Easy Cream Puff Recipe – Oma's Windbeutel (2024)

FAQs

What is the common problem in making cream puff? ›

Why did my cream puffs collapse? If the puffs collapse it means there was too much moisture in them. So either you did not dry the dough enough, or they were not cooked enough. To avoid this I recommend drying the dough really well (see below) and cracking the door of the oven open when the choux are baked.

You can use half water and half whole milk. The milk will give the final pastry a richer color, but don't use only milk. Water creates the steam which makes the pastry rise.

Can they be made ahead of time? Yes, you can make these cream puffs 2-3 days in advance. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can also make the pastry cream a day or two ahead of time; just be sure to keep it cold in the fridge in an airtight container.

For best results, use puffs with 24 hours, or wrap airtight and freeze. Unfilled puffs may be stored in an airtight container for several days, but first cut them open and remove the strands of dough to prevent sogginess. To freeze unfilled cream puffs, wrap tightly in plastic wrap or resealable plastic bags.

Also, if the puffs do not bake long enough, then they may taste slightly eggy because the insides haven't cooked long enough. We want the pastries to be crisp on the outside and dry on the inside. Solutions: Don't use too many eggs and bake long enough to dry them out.

Eggs: are the leavening (rising) agent. Yolks add fat for a tender and light texture and also act as an emulsifier for a smooth, even textured finished product. The proteins in the eggs add to the structure of the cream puff.

There are a few reasons your cream puffs might collapse or not puff up properly in the oven. The first is that you may not have cooked out the moisture enough. Make sure you give it a full 2 minutes on the stove. The second is that there is no way for the steam to escape when the puffs are baked.

Let's start with the pastry shells, made from all-purpose puff paste, a.k.a. choux paste ("Big Choux to Fill" - HA!).

They can stay out for about 4 hours but then need to be refrigerated. How long will the cream puffs be good for? We usually recommend consuming the cream puffs the same or next day, after 2 days they will start to become soggy, especially if your refrigerator has a lot of humidity in it.

Cream puffs and profiteroles are often used interchangeably to mean the same thing. They are both choux pastry-based puffs filled with a cream filling. The main difference between the two is that profiteroles are filled with ice cream instead of pastry cream.

How do you know when cream puffs are done baking? ›

Brush tops with reserved egg wash. Bake until puffs rise and are golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.

If the oven is too cool, they won't rise and hollow out. After 15 minutes, lower the temp to 350 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent burning during the remaining 25 minutes. Take one out to test with a toothpick. The toothpick should come out clean if they're done.

What is the proper way to eat a cream puff? In two pieces, or like a hamburger? Cherek takes a page from Dave Schmidt of the Wisconsin Bakers Association, whose technique involves a twist and a scoop, after which you bite it "like it's a giant Ritz cracker full of great Wisconsin cheese."

Ultimately, I side with profiteroles are ice cream-filled cream puffs eaten cold whereas, cream puffs can be filled with anything else and eaten warm or at room temperature. Either way you call it, both are still little yummy puffs of bliss!

Heat is the enemy of Puff Pastry—it handles best when cold. So avoid working with it on hot, humid days, in a stifling hot kitchen or next to your oven. Puff Pastry works best when cold.

There are multiple reasons why cream puffs may deflate. The first cause is undercooking. When preparing dough on the stovetop, be sure to keep cooking and stirring until a film forms on the bottom of the saucepan. Another cause of flat cream puffs is lowering the temperature during baking.

Too much moisture in dough from the eggs.

If you've used too many eggs in your pastry dough, water in the egg yolk will start to separate from the yolk. Once the pastry is baking in the oven, this water then evaporates, causing the structure of the pastry to tighten up and shrink.