Choux Puffs (Shu) with Pastry Cream
Classic French choux pastry puffs with a crisp golden shell and a light vanilla pastry cream filling. The choux dough is made by cooking flour in boiling water and butter, then beating in eggs. Served freshly filled for the best contrast of crispy shell and cold, silky cream.
Ingredients
- 125 mlwater
- 125 mlmilk
- 100 gbutter
- 1 tspsugar
- 0.5 tspsalt
- 150 gwheat flour
- 4 eggs
- 500 mlmilk
- 100 gsugar
- 4 egg yolks
- 40 gcornstarch
- 1 tspvanilla extract
- 200 mlheavy cream
- 100 gdark chocolate
- 50 mlheavy cream
Method
- Bring water, milk, butter, sugar, and salt to a boil. Add all the flour at once and stir vigorously with a spatula until the dough comes together and a film forms on the base of the pan (1–2 min). Remove from heat and cool 5 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing until smooth after each. The dough should fall from the spatula in a heavy triangle ribbon.
- Pipe or spoon rounds (4–5 cm) onto a parchment-lined baking tray, spacing them apart. Moisten your fingertip with water and smooth any peaked tips. Bake at 200 °C (180 °C fan) for 25–30 minutes until deeply golden. Do not open the oven. Pierce the base of each puff with a knife to let steam escape. Cool completely.
- For the cream: bring milk and vanilla to a boil. Whisk yolks with sugar and cornstarch. Pour hot milk into yolks in a thin stream. Return to heat and cook, stirring, until very thick. Cover with cling film touching the surface and cool completely. Whip cold heavy cream to peaks and fold into the cooled custard.
- Slice the tops off the puffs. Fill with cream using a piping bag. Replace the tops. Optionally drizzle with chocolate ganache (melt chocolate with warm cream).
- Serve immediately after filling while the shell is still crispy. If storing unfilled, keep in an airtight container and fill just before serving.
FAQ
The most common reason is dough that is too runny from too many eggs. Add eggs one at a time: the correct consistency is dough that slowly slides off a spatula in a 'V' shape — it should not pour. Another frequent mistake is opening the oven in the first 20 minutes, which deflates the puffs. Bake at 200°C for the first 20 minutes, then reduce to 180°C for another 10 minutes.
The classic filling is crème pâtissière (milk, egg yolks, starch, sugar, butter). Popular alternatives: whipped cream with powdered sugar, crème mousseline (pastry cream + whipped butter), chocolate ganache, mascarpone cream with berries. For a lighter version, ricotta with vanilla or a sweetened cottage cheese cream work well.
The neatest way is with a piping bag fitted with a long tip: make a small hole in the bottom or side of the puff and pipe in cream until you feel resistance. Alternatively, slice off the top, fill, and replace it. Always fill completely cooled puffs just before serving — the pastry absorbs moisture from the cream and will turn soggy within 1–2 hours.
Yes. Replace butter with the same amount of coconut oil or neutral vegetable oil. The dough will be slightly less aromatic but will hold its structure and rise well. For a dairy-free filling, use coconut cream with vanilla whipped to a thick consistency. Note that eggs are essential — without them, the puffs will not rise regardless of the fat used.
Unfilled puffs keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Filled puffs should be eaten within 2–3 hours as the cream softens the pastry. To restore crispiness to unfilled puffs, reheat them in the oven at 180°C for 5 minutes and let them cool completely before filling.
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Comments (1)
Don't open the oven door during the first two-thirds of baking choux puffs. The sudden temperature drop can cause sinking, cracking, or uneven rising. Trust the timer and check only in the final stretch.