January 2nd, National Cream Puff Day

Petite Cream Puffs

1 stick butter
1 cup boiling water
1 cup flour
4 eggs
dash of salt

Melt butter in boiling water, add flour all at once, beat vigorously until mixed. Add one egg at a time beating thoroughly after each. Drop by tiny teaspoonfuls on greased baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes and 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Slit and fill with a variety of filings.

These are delicious for petite desserts or cocktail party food. Makes about 60 puffs.

From recipe of lady in Louisville, Ky. for "Entertaining The Louisville Way".
 
Craquelin, a dough made with softened butter, brown sugar and flour, can really make a nice addition to any puff pastry. It's simple to make and can really "dress up" a cream puff.

Ingredients:

¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter – room temperature
1/3 cup (67 g) light brown sugar
½ cup (63 g) all-purpose flour

Directions:

In a medium bowl, add the butter and sugar together and mix well.

Add in the flour and roughly mix to combine.

Transfer to a smooth surface and use the palm of your hand to smooth out the paste.

Put the dough on a piece of cling wrap and cover with another piece on top. Roll out the dough flat (about 0.5mm) and refrigerate until ready to use.

Use a small round cookie cutter or a bottle cap and stamp out little circles approximately same size as the puff pastries.

Place on top of the puffs before baking, pressing down slightly. Bake.

* You can add color – brown (cocoa powder), yellow (lemon gel color), red (pink rose gel color) and green (Christmas leaf gel color). If you do, roll and separate the dough into color portions before refrigerating.




Fun fact: Cream puffs made their debut in the United States in 1880.
 
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Well there goes the new year diet! Who thought cream puff day should be after the holidays?! Evil person :devil:

Though I do have a cream puff recipe to share nonetheless. Oddly enough this is the recipe for the ones @Legion Para posted from the Wisconsin State Fair.

State Fair Cream Puffs - The Wisconsin Bakers Association has served this cream puff recipe at our state fair since 1924.

Ingredients -
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Additional confectioners' sugar
Directions - https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/state-fair-cream-puffs/print
 
Here's some interesting history on the cream puff - profiteroles and cream puffs are said to have originated in Renaissance France and Italy. Choux paste is different from other types of pastry because when cooked, it rises and the finished product has a hollow center. As was the custom of the day, these holes were variously filled with sweet or savory fillings. Cream puffs, as we know them today, are usually filled with custard or French cremes. Chocolate (as a glaze or filling) was an 18th century addition. Source

The first recipe in the United States as we know them today originated in 1880 as some others mentioned - I'm having difficulty tracking that recipe down at the moment, but should it turn up, I'll post it here!
 
My diet went out the window immediately. When got our mail from post office, there was large package from Harry and David from my cousin. It had six different goodies. One box was Moose Munchies, chocolate covered popcorn. My husband can't eat them, so I am pigging out. Oh goodness!

I feel your pain! People keep dropping off various boxes of chocolates and other yum-yums in the central pantry at the office, no doubt trying to pass their calorie rich goodies onto the rest of us!
 
Craquelin, a dough made with softened butter, brown sugar and flour, can really make a nice addition to any puff pastry. It's simple to make and can really "dress up" a cream puff.

Ingredients:

¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter – room temperature
1/3 cup (67 g) light brown sugar
½ cup (63 g) all-purpose flour

Directions:

In a medium bowl, add the butter and sugar together and mix well.

Add in the flour and roughly mix to combine.

Transfer to a smooth surface and use the palm of your hand to smooth out the paste.

Put the dough on a piece of cling wrap and cover with another piece on top. Roll out the dough flat (about 0.5mm) and refrigerate until ready to use.

Use a small round cookie cutter or a bottle cap and stamp out little circles approximately same size as the puff pastries.

Place on top of the puffs, pressing down slightly.

At this point, your dough is ready to be refrigerated.

* You can add color – brown (cocoa powder), yellow (lemon gel color), red (pink rose gel color) and green (Christmas leaf gel color). If you do, roll and separate the dough into color portions before refrigerating.

DSCF4155.jpg
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Fun fact: Cream puffs made their debut in the United States in 1880.
Those look good.
 
Me! I was never so disappointed as when I had my first cream puff. They look so good, and taste....not as good! A cream puff would be my last choice on a dessert tray. I'll just have the ganache, thanks.

I will say I've had bad cream puffs, so I can understand why you might not enjoy them after a first bad experience. I've had dry ones and more often chewy ones - not sure what some bakeries do to their puffs to make them chewy!
 
Craquelin, a dough made with softened butter, brown sugar and flour, can really make a nice addition to any puff pastry. It's simple to make and can really "dress up" a cream puff.

Ingredients:

¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter – room temperature
1/3 cup (67 g) light brown sugar
½ cup (63 g) all-purpose flour

Directions:

In a medium bowl, add the butter and sugar together and mix well.

Add in the flour and roughly mix to combine.

Transfer to a smooth surface and use the palm of your hand to smooth out the paste.

Put the dough on a piece of cling wrap and cover with another piece on top. Roll out the dough flat (about 0.5mm) and refrigerate until ready to use.

Use a small round cookie cutter or a bottle cap and stamp out little circles approximately same size as the puff pastries.

Place on top of the puffs, pressing down slightly.

At this point, your dough is ready to be refrigerated.

* You can add color – brown (cocoa powder), yellow (lemon gel color), red (pink rose gel color) and green (Christmas leaf gel color). If you do, roll and separate the dough into color portions before refrigerating.

DSCF4155.jpg
Pinterest


Fun fact: Cream puffs made their debut in the United States in 1880.
Ellie, is the craqueline dough raw? Raw flour is not especially good for you..:nah disagree:
 
Haven't we all indulged in far too much high-calorie food during December?

Not here. Advent's a fast season. :wink:

We'd normally have made up for it since Christmas, but I've been down with a cold since then, and middle daughter (the other baker and decadence maker of the family) has been out of town. Aside from my sister's biscochitos, we've been eating relatively spare this holiday season. Need to get our act together before Lent!

I've made various things with choux pastry multiple times -- a sort of ring of eclairs, a shell for chili -- but I've never actually made cream puffs. I should remedy that.
 
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