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Cream Puffs Filled with Vanilla Cream

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As someone who really loves baking choux pastry, cream puffs are quite common in our kitchen. I make choux pastry on a weekly basis, and every time I fill it with different filling – chocolate mousse, vanilla cream or even ice cream in various flavors.

Cream puffs filled with vanilla cream are such a great dessert for the summer. It’s easy to make, crunchy on the outside and you can fill it with any kind of filling you like. The classic is – of course – vanilla pastry cream, which is definitely one of my top favorites.

These cream puffs filled with vanilla cream are the most classic version of the French profiteroles. They are filled with vanilla and rum pastry cream and would make a great dessert to any dinner party and even for upcoming Shavuot.

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Cream Puffs Filled with Vanilla Cream

Photo: Natalie Levin



Cream Puffs Filled with Vanilla Cream

For choux pastry:

  • 200 ml. milk
  • 50 ml. water
  • 35 grams sugar
  • 100 grams butter
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 150 grams all-purpose flour
  • 3-4 beaten eggs

For vanilla and rum pastry cream:

  • 500 ml. milk
  • Grains of 1 vanilla bean
  • 140 grams sugar
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 50 grams cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp. rum
  • Icing sugar for serving

Cream puffs:

  1. Preheat oven to 200c degrees.
  2. In a medium saucepan put milk, water, sugar, butter and salt and heat to a strong boil.
  3. Add flour and stir while cooking, until it turns into a lump of dough.
  4. Transfer the dough to the bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment and mix on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until it cools down a little.
  5. Add the eggs gradually while beating until dough is elastic and smooth. Check the readiness of dough by creating a “trail” with a wooden spoon in the center of the dough – if the track remains stable, add some eggs, and if it closes a bit – the dough is ready. It is important not to add too many eggs to the dough or it may become too soft and ruined.
  6. Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a round 2 cm piping tip. On a baking tray lined with baking paper pipe small cream puffs (about 3-4 cm in diameter). It’s important to leave some space between the creampuffs.
  7. Bake for about 12 minutes. Then lower the temperature to 180c degrees and open the oven door slightly, by sticking a wooden spoon in it.
  8. Bake the puffs in this way for 5-7 minutes, until they are golden.
  9. Cool completely before filling.

  10. Make a small hole at the bottom of each creampuff.

Vanilla and rum pastry cream:

  1. In a small saucepan put milk, sugar and vanilla and bring to a simmer.
  2. In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks and cornstarch until blended. If the mixture is too thick – add a teaspoon of cold water.
  3. When the milk mixture is boiling remove from heat and add about 1/3 of it into the yolk mixture while vigorous whisking. When blended, return into the pan with the remaining milk and mix.
  4. Continue to cook over medium-low heat, while whisking constantly, until a very thick pastry cream forms.
  5. Transfer the cream into a sealed container and cover its top with plastic wrap to avoid crust from forming. Cool completely in the refrigerator.
  6. Transfer the cold cream into a bowl and mix well with a whisk until it returns to the original texture. Add rum and continue to mix until uniform.

  7. Transfer the cream into a pastry bag with a 1 cm round piping tip and fill the puffs.

  8. Garnish with powdered sugar and serve.
  • • Keep the cream puff in a closed container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days, but they are at their best on the day or two after preparation.