My children love cream puffs. So the other day I tried to make a batch. I made the choux pastry buns and filled them with whipped cream. If I had more time, I would've liked to make some chocolate sauce to drizzle over the cream puffs! Yum.. The children loved them as they were anyway.
The pastry for cream puffs is called choux pastry and it's unique because you have to cook the dough before baking. I found it quite easy and straight forward to make.
Here's the recipe I used, which I got from my mum's book, 'Home Baking Made Easy':
Ingredients:
65 g plain flour
2 medium-sized eggs
50 g butter
a pinch of salt
150ml water
a few drops vanilla extract
Method:
1. Sift flour onto a piece of grease-proof paper. Place eggs in a basin and whisk lightly together.
2. Place butter, salt and water in a saucepan over a moderate heat. Bring slowly to the boil, stirring.
3. Quickly draw the pan off the heat and tip in all the flour. Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth.
4. Return to pan to a low heat and beat vigorously for 1-2 minutes until the mixture forms a smooth ball.
5. Draw pan off heat; allow to cool for 2 minutes. Beat in eggs a little at a time until incorporated.
6. Beat in vanilla extract. Spoon teaspoonful of the mixture on to baking sheet which has been lightly greased and dusted with flour.
7. Bake at 200 degrees C for 15 minutes, then 190 degrees C for 10 minutes.
