January 2nd is National Cream Puff Day in the United States!

These little sweets, also known as profiteroles, are choux pastry balls filled with a sweet cream filling that is similar to a pastry cream. Today, many chefs fill these pastries with a variety of fillings like ice cream, whipped cream and incorporate various flavors. They even now make savory cream puffs, with cheese and meat. Here is a simple recipe for cream puffs to get you started.

Ingredients

• 2 (3.5 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup milk
• 1⁄2 cup butter
• 1 cup water
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs

Method

• Mix together vanilla instant pudding mix, cream and milk. Cover and refrigerate, to set.
• Preheat oven to 425 F (220 C).
• In a pot, bring water and butter to a boil. Stir in flour and salt until the mixture forms a ball. Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl. Using a wooden spoon or stand mixer, beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Drop 1 tablespoon at a time on a baking sheet.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown.
• When shells are cool, either split and fill them with the pudding mixture or use a pastry bag to pipe the pudding into the shells.

Questions?

If you have any questions about this recipe or food safety and culinary training, contact me at jdetloff@airculinaire.com. For questions about in-flight catering, contact weborders@airculinaire.com.