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Cream Puffs




Source of Recipe


magazine






List of Ingredients



• For Cream Puffs:
  
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut up
  
• 1 cup water
  
• 2 teaspoons sugar
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 cup flour
  
• 4 large eggs
  
• 1 large egg yolk, mixed with:
  
• 1 teaspoon water
  
• Pastry Cream:
  
• 1 1/2 cups half and half
  
• 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
  
• 1/3 cup sugar
  
• 2 tablespoons flour
  
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  
• pinch of salt
  
• 4 large egg yolks
  
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
  
• Caramel Sauce:
  
• 1 cup sugar
  
• 1/4 cup water
  
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
  
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
  
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
  






Instructions



1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 2 baking sheets (or cover with parchment paper). In medium saucepan, heat butter, water, sugar and salt to boiling over high heat. When butter melts remove pan from heat, add flour. Beat vigourously until smooth; over medium heat stir for 30 seconds, until ball forms. Cool 3 minutes.
   
2. Beat in 1 egg at a time, beating until dough is smooth between additions. Drop dough onto prepared baking sheets, brush with egg yolk mixture being careful not to drip on baking sheets. Bake dough 25 minutes or until doubled in size and golden brown. With knife tip, slit puffs so steam escapes. Lower heat to 325 degrees, bake puffs 15 minutes or until very crisp. Remove from oven, cool on rack.
   
3. To serve: Halve puffs crosswise, remove soft insides. Fill with pastry cream. Cover with tops. Drizzle with warm Caramel Sauce.
   
4. Pastry Cream: In medium saucepan, heat half and half and vanilla bean to simmering. Meanwhile, in medium bowl mix sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt, add egg yolks and mix. Gradually whisk in hot half and half. Pour mixture (and vanilla bean) back into pan, whisk constantly over low heat until boiling. (Mixture will start to form clumps, whisk vigourously to keep smooth.)
   
5. Remove from heat, whisk in butter in small bits. Sieve into bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on surface. Chill. Whip cream and fold into pastry cream. Makes 2 cups.
   
6. Caramel Sauce: In small saucepan heat sugar and water over high heat to boiling, swirling pan, not stirring, to dissolve sugar and using a wet pastry brush to dissolve any sugar on pan sides. Boil for 6 minutes or until dark caramel forms. Remove from heat. Carefully add cream (mixture will sputter), return to heat. Stir to dissolve caramel. Stir in salt and vanilla. Keep warm. Makes 1 1/4 cups.