Finished dish photo of Cream Puffs

Cream Puffs

A classic French dessert. It’s said that in French, “choux” means “cabbage.” Because when cream puffs rise and crack, their round, uneven, bumpy appearance looks like little cabbages, hence the name. Some people also call them hollow pastries, because choux pastry really is magical: it uses no leavening agents and no whipping, yet when baked at high temperature it puffs up like a balloon and becomes hollow and crisp inside. Freshly baked puffs taste very light, with just a hint of savory aroma. If you cut them open and fill the center with sweet, smooth cream, you get the cream puffs everyone knows and loves! A shell that’s airy and crisp, filled generously with fresh cream— one big bite is pure satisfaction 😍

Ingredients

Cake flour60 g
Butter40 g
Water100 g
Salt1 g
Sugar2 g
Eggs2

Steps

1

Prep work: 1. Sift the flour. 2. Beat the eggs into a uniform egg mixture. 3. Preheat the oven to 200°C; sift the flour through a sieve.

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2

Cut the butter into small pieces and put it into a pot with the salt, sugar, and water (you can replace the water with milk; milk will add some flavor and the baked puffs will be a bit darker in color). Heat until the water comes to a boil and the butter has melted, then turn off the heat (no need to cook it for long—once the butter has fully melted, it’s OK).

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3

Turn off the heat, add the sifted flour, and stir until combined. Turn the heat back to low and use a wooden spoon to stir quickly until the dough comes together, pulls away from the sides, and no longer sticks to the pot, then turn off the heat. (At this point the starch in the flour has gelatinized and is fully cooked.)

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4

Let the dough cool until it’s warm but not too hot to touch, about 60°C. Then start adding the egg mixture. Add a small amount first, stirring until the dough has completely absorbed the egg, then add the next portion.

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5

When you lift the wooden spoon, the batter should fall in an inverted triangle, with the tip reaching about 4 cm down and holding its shape without dropping off—that means it’s ready. Even if you still have some egg mixture left at this point, don’t add it. Transfer the batter into a piping bag.

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6

Using a round/plain piping tip, pipe evenly spaced mounds onto a nonstick baking mat (if you don’t have a piping bag, you can use a spoon to scoop the batter instead—it also has a simple, rustic charm ^_^).

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7

Mist the puffs with water before baking, then place the tray into the preheated 200°C oven and bake for 20–30 minutes (adjust as needed depending on the size of the puffs and the strength of your oven) until the surface is golden and crisp, then remove from the oven. Make sure they’re fully baked, otherwise they will collapse after coming out. Do not open the oven door during baking.

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8

While the puffs are cooling, whip the cream (200 g whipping cream + 20 g caster sugar).

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9

Put the whipped cream into a piping bag.

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10

Poke a hole in the bottom of each puff and pipe in the whipped cream.

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11

If you want to save effort or don’t have piping tools, just make a horizontal cut on the side of each puff with a knife 🔪 (don’t cut all the way through), fill the middle with whipped cream, and they’re ready to enjoy~

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12

A fluffy, crisp shell filled to the brim with fresh cream—one big bite is incredibly satisfying 😍

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Cooking Tips

Tips: 1. When making choux pastry, the flour must be fully cooked. Once starch gelatinizes, it can absorb more water. At the same time, gelatinized starch can trap air; during baking, the water in the dough turns to steam and creates strong pressure, pushing the pastry open and forming those plump little puffs. 2. When making choux dough, never add all the eggs at once. Because flour’s water absorption and degree of gelatinization vary, the amount of egg needed is different each time. Add the beaten eggs in several additions, until the dough reaches the ideal consistency—that is, when you lift some batter with a wooden spoon, it falls in an inverted triangle, with the tip about 4 cm above the bottom and holding its shape without dripping. 3. Spraying a little water before baking helps the batter rise better. Once in the oven, the surface dries first; only later does the inside heat up and expand. If the outer crust dries out and hardens too quickly, it won’t puff properly. Moistening the surface keeps it from drying too fast; brushing with egg wash has a similar effect. 4. Baking temperature and time are also crucial. Start with a high temperature of 200–220°C so that the steam inside the puffs explodes quickly and the dough expands. After the puffs have risen and set, reduce to 180°C to dry out the interior so they won’t collapse after coming out. To check if they’ve set, look at the surface: if it’s no longer releasing little bubbles of oil, it’s roughly set; continue baking until the shells are golden and crisp and you’ll be safe. During baking, before the puffs have fully set, never open the oven door—if the temperature drops suddenly while they’re expanding, they will collapse. 5. It’s best to fill the puffs with cream right before serving; otherwise the filling will soften the shell and ruin the crisp texture. 6. Any leftover puffs can be bagged and frozen. When you want to eat them, re-bake for 5–6 minutes to crisp up the shells again.