A classic French dessert featuring crispy, hollow choux pastry shells filled with silky pastry cream. Light as air with an elegant presentation, perfect for special occasions, afternoon tea, or any time you want to impress with homemade pastries.
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1
Combine whole milk and heavy cream in a medium pot. Scrape vanilla seeds from the bean (or use vanilla extract) and add to the milk mixture. Heat over medium-high heat until boiling, stirring occasionally, then remove from heat to cool slightly and infuse the vanilla flavor.
2
In a separate bowl, whisk together granulated sugar, cornstarch, salt, and egg yolks until well combined and light pale yellow, ensuring no lumps of cornstarch remain.
3
To temper the eggs and prevent scrambling, slowly drizzle half a cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture while whisking constantly. Then slowly pour the warmed egg mixture back into the pot of hot milk, whisking continuously.
4
Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve back into the pot to remove vanilla beans and any lumps. Return to medium-high heat and whisk constantly until the mixture thickens and produces larger bursts of bubbles rather than fine ones, about 5-10 minutes.
5
Remove from heat and whisk in 1 tablespoon of butter until melted, making the custard silky. Transfer to a bowl, press plastic wrap or parchment directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
6
For the choux pastry, combine water, butter pieces, sugar, and salt in a medium heavy-bottomed pot. Heat over medium-high until boiling. Once boiling, remove from heat, add flour, and stir for about 1 minute until a smooth dough ball forms and pulls away from the sides.
7
Return the pot to medium heat and stir for another minute to dry out the dough. Transfer to a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on medium-low for about 2 minutes to cool.
8
Add eggs one at a time (3-4 total), mixing well between each addition. After each egg, the dough should become smoother and more stretchy. The correct consistency is when the dough falls gracefully and slowly from the beater — thick but not stiff or too runny.
9
Transfer choux dough to a piping bag fitted with a round or open star tip. Pipe mounds about 2 inches in diameter and 1 inch high onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Use a damp finger to gently press down any peaks for a smooth dome shape.
10
Preheat oven to 425°F. Bake choux puffs for about 20 minutes until puffed and golden. Remove from oven, poke a small hole in the side of each puff with a toothpick to release steam, then return to oven for 3 more minutes to crisp. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
11
Once the pastry cream and choux puffs are completely cool, whip 1 cup of heavy cream to soft peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the pastry cream until no white streaks remain, creating a lighter, more voluminous filling.
12
Transfer the pastry cream mixture to a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Cut each cooled puff horizontally like a sandwich. Pipe pastry cream into the center and close the top. Repeat for all puffs.
13
Finish by dusting each filled puff with powdered sugar. Serve within a few hours of assembly for best texture. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
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