MASHLE’s Cream Puff Craze

Give making Mash’s favorite cream puffs a try! Get into the same mindset as Mash and enjoy the moment of biting into a delicious cream puff.

Ingredients
(for about 8 cream puffs)

[ Custard Cream ]

• 400ml (13.5 oz) milk
• 60g (2.1 oz) cane sugar or granulated sugar
• 30g (1 oz) all-purpose flour
• 4 egg yolks
• 1/2 vanilla bean
• 2 tbsp heavy cream (for finishing the custard cream)

[ Choux Pastry ]

• 50ml (1.7 oz) water
• 50ml (1.7 oz) milk
• 40g (1.4 oz) unsalted butter (salted butter is also fine, but omit the salt)
• 5g (0.2 oz) granulated sugar
• A pinch of salt
• 60g (2.1 oz) all-purpose flour
• 3 whole eggs (about 150g / 5.3oz ; adjust based on the dough’s consistency)

Directions

[ To Make the custard cream ]

1. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until pale and thick. This helps prevent the eggs from curdling when adding the hot milk.
2. Stir in the flour gently, just enough to combine. Don’t overmix to avoid developing gluten.
3. In a pot, heat the milk with the vanilla bean (scrape the seeds and add both the seeds and the pod) until just before boiling. Slowly add a little hot milk to the egg mixture and whisk. Then gradually add the rest of the milk, mixing well. If using vanilla extract, add it now.
4. Pour the milk mixture through a fine sieve into the cleaned pot, discarding the vanilla pod.
5. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. The custard will thicken quickly, so stir faster as it cooks. Once smooth and thick, remove from heat.
6. Spread the custard on a tray and cover with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out. Let it cool, either on ice or at room temperature.
7. Note: For cream puffs, let the custard cool completely before using.
8. Once cooled, transfer the custard to a bowl and stir until smooth. Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of heavy cream and mix until smooth.

[ Preparation for Making Choux Pastry ]

1. Bring the eggs to room temperature and beat them well.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Weigh out all the ingredients in advance.
4. Fill a spray bottle with water. If you don’t have one, prepare a cup of water instead.
5. Fit a round piping tip onto your piping bag.
6. Preheat the oven to 200°C (about 392°F).

[ Preparation for Making Choux Pastry ]

1. In a pot, combine the milk, water, butter, granulated sugar, and a pinch of salt. Heat until the mixture comes to a boil.
2. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the all-purpose flour. Mix thoroughly with a rubber spatula until no dry flour remains.
3. Return the pot to medium heat and continue stirring to “knead” the dough. This should take about 1 minute. When you see a thin white film form at the bottom of the pot and hear a faint sizzling sound, remove from heat.
4. [Very Important!!] Remove the pot from the heat and gradually add the beaten eggs, mixing well each time. Work quickly! As Mash says, it’s crucial to bake the dough while it’s still slightly warm. When the dough falls from the spatula and holds a triangular shape, it’s ready. Depending on the consistency of the dough, you may not need to use all of the eggs.
5. Fit a round piping tip onto the piping bag and fill it with the dough. Pipe the dough into rounds about 4-6 cm (1.5-2 inches) in diameter, spacing them apart, as they will expand while baking.
6. Lightly spray the surface of the piped dough with water. If needed, gently press the peaks of the dough with your finger to smooth them out.
7. Bake in a preheated 200°C (392°F) oven for 20-25 minutes. During baking, cracks may form on the surface, but continue baking until the cracks are golden brown. Do not open the oven door before the cracks have a golden color, or the dough will collapse.
8. Once baked, transfer the choux pastries to a cooling rack or wire rack to cool. Once cooled, cut off the top third of each choux, fill with cream, and place the lid back on.