Cream puffs

These cream puffs were just another one of my clubs creations. We had cream puff day and made chocolate dipped cream puffs stuffed with vanilla and chocolate custard. Cream puffs are surprisingly easy once you get the recipe down. Be prepared to be handling some very sticky dough, so when it comes time to get batter onto pans I would recommend using a piping bag.

What you need:

For the cream puffs:

1/2 cup butter
1 cup water
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs

For the filling: Pick one or half each recipe.

----Vanilla: makes 2 cups

1 1/2 cups whole milk, heavy cream, or a mix
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup whipping cream (optional)

----Chocolate:

2 cups milk
6 egg yolks
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup all purpose flour
5oz plain semi-sweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
½ cup whipping cream
½ tsp vanilla extract

What to do:

1.Prepare the filling or fillings:

Vanilla:

Warm the milk in the saucepan until you start to see wisps of steam. It should not actually be boiling.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, and salt. Add the egg yolks and whisk them into the dry ingredients. This will form a thick paste. It's fine if the paste looks crumbly or smooth; the important thing is that the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
Pour a little of the hot milk into the eggs and whisk to combine. Continue pouring the milk slowly into the eggs, whisking continuously. It's OK to switch back and forth between pouring milk and whisking if you can't manage both at the same time.
When all the milk has been added to the eggs, pour everything back into the saucepan. Set a strainer over a bowl and place this near the stove.
Set the pan back over medium heat. Whisk constantly. At first, the pastry cream will look very thin and frothy, but it will start to thicken after a few minutes. When it has thickened to a pudding-like consistency, pause whisking every few seconds to see if the cream has come to a boil. If you see large bubbles popping on the surface, whisk for a few more seconds and then remove the pan from heat.
Stir the vanilla into the pastry cream and then pour the cream into the strainer set over the bowl. Stir to push it through the strainer. This will catch any bits of cooked egg that may be in your pastry cream.
optional: Whip the 1/2 cup of whipping cream. Fold into the custard to lighten it up.
Cover the pastry cream with a piece of plastic wrap pressed right up against the surface of the cream and chill completely.

Chocolate:

Mix egg yolks with sugar and vanilla.
Bring milk to boil. As soon as milk comes to boil, take some hot milk (like ½ cup) and add it in the egg yolk mixture, mixing it in fast.
Add flour to the mixture, then stir it in the boiling milk. Mix for few minutes, remove from heat, and immediately add chocolate, and mix it well.
If you like you can make half chocolate, half vanilla, then you need only half of the amount of chocolate. Let it cool down, later chill in the fridge, while making pastry. When cooled, add whipped whipping cream.

2.Make the dough:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

In a large pot, bring water and butter to a rolling boil. Stir in flour and salt until the mixture forms a ball.

Transfer the dough to a large mixing bowl. Using a wooden spoon or stand mixer, beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each.

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet or put batter into piping bag.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Centers should be dry.

When the shells are cool, either split and fill them with the pudding mixture, or use a pastry bag to pipe the custard into the shells.

Dip in chocolate:

Chocolate sauce:

4 oz. bittersweet chocolate
½ c. half-and-half or light cream
1 tbsp. sugar

Add Half-and-half or whipping cream into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and addd chocolate and sugar. Allow to cool. Dip cream puffs in chocolate and let set in the fridge.

Recipe from: All-recipes

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/15869/cream-puffs/

Pastry Cream from: the Kitchn

http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-pastry-cream-168126

Chocolate pastry cream from: Flavorite

http://flavorite.net/2015/10/10/chocolate-cream-puffs/