bag or a small spoon.
- Arrange the filled cream puffs on a serving platter. Dust with powdered sugar if desired, and enjoy your delicious Vanilla Bean Cream Puffs!
Notes
- Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.
- Serve within a day for best texture.
- Use fresh vanilla beans for best flavor.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cream puff
- Calories: 200
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 50mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 70mg