I took my mother’s fantastic cream puff recipe and tweaked it to make it even better. I would never have believed it was possible, but I was wrong again! Cream puffs are a fluffy, creamy treat that is nearly too sweet. This dough is identical to the one used in our Eclair recipe. When you need a quick and reasonably simple meal to serve a crowd, this is the recipe to use. I was able to make 16 cream puffs with this recipe.
Ingredients:
For the pastry:
1 stick (8 tablespoons) of unsalted butter
1 cup of water
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 cup of all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
For Mom’s Famous Filling:
1 pint of heavy cream
1 package (3.4 ounces) of instant vanilla pudding mix
1/3 cup of milk
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium saucepan, bring the water, butter, and vanilla extract to a boil over medium-high heat.
Remove from heat and stir in the flour until well combined. Return to the heat and stir constantly until the mixture comes together and forms a ball, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool for a few minutes.
Add one egg at a time, beating well after each addition until the dough is smooth and shiny.
Using a tablespoon, drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. You should have about 8 large cream puffs.
Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (180°C) and continue baking for another 20 minutes, or until the cream puffs are golden brown and puffed up.
Once done, remove them from the oven and pierce the bottom of each puff with a toothpick. Return them to the oven, turn off the heat, and crack open the oven door to let them cool and dry out for 10-15 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare Mom’s Famous Filling. In a large mixing bowl, beat the heavy cream, vanilla pudding mix, and milk together until thick and creamy.
To assemble the cream puffs, slice them in half and fill each one with the prepared filling using a piping bag or a spoon. Dust with powdered sugar or drizzle melted chocolate over them, if desired.
Serve and enjoy!
Note: Cream puffs are best enjoyed on the same day they are made. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
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