Cream Puffs

Made these cream puffs a couple of days ago.  Was thinking what to make for dessert and hubby says 'cream puffs?'.  So, thanks to youtube again, got some useful tips on how to make a really puffy puffs.  On top of that, thanks to my pastry cookbook (a gift from my sis), Michel Roux, the ultimate ultimate pastry chef, my first cream puffs were a success! Except for the cream  :( ...I've made a mistake when making the cream. Instead of using whipping cream, I didn't realized that I used heavy cream. No wonder it didn't get to the stiff peak consistency.  So, gave it up and went out to buy the canned whipping cream.  Anyhow, anyway, hubby and children loved it.

And you know what? This is soooo easy to make. The pastry for the puffs is called Choux Pastry..really a wonderful pastry.

So here's my cream puffs.

Choux Pastry: (makes 40-50 little choux buns)
125 ml milk
125 ml water
100g butter, diced
 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp caster sugar
150g plain flour
4 eggs
eggwash (1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tbsp milk)

1. Combine the milk, water, butter, salt and sugar in a saucepan and set over a low heat. Bring to the boil and immediately take the pan off the heat. Shower in the flour and mix with a wooden spoon until completely smooth.
2. Return the pan to a medium heat and stir continuously for about 1 min to dry out the paste, then tip it into a bowl.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating with the wooden spoon. (batter will get lumpy and wet).
4. Once the eggs are all incorporated, the paste should be smooth and shiny with a thick ribbon consistency. It is now ready to use.
5. Put the pastry in a piping bag with a round nozzle, pipe into a round spiral and flatten the tip.  (I was lazy so I just dropped tablespoonfuls onto tray lined with parchment paper. They size that I made, it yields 20 puffs).
6. Brush the egg wash on each of them.
7. Bake in pre-heated oven at 200d C for first 15 mins as this will get the pastry puff up.  Turn down the heat to 180d C and bake for another 30-40 min or until the top is brown and crusty.  This is the tip that I got from youtube...lol.  And the result?  It works!
8. Slice the puffs in halves (horizontally).  Fill the bottom half with whipping cream and cover the top with the other half, sprinkle icing sugar on it.  Serve immediately.

Whipping cream:  1 1/2 cup of whipping cream, 2 tbsp milk, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract.  Mix all together and beat on high until you get stiff peaks consistency.  Put it in a piping bag with a rose nozzle and pipe in the rosettes.

However, when the puffs are done, it will have a crusty top but as it cooled down, it will soften.

This is just lovely..try it.