cream puffs with whipped cream and salted caramel drizzle

what do you do when you have a quart of heavy whipping cream in the fridge? well, you make everything and anything you can possibly think of that uses whipping cream! okay, i only made two things with it – actually, three things. i used some of them for, what else other than what it's intended for – whipped cream. i also made some salted caramel sauce and used a little bit for a coffee-spiked chocolate ganache filling for some macarons (you can check out my instagram photo of me holding a half-bitten macaron).

so yes, with all that whipping cream, i made up some salted caramel sauce the other night and let it sit in the fridge. i couldn't decide on what else to make until finally opting for some good old cream puffs. you cannot go wrong with cream puffs with whipped cream. i decided i would drizzle some salted caramel sauce on top to touch it up instead of your typical powdered sugar or chocolate ganache glaze/drizzle.

how was it? o.m.g. the best thing ever. i don't care what anyone says, but it is. everything with caramel is just better. it's so good and sticky and light and fluffy and i cannot stop eating it. yes, so. so. good. you have got to make these and you'll know what i'm talking about.

below are the recipes to making your very own delicious cream puffs with whipped cream and salted caramel sauce drizzle. if you prefer pastry cream over whipped cream as the filling, you can certainly make some using this vanilla pastry cream recipe here. seriously, cream puffs are like best thing ever, right?! i think so. yummmmmmmy! :)


i love making and eating cream puffs. i can seriously eat the whole thing in one sitting. okay, maybe not in one sitting, but you know what i mean. it's really that good.


the salted caramel drizzle on top brings this cream puff to another level altogether. the sweet and salty sticky drizzle is seriously a yummy added bonus.

cream puffs with whipped cream and salted caramel drizzle

for the pâte à choux pastry:

• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

for the whipped cream filling:

• 1-1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/3 cup sugar

for the salted caramel sauce drizzle:

• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

directions:

to make the choux pastry

1. preheat oven to 400°f (200°c) and place rack in center of oven. line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly butter or spray the pan with a nonstick vegetable spray (or use a silpat nonstick baking sheet like i did).
2. in a bowl sift or whisk together the flour, sugar and salt.
3. place the butter and water in a heavy saucepan over medium high heat and bring to a boil. (make sure that the butter melts before the water boils to reduce the amount of evaporation.) remove from heat and, with a wooden spoon, add the flour mixture, all at once, and stir until combined. return saucepan to the heat and stir constantly until the dough comes away from the sides of the pan and forms a thick smooth ball (about 1-2 minutes).
4. transfer the dough to your electric mixer, or use a hand mixer, and beat on low speed to release the steam from the dough (about a minute) – actually, i just do everything in the saucepan, beat the dough, adding the eggs, etc. once the dough is lukewarm start adding the lightly beaten eggs (dough will separate and then come together) and continue to mix until you have a smooth thick paste (dough will fall from a spoon in a thick ribbon).
5. spoon or pipe 12 small mounds of dough onto the baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. optional: you can gently brush the tops of the dough with a lightly beaten egg if you like. i usually don't.
6. bake for 15 minutes and then reduce the oven temperature to 350°f (180°c). continue to bake for a further 30 minutes or until the shells are a nice amber color and when split, are almost dry inside. turn the oven off, poke a couple of holes in each puff and, with the oven door slightly ajar, let the shells completely cool (and dry out).

to make the whipped cream filling

1. combine heavy whipping cream and sugar in a medium bowl.
2. whip mixture to medium peaks.
3. this should make enough whipped cream to fill up the puffs

to make the caramel sauce

1. pour the cream into a small, heavy saucepan. then add in the 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. place over medium-high heat and bring to just under a boil, stirring occasionally. reduce the heat to low to keep the cream warm.
2. in a medium, heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, water, and sea salt. bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar and sea salt. then cook, without stirring, until the mixture is amber colored, 5 to 8 minutes. remove from the heat.
3. the mixture will continue to cook off the heat and become darker, so make sure to have your cream close by. carefully and slowly add the cream to the sugar syrup. the mixture will boil vigorously at first. let the mixture simmer down, and then whisk until smooth. let cool for about 10 minutes. note: if when you add in the cream and find that not all the sea salt dissolved, don't worry. you can just omit these undissolved pieces (leave them at the bottom of the saucepan) when storing your sauce away.
4. cut the butter into 1-inch chunks and add them to the caramel one at a time, whisking constantly after each addition. then whisk the caramel periodically as it continues to cool. note: this caramel is a little runny. if you like it thicker, you can 1-2 tablespoons of butter to thicken it up a little bit more.
5. the caramel will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one month.
6. makes 1-1/2 cups.

*note: use a good-sized pan when preparing this caramel. when the hot cream is added, the caramel will boil furiously at first, increasing dramatically in volume. have ice water nearby in case of burns.

to asssemble/fill the puffs

1. use the tip of a paring knife to make a small cut perpendicular to the first, creating an X in the side of each puff.
2. fill a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch plain tip with the whipped cream.
3. pipe some of the cream through the X into the side of each puff until it starts to ooze back out. repeat to fill all the puffs.
4. once all the puffs are filled, drizzle some salted caramel sauce over each cream puff. make sure you have your cream puffs sitting on a wire rack with a baking sheet underneath to catch the overflowing caramel sauce.
5. that's it. enjoy and happy eating! :)

note: if you don't want to use a pastry bag and pipe the cream filling, you can just cut the puffs in half and spoon in the whipped cream. i use this method a lot because i can't be bothered with pastry bags and cleaning up.

chocolate profiteroles with chocolate passionfruit cream

a few weeks ago one of my coworkers gave me a quart (or carton?!) of passionfruit juice she brought back from berkeley bowl. she remembered me looking for some passionfruit whether it was in the form of the fruit itself or in juices, pulps, anything! anyway, since have this juice i figure i try and make something yummy out of it. and here you have it, these delicious chocolate profiteroles (the french's fancy way of saying cream puffs) with chocolate passionfruit pastry cream. :)

so, how did they turn out? pretty good i say. the passionfruit and chocolate definitely go together. only one unfortunate thing is that the passionfruit juice isn't passionfruity-enough in that it gets a little lost with the chocolate. unfortunately chocolate is one of those very powerful flavors. in this case it overpowered the passionfruit. although, i do feel that had i had actual passionfruit pulp or juices from the fruit itself (100% passionfruit) maybe you'd taste the fruit flavor a little more, even with the chocolate? all in all these cream puffs or profiteroles still turned out fantastic!

below's the recipe for these delicious chocolate profiteroles should you like to try them out yourself. enjoy!


these chocolate cream puffs are so good. usually i prefer my simple vanilla pastry cream or whipped cream filling, but the chocolate in this -- delish!


yup, that's a lot of chocolate profiteroles! :)

chocolate profiteroles with chocolate passionfruit pastry cream

ingredients

for the pastry cream:
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch salt
6 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup passionfruit juice
6 oz dark chocolate chips
1/4 cup cream

for the pâte à choux:
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup water
4 large eggs, lightly beaten

for the chocolate ganache glaze:
4 oz chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1/3 cup heavy cream

directions

to make the pastry cream: heat the half-and-half and milk, 6 tablespoons of the sugar, and the salt in a saucepan over medium-high heat until simmering, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. meanwhile, combine the egg yolks and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl and whisk until the sugar has begun to dissolve and the mixture is creamy, about 15 seconds. whisk in the cornstarch until combined and the mixture is pale yellow and thick, about 30 seconds.

also, while waiting for the milk mixture to simmer, heat the 1/4 cup cream in the microwave for 30-45 seconds until it comes to a boil (really, you want it hot enough to melt the chocolate). then pour it over the chocolate chips in a decent size bowl. mix the chocolate and cream together until the ganache is form. set the chocolate aside.

now, when the half-and-half and milk mixture has reached a simmer, slowly add it to the egg yolk mixture to temper, whisking constantly. return the mixture to the saucepan, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula. return the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, until a few bubbles burst on the surface and the mixture is thickened and glossy, about 30 seconds. off the heat, whisk in the melted chocolate and passionfruit juice. mix until everything is incorporated. strain the pastry cream through a fine mesh sieve set over a medium bowl. press plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate until cold and set, at least 3 hours and up to 2 days.

to make the choux pastry: preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) and place rack in center of oven. line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly butter or spray the pan with a nonstick vegetable spray.

in a bowl sift or whisk together the flour, sugar and salt.

place the butter and water in a heavy saucepan over medium high heat and bring to a boil. (make sure that the butter melts before the water boils to reduce the amount of evaporation.) remove from heat and, with a wooden spoon, add the flour mixture, all at once, and stir until combined. return saucepan to the heat and stir constantly until the dough comes away from the sides of the pan and forms a thick smooth ball (about 1-2 minutes). transfer the dough to your electric mixer, or use a hand mixer, and beat on low speed to release the steam from the dough (about a minute) &ndash actually, i just do everything in the saucepan, beat the dough, adding the eggs, etc. once the dough is lukewarm start adding the lightly beaten eggs (dough will separate and then come together) and continue to mix until you have a smooth thick paste (dough will fall from a spoon in a thick ribbon). spoon or pipe small mounds of dough onto the baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. optional: you can gently brush the tops of the dough with a lightly beaten egg if you like. i usually don't.

bake for 15 minutes and then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (180°C). continue to bake for a further 30 minutes or until the shells are a nice amber color and when split, are almost dry inside. turn the oven off, poke a couple of holes in each puff and, with the oven door slightly ajar, let the shells completely cool (and dry out).

to fill the puffs: use the tip of a paring knife to make a small cut perpendicular to the first, creating an X in the side of each puff. fill a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch plain tip with the pastry cream. pipe some of the pastry cream through the X into the side of each puff until it starts to ooze back out. repeat to fill all the puffs.

to make the chocolate ganache glaze: place chocolate and cream in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave for 20 seconds at a time, until the mixture just begins to steam. whisk together thoroughly until completely mixed and glossy. allow ganache to cool slightly before dipping the tops of the cream puffs. set the puffs on a rack to let the chocolate glaze set completely. if you don't care for the chocolate ganache glaze, you can sprinkle confectioner's sugar on top of the filled cream puffs. i personally prefer dipping them in the ganache because it tastes yummier that way. serve within a few hours.

makes 40 decent size profiteroles. happy eating! :)

i love making (and eating) cream puffs

i absolutely love cream puffs. i can eat the entire batch myself. i know, it's so awful (and soooo not good for my waistline! hehe) – but delicious! i usually make them whenever there's leftover whipping cream, half-and-half, or egg yolks around. it's ashamed to let all those ingredients go to waste!

typically i make cream puffs with whipped cream as my filling, but lately i've been experimenting with different pastry cream recipes. i think i've finally found my favorite. it's from annie's eats, and i think her recipe is just perfect. i've adapted it to my liking, but overall i think it really works. the pastry cream comes out just right. it's very similar to pierre herme's vanilla pastry cream recipe, but i think i prefer half-and-half in my pastry cream like annie's than pierre herme's.

these cream puffs are so good. you must really try making them. it's not as hard as you think. sometimes one can be a little intimidated because the finish product looks so fancy, but they're really not hard at all. the pâte à choux is quite simple actually. and making the pastry cream's not bad at all. wait, you can skip the pastry cream filling if you prefer whipped cream instead! so really you have no excuse for not trying to make some yourself.

below's the recipe for these delicious cream puffs should you like to try them out yourself. enjoy!


these cream puffs are so good. the pastry cream is just perfect!


a closer look of these yummy cream puffs -- delish!

cream puffs
adapted from here and here

ingredients

For the pastry cream:
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch salt
5 large egg yolks
3 tbsp cornstarch
4 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For the pâte à choux:
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup water
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

for the chocolate ganache glaze:
4 oz chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1/3 cup heavy cream

directions

To make the pastry cream, heat the half-and-half and milk, 6 tablespoons of the sugar, and the salt in a saucepan over medium-high heat until simmering, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Meanwhile, combine the egg yolks and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl and whisk until the sugar has begun to dissolve and the mixture is creamy, about 15 seconds. Whisk in the cornstarch until combined and the mixture is pale yellow and thick, about 30 seconds.

When the half-and-half and milk mixture has reached a simmer, slowly add it to the egg yolk mixture to temper, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula. Return the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, until a few bubbles burst on the surface and the mixture is thickened and glossy, about 30 seconds. Off the heat, whisk in the butter and vanilla. Strain the pastry cream through a fine mesh sieve set over a medium bowl. Press plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate until cold and set, at least 3 hours and up to 2 days.

To make the choux pastry, preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) and place rack in center of oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly butter or spray the pan with a nonstick vegetable spray.

In a bowl sift or whisk together the flour, sugar and salt.

Place the butter and water in a heavy saucepan over medium high heat and bring to a boil. (Make sure that the butter melts before the water boils to reduce the amount of evaporation.) Remove from heat and, with a wooden spoon, add the flour mixture, all at once, and stir until combined. Return saucepan to the heat and stir constantly until the dough comes away from the sides of the pan and forms a thick smooth ball (about 1-2 minutes). Transfer the dough to your electric mixer, or use a hand mixer, and beat on low speed to release the steam from the dough (about a minute) &ndash actually, i just do everything in the saucepan, beat the dough, adding the eggs, etc. Once the dough is lukewarm start adding the lightly beaten eggs (dough will separate and then come together) and continue to mix until you have a smooth thick paste (dough will fall from a spoon in a thick ribbon). Spoon or pipe 12 small mounds of dough onto the baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Optional: You can gently brush the tops of the dough with a lightly beaten egg if you like. I usually don't.

Bake for 15 minutes and then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (180°C). Continue to bake for a further 30 minutes or until the shells are a nice amber color and when split, are almost dry inside. Turn the oven off, poke a couple of holes in each puff and, with the oven door slightly ajar, let the shells completely cool (and dry out).

To fill the puffs, use the tip of a paring knife to make a small cut perpendicular to the first, creating an X in the side of each puff. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch plain tip with the pastry cream. Pipe some of the pastry cream through the X into the side of each puff until it starts to ooze back out. Repeat to fill all the puffs.

To make the chocolate ganache glaze, place chocolate pieces and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave for 20 seconds at a time, until the mixture just begins to steam. Whisk together thoroughly until completely mixed and glossy. Allow ganache to cool slightly before dipping the tops of the cream puffs. Set the puffs on a rack to let the chocolate glaze set completely. If you don't care for the chocolate ganache glaze, you can sprinkle confectioner's sugar on top of the filled cream puffs. I personally prefer dipping them in the ganache because it tastes yummier that way. Serve within a few hours. Happy eating! ;)

cream puffs with vanilla pastry cream

all week last week i've been so busy or tired that i have not had any time to bake. usually these days, i feel like my nights are so precious, i can't afford to do too many things. either that or i'm usually exhausted and drained come 9pm to do anything.

anyway, i really have been itching to bake lately and finally earlier today i managed to have enough free time (no kids fussing, etc) and decided to make these delicious cream puff. that's because they're so easy to make, you don't need a whole lot of time to do this (okay, that's true for the prepping or making part -- but you do need some time for them to bake). now, usually the cream puffs i make have whipping cream in them. that's because about the only time i make cream puffs is when there's heavy whipping cream lying around the house. well, there were some this time, but i decided to skip the ones with whipped cream and go for the pastry cream filling instead. see, i stumbled upon the recipe for pierre herme's vanilla pastry cream sometime last week and since i do have some spare egg yolks around, i figured i'd try out his recipe. it didn't turn out quite the way i had hope. it could be because i made a little more than half the recipe and winged the rest of the other ingredients. but for the  most part, it came out okay and they still tasted delicious. the recipe below is an adaptation of pierre herme's recipe. for the most part, all the measurements are pretty accurate so, if you decide to make it, they should come out right.

oh, another thing about baking these goodies was that i could test out my photography skills (i don't have any, actually). well, i definitely don't have what you'd consider a cool camera. no fancy dslr or anything like that. just a typical point and shoot (canon powershot, model something?!). anyway, i've been playing around with the manual settings stuff with focus, aperature and shutter settings. i'm hoping i'll get the hang of those things and eventually make my way up to a dslr, whatever model i can afford.

so for now, do enjoy the two photos i shot and edited of these delicious cream puffs.

vanilla pastry cream
adapted from pierre herme's vanilla pastry cream recipe
1 cup milk (i used 1%)
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
3 large egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1/6 cup cornstarch, sifted
1-1/4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

in a small saucepan, bring the milk and vanilla extract to a boil over medium heat (or do this in the microwave oven). cover the pan, remove from heat, and allow the mixture to rest for a few minutes, time enough for the liquids to be infused with the warm flavor of vanilla.

whisk the yolks, sugar, and cornstarch together in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan (or a bowl). while still whisking, gradually whisk hot milk into egg yolk mixture. return mixture to saucepan over moderate heat and cook, whisking constantly, until pastry cream simmers and thickens, about 1 minute. remove from heat and whisk cream until smooth (i guess this is when you can add the butter in if you like. or follow pierre herme's tip below). transfer to bowl and press plastic wrap directly onto surface. chill until cold, generally a few hours.

pierre herme said he likes to cool the pastry cream before adding the butter. that's to ensure the cream doesn't separate so that the butter doesn't lose its smooth texture. plus, it gives you a pastry cream with a better, more buttery taste. i say you can certainly follow this advice and try it yourself. i for one can't stand for anything to cool down unless i really have to, so i usually just put my butter in right away after the stove. maybe next time i will try this little tip.

note: pastry cream can be made ahead and refrigerated, wrapped well with plastic wrap on surface, up to 3 days.