Choux pastry -- fill with sweetened whipped cream or custard.
I make cream puffs a few times a year and this is a really good recipe. Make sure you cook the flour till it pulls away from the sides of the pan and looks kinda dry and don't forget 1 egg at a time. Don't cut out steps. You can fill these with anything. I make custard or a nepoleon cream. You can also fill with fresh fruit like berries maserated in sugar with a spoon of whipped cream. I usually drizzle with chocolate or a hard caramel. If you like them sweet use about 2T. sugar in the water, flour, butter mixture. If you want to make these savory omit sugar, up the salt a little and you can even add pepper to them to make them tastier. Fill with salmon mousse or a savory cheese spread.
Read MoreI could not get these to puff...Followed the recipe to a Tee...Wish they had though, cuz you all made them sound so yummy!
Read MoreI make cream puffs a few times a year and this is a really good recipe. Make sure you cook the flour till it pulls away from the sides of the pan and looks kinda dry and don't forget 1 egg at a time. Don't cut out steps. You can fill these with anything. I make custard or a nepoleon cream. You can also fill with fresh fruit like berries maserated in sugar with a spoon of whipped cream. I usually drizzle with chocolate or a hard caramel. If you like them sweet use about 2T. sugar in the water, flour, butter mixture. If you want to make these savory omit sugar, up the salt a little and you can even add pepper to them to make them tastier. Fill with salmon mousse or a savory cheese spread.
I've made these so many times and they turn out really good every time. I fill these with whipped cream mixed with cream cheese [1/2 cup whipping cream + 1/3 cup sugar + 8oz cream cheese] and they taste like little cheese cakes but in cream puff shells. And on some variations, I drizzle melted chocolate on the shells. Always a hit!
In Australia we know these as profiteroles (a French dish) and people make a spectacular wedding cake out of them by building the filled puffs into a pyramid and covering them with a hard toffee glaze. As plain profiteroles we serve them filled with whipped cream or custard and covered in chocolate sauce. This is a very good recipe! My oven is gas and only needed 220 degrees Celcius, not 230 for the first 20 minutes. One trick I know is that if some are still a little raw inside it is not unheard of just to scoop out the uncooked bit!!!
I am a BIG proponent of using butter rather than marg or shortening, but in these, I recommend marg or shortening - it produces a better result. Also, try layering the filling - the cream cheese/whipped cream on the bottom - on top, add some lemon curd or vanilla or chocolate pudding (I'm recommending these in the order in which I think they "work"), then top with whipped cream. Finely grated lemon zest on top of the lemon filled pastries is wonderful. They look glorious, and (especially with the lemon curd) are a HUGE hit! Enjoy!
Hubby loves cream puffs, so I make these often for him. You can also substitute beer for the water and fill the puffs with chicken, tuna or egg salad! Delicious!
This recipe makes a very good cream puff. I fill with instant vanilla pud- ding. Also, melt semi-sweet choc. chips with small amount of shortening and dip tops of puffs. DMES
Every time I've made these they come out perfect! No one believes that I made them, I also took another's advise & fill them with 1/2 c whipping cream+1/3 c sugar+8 oz cream cheese. They're a huge hit at any gathering.
fan - bleeping - tastic ! The only change I made was I do not use shortening. I use butter. I also used a 1 inch cookie scoop because I like smaller puffs. These take about half the time to cook so what them closely the first time you make this size. I filled them with christinibeanies pastry cream which is the best I have ever had. DO NOT CUT OFF THE TOPS! Use a wilton #2 tip to puncture the side or tope of puff. Fill a pastry bag with cream and a # 8 tip and fill puff. You will feel when it is filled. Then dip in chocolate ganache.
Fast, easy, delicious - I filled it with real whipped cream and drizzled chocolate on top!
Came out great and so easy to make. I used to think cream puffs was an all-day affair but now I know better! Have made several times with wonderful reviews from friends and relatives. Thanks!
Excellent recipe. The shells came out beautiful and tasted like something out of a bakery. I filled them with the Pastry Cream (also in allrecipes) and topped the puffs with a bit of leftover strawberry glaze (from Strawberry Pie II). They made for a great dessert.
Came out perfectly but had to only give 4 stars because there is one direction missing - you are supposed to let the dough sit for 10 minutes after the mixture stirs into a ball. THEN add the eggs - one at a time. I made some mini cream puffs and some regular sized ones. The mini ones I filled with whipped cream (sweetened) and the larger ones with a homemade vanilla pudding.
I found this recipe easy to make, bake and decorate! The shell is flakey to eat. A couple of friends of mine and I made 7 dozen of these for a church function. Everyone converged on them. We added flavors to the shell by adding extracts and fruit to the batter. We make some that had sugar in them and some that were sugar free. We just got creative! They tasted delectable! The only issue that we ran into is if you make the "ball" of dough smaller than what is called for then they dont rise and create holes in the middle for the piped in custard or pudding. Be deliberate but be creative with these and you will end up the envy of the neighborhood. But you will also become the dessert maker for every event-with something this easy that makes it an easy order.
i always use this for my puff recipes even though i'm twelve i still love to bake as much as the next person
I could not get these to puff...Followed the recipe to a Tee...Wish they had though, cuz you all made them sound so yummy!
they tasted too much like crisco. Next time I will use a stick of butter. I made pudding out of egg nog that coved the taste. I just remade them with butter. MUCH BETTER
I sent these to work with my spouse as a treat to share (filled with heavy whipped cream and topped with chocolate) and they were a sure hit! I was really worried when they didn't puff up right away in the oven -- but be patient, they will!
I never made cream puffs before, and I did mess up the first time I made these. On the second try they came out great. It was defintely operator error. I wanted small puffs, so I used my small cookie scoop to spoon them out and cooked them a little less time. I think my mistake was not mixing the eggs in enough. They came out as little hard balls. I found out the hard way that you really have to incorporate the eggs in very well. When you think you have done it enough, do it some more.
We love these because of their versatility.Weather used for savory or sweet. I made these for a wedding shower in the mini cupcake tins and filled them with a very simple recipe for pastry custard. I can make both the custard and puffs ahead of time and then fill right before displying them on a pretty plate. You can also use the normal size cupcake tins and fill with your favorite savory filling. I make a chicken pot pie filling and put it in the puffs. D-lish!
Four stars just because I didn't like the shortening. 5+++ stars using butter. PERFECTO! I fill these mixing a box of instant vanilla pudding(not store brand-the good brand)with a milk and heavy cream mixture that is recommended on the box(on the box recommends milk but use half heavy cream as well-so much more delicious) What a perfect cream puff. I also drizzle choc on top of them. People do think I buy them at a bakery.
Great recipe, however I found the baking time to be a tad too long. I took them out about 8 minutes before the timer was set to go off, and if I hadn't checked them they would have burned.
Cream puffs - always a smash hit! Make sure to cut in half and remove the fillament from inside first. That's not in the instructions. Then I like to add a couple slices of fresh strawberries or other fruit surprise, along with the whipping cream. I add a couple tbsp's of instant vanilla or chocolate pudding to the whipping cream, for a little more body, so the whip cream doesn't separate. I never use Cool Whip. It must be real whipping cream for the best effect. I also make these ahead and freeze them (without the filling). Or try adding a chicken & cream cheese filling with chopped chives for a really nice side for soup, or an appy.
turned out perfect, let them dry in the oven with the door left open a crack after turning the oven off.
I tried this recipe and used butter instead of shortening! Shortening was way to heavy and they didn't rise but the butter they puffed right up!
These shells tasted fine, and I filled them with pastry cream... my wife gobbled down 4 of them after dinner before proclaiming herself stuffed. I wish there were a way to add the cream without slicing the puffs open and hollowing them out. Messy. Otherwise, quite tasty.
Just like my grandmother's cream puffs! Thank you for sharing. They were incredible!!
Excellent cream puff shells. I filled them with the bavarian cream recipe I found here on allrecips.
Came out perfect! Filled with homemade vanilla pudding and topped with powdered sugar. Now in great demand both family and friends!
This was great! I used chocolate mousse with orange liquor mixed in for the filling... YUMMY! My partner is now expecting me to make this for his birthday instead of a cake... : )
Very good. Just as I remembered... One thing though, is you should crack the oven after the pastry is done for an hour or so to prevent falling.
This shell recipe was so easy and they turned out wonderful! I did use a medium sized ice cream scooper to dish out the dough and I cooked them for 15 min (since they were a bit smaller) at 450 then for 10 when you reduce the temp to 350! Making sure they were a dark GOLDEN brown they were then perfect! I used a whipping cream recipe from a Emeril Cookbook and it was SUPER yummy! The cream recipe was 1 cup heavy whipping cream with 2 Tablespoons of Powdered Sugar and 3/4 tsp. vanilla extract! I made a double batch of the cream to fill all the puffs. The first time beating it all the old-fashioned was with hand beaters and the second batch I used my Magic Bullet kitchen appliance to whip the cream! The Magic Bullet did the job in just Seconds!!!! They both were good but the Magic Bullet was by far the better option and the cream didn't seem to liquify as fast after sitting for awhile! But both ways work just fine. Thank you !
Turned out perfect for what I needed them for - I piped them with salmon pate for a delightful canape.
Very nice, easy and they freeze well. Delicious filled with ice cream and balsamic strawberries.
Easy to make, quick to clear from the plate. The best part? Seeing all those beautiful puffs expand! The shells were crispy and light, and were a wonderful contrast to the cream cheese filling I used. The only difference I made to the directions was to reduce the 230 deg C cooking time to 15 mins and the 175 deg C cooking time to 10 mins, because by then the shells were a beautiful golden and hollow. I'll definitely make more and experiment with savoury fillings. *grins*
Wow I have tried to make cream puff shells before and failed but this was by far the best recipe I have ever tried, It came together just as it says it will . easy to follow and great results !
These turned out lovely. I doubled the recipe and came out with about 40 medium sized shells. Crispy, slightly chewy, light. I filled them with homemade vanilla infused sweetened whipped cream, make sure it's stiff, and then immersed them in chocolate. My whole family loved them. I will make again.
This is a great recipe! Probably could have been done with only 3 eggs, however, and I baked mine for 20 minutes on 450 then only 10 minutes on 350. I pull out any extra that may be inside when I cut them open. I filled them with instant chocolate or vanilla pudding and sprinkle confectioner's sugar on top! Very good!
Great, I just mixed everything and put the mixture into well greased muffin cups before baking. I served them with CHRISTINIBEANIE's Pastry Cream recipe.
Never having made cream puff shells before, I had no idea how much beating it would take to make the dough "thick and shiny and ... breaks from spoon". That takes nearly 15 minutes and next time I will use my stand mixer with the bread dough blade instead of doing it by hand. And the puff shells turned out great! I would make this again!
I have never made cream puffs before this recipe. They turned out wonderfully. I filled them with 1-8oz block cream cheese whipped with 3 ripe bananas, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 1 cup heavy cream. Next I am going to try adding garlic to the batter and filling with 1-8oz block cream cheese whipped with 1 cup sour cream; 1/4 cup green onions (finely chopped) and 1/4 cup parsley (finely chopped) Served with some bacon strips and tomato wedges!
I make these in the small size the put a spoonful of sandwich filling (flaked ham, tuna or egg) to make hors d'oeuvres.
Oh my! These smelled amazing while they were baking, and when they were done, they were beautiful and tasty. Served them to guests, filled with sweetened whipped cream and chocolate on top. Impressive and delicious! (and easy!)
I use butter and once the mixture has boiled, transfer it over to an electric mixer to beat in eggs.
Fast, easy, tasty. Made half the recipe (6 puffs) and they were done after a total of 25mins in the oven. Filled mine with a chocolate-cream cheese mix.
I tried these a few times. They definitely are easy to make not don't take a long time. I did find that they were too eggy tasting for me. I would also recommend using a vanilla pudding mixture for the filling. The pastry is a little to bland for just plain whip cream. Not bad overall but I'll keep looking for the bakery taste I'm hunting for.
Added 1 1/2 tsp of sugar, and followed instruction faitfully. Puffs were nicely golden brown at the end of bake time and hollow and dry inside. Stuck to my baking sheets though, so next time I will line my sheets. I filled the shells with Pastry Cream from this site. Delicious. Thank you for posting.
Unbelievably simple! Followed the recipe exactly and talk about beautiful. Made chocolate pudding and mixed in cool whip for the filling. My kids now think I'm the kitchen queen even though I'm not. I'm already dreaming up excuses to make them again :)
I made small puffs about 2" max, so i reduced the baking time by 5mins. Recipe works great, the last time i made choux pastry was 2 decades ago and failed miserably. This time i am so happy it worked. Thanks! Came out perfect!
This was the first time I made cream puff shells & I was nervous, but everything turned out just fine. Great, simple recipe!
very good recipe trust me! I used plain flour instead of all- purpose flour and when i added the eggs with the ball of mixture , i felt that it wasnt gonna be good cos there were lumps no matter how long i mix . but i was wrong! even , though there were small dough lumps that i couldnt flatten , i baked them still ,and the puff still worked! the flat mixture puffed up and my elder brother felt that it can be compared to the bakers. :D
I made these for the first time yesterday and just wanted to share some of my observations. The recipe says it makes 12 large puffs. If you portion it out equally, each puff will end up being about 3-4" in diameter. I followed the recipe exactly, using butter flavored crisco. Per another reviewers suggestion, I waited about ten minutes before I added the eggs, one at a time, and took the puffs out of the oven immediately (instead of cracking the door and letting them cool more slowly, as some one suggested). I did not sweeten them, since I added a sweet filling (half sweetened whipped cream, and half vanilla pudding, blended), and I didn't think they needed it. They were great! My only issue was that I baked a double batch all together, and the puffs on the bottom pan did not rise as nicely.
very easy to make and just like my mom used to make when I was a kid. I will say I have never made cream puffs and didn't pay attention when my mom made them so I didn't realize how much they expand! I have 6 large puffs lol, next time I will not make such big ones!!
These were fabulous! I made them bite sized and filled with stabilized sweetened whipped cream. They were the hit of my daughter's 'high tea' birthday!!
My husband's Canadian family has had this recipe for a couple generations, and it is always a hit with guests. We fill with vanilla ice cream, and he makes his own caramel sauce to go over that - delectable!
These make a great appetizer for any party and can be filled with so many differnt things.
Puffs keep looking like hockey-pucks... not Rising; Seems to be to runny of a batter...
First timer on Cream Puff Shells!! I will keep this recipe for ever! Wonderful and oh so easy. I am also going to try the idea the member left about using beer instead of water for samwiches! GOOD GOOD GOOD!!
A little too eggy, but still good. I did it with a vanilla pudding center and a vanilla glaze on top.
Great recipe.. I just didn't like the shortening (i usually do this recipe using butter but this time decided to give shortening a try). Added just a tad of vanilla to the dough.. scooped into 16 shells, then after cooling filled with chocolate whipped cream, and dipped them all in chocolate mousse. Decorated with chocolate chips and it was great! Everyone loved it.. Thank you !
They came out absolutely perfect!! They were so much easier than I expected. I did make sure and poke holes in their sides as soon as they were done baking and I let them dry in the cooling oven with the door open as I read somewhere else. I thought they might over cook because they were golden before the first twenty minutes of baking was up, but they did not. Thank you for the great recipe! I never thought I could make my own cream puffs, now I'm going to make them again and again.
Your basic pate a choux French recipe for making eclairs, cream puffs, and many other pastries. Season with savories, drop in oil and you have puff balls flavored with cheese, etc. Thanks for posting.
Didn't come out quite like I had hoped, but had good flavor. It probably will get better with practice as this was my first try.
Didn't come out quite like I had hoped, but had good flavor. It probably will get better with practice as this was my first try.
I only used 3 eggs (that's all I had) and made mini-shells with golf ball sized dough balls. They turned out great - I served them with vanilla pudding, and I had a lot of requests for the recipe.
So easy... ! I felt like a gourmet pastry chef! To serve, I cut them and filled them with whipped cream and dusted with a little powdered sugar. Will make them again and try vanilla custard filling next time.
Can the cooked cream puffs be frozen before filled . I would like to use 1/2 now and save the rest for later?
If you are making smaller cream puffs the cooking time is to long. I shortened accordingly to the size.
Tripled recipe worked great! Had to lower oven temps because my oven runs Hot!! Chilled them in fridge because I had to fill fast I had no problems with deflating. Easy excellent recipe. I may add some vanilla in with dough next time.
Very easy. I followed this recipe to a T and they came out great. Thank you.
They worked out really well. They kind of had an eggy flavor, but once I filled them, the filling masked that flavor.
made these for a church potluck, they were pretty easy to make, but I felt that the temp of 450 was a bit much as my puffs started burning, maybe just my oven? Well anyways I had to play around with the temp and arranged my baking rack to the middle and just ended baking at 350 on the middle rack for 20 min, and then moving the cookie sheet to the top rack for the last 20 min still at 350, the puffs didnt burn on the bottom that time, and came out nice and golden.
Wonderful EASY dough! I can make this "allergy friendly " as well, as my son is allergic to eggs. Thanks for sharing!
I made these for finger sandwiches. I don't know if maybe I didn't stir them enough, but when baking the shortening seemed to melt out. Having not made cream puff pastry before, I do wish this had said how much dough to use for each cream puff, the first couple of cookie sheet were very thin and not really able to be cut open. At that point I realized they weren't going to puff up as much as I thought and used a much bigger spoon full of dough.
Made these for first time. So easy. Brought them to party and not one was left on tray .. will definitely make again.
I didn't have shortening but used salted butter, then omitted the additional salt. They turned out awesome. My wife said, "the best I ever had"! Easy, Simple, and Fast.
AWESOME! Soooo easy! This was my 1st time making cream puffs and they came out great! I filled them with a sugar free chocolate mousse for my diabetic dad and he loved them!! Could totally be my oven but I only needed to bake mine for 20 minutes on 450 and they were done!! Thanks for the recipe!! :)
This was a overall awesome recipe; however I noted that the pastry before cooked looked too dry and sticky. Therefore I added a few tablespoons of milk and it turned out great. Thank you for this awesome recipe!
Very easy recipe. Cream puff shells were light & fluffy, and very good. So many ways to fill the cream puff to please any taste bud.
This was my first attempt at making cream puff shells, and this recipe was great! I was worried that the eggs would cook with the mixture being so hot, but it worked out just fine. They puffed up so perfectly, crisp and golden, yet tender and hollow on the inside! Thanks for the recipe!!
Very good! Mine finished ten minutes earlier than the recipe called for, so be sure to check yours early!
Easy recipe and make really good cream puff shells. I have made these multiple times and they have always turned out great.
Fantastic recipe. I use the puffs to make appetizers for special occasions. I fill them with chicken, shrimp or ham salad for little finger sandwiches
I love making these. And I love them in the summer with icecream and chocolate sauce yummy
So easy to make and turned out great! Stuffed with vanilla bean custard and the tops dipped into chocolate, they were a huge hit and I'll definitely make them again. Plain cooked shells froze beautifully.
Baking for 20 minutes causes them to burn only bake for 15 minutes the 20 minutes
