Yield: 14-16 small cream puffs
Ingredients:
For the puff:
½ cup water
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes
½ teaspoon granulated sugar
Pinch Kosher salt
½ cup all-purpose flour
2-3 large eggs
For the filling:
1 ounce cornstarch
3 ounces granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
3 large egg yolks (see the easiest way to separate here)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup whole milk
For topping:
1/2 cup sugar
Water, as needed
Procedure:
Make the puffs:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, add water, butter, sugar, and salt. When water boils and butter is melted, turn off heat. Add flour all at once and stir to combine. Return to heat and stir until a smooth ball forms. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.
When mixture is cool enough that the eggs will not scramble, add eggs one at a time and stir to combine. Do not overmix. As soon as mixture comes together, stop stirring. After 2 eggs are added, place a little dough between your thumb and finger and gently pull apart. If the dough stretches without breaking, you are done. If it does not, add another egg.
Load mixture in to piping bag. Pipe rounds ¾”-1” in diameter on to a parchment-lined sheet tray. With a wet finger, push down “tails” that have formed. Alternatively, you can use a portion scoop. Place in preheated oven and bake until golden brown and puffed, 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and set on a cooling rack to cool.
Make the filling:
In a medium bowl, whisk together cornstarch, sugar, vanilla, egg yolks and salt. Set aside.
Place cream and milk in a medium saucepan and place on medium heat. Bring to a simmer.
Once milk mixture is simmering, add 1/4 of milk mixture to egg mixture while whisking constantly. Once incorporated, add remaining milk mixture while whisking. Return mixture to saucepan and return to heat. Bring mixture to a boil, whisking constantly. Boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and strain. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the cream (plastic wrap should be physically touching the cream to avoid a “skin” forming). Cool.
Make sugar, fill and top the puffs:
Use a round tip to fill each puff from the bottom of the puff without cutting (use the tip to poke a hole, fill, and then remove).
Add just enough water to the sugar in a small saucepan to wet the sugar. Place a lid on top of the pan and cook, not stirring, over medium heat until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove lid and continue to cook, without stirring, until sugar becomes a light golden brown. Remove from heat and briefly touch the bottom of the pan to ice water to stop the cooking.
Take filled puffs and dip just the top in the sugar. You must work quickly so the sugar does not harden in the pan. If it hardens, you can gently reheat just until it turns dippable, touching the bottom of the pan against the ice water again to stop it from continuing to cook. Once all puffs are dipped, allow to cool just enough for the sugar to harden, then serve.
Puffs will hold, unfilled, for one day in an airtight container. Filling will hold for 2 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. If you are planning to hold the puffs for longer, they may be frozen, unfilled, in an airtight container for up to 3 months. The filling (unfortunately) will not freeze well. Thaw frozen puffs at room temperature (with small ones, it should take only 20-30 minutes at the most to thaw).
