Miniature Cream Puffs Recipes

AMAZING AND FOOLPROOF CREAM PUFFS

Steps:

• Place an oven rack in the lower-middle position. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (decrease by 25 or 50 degrees if using a dark coated pan). Lightly grease a 24-cup mini muffin tin or a 12-cup regular muffin tin (you'll bake in two batches).
• In a medium saucepan, bring the water and butter to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the flour, stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula until the mixture forms a ball.
• Scrape the warm mixture into a mixing bowl (or into the bowl of an electric stand mixer) and beat with a handheld electric mixer until the dough has cooled slightly, 1-2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating constantly, until the mixture is thick and smooth.
• Scoop a heaping 1/2 tablespoon into each mini muffin tin (about 1/2 full) or a couple tablespoons into a regular muffin tin (again, about 1/2 full). A cookie scoop works great for this.
• Once the mini muffin cups are filled, wet your fingers with cold water and dab them on the top of the mounded dough to smooth out any rough spots and even out the dough (this will help them bake into a pretty rounded top).
• Bake for about 15-20 minutes for mini cream puffs and 25 minutes for regular cream puffs until the tops of the shells are lightly golden and they are baked all the way through (if there is any doughy moisture inside the shells add a few minutes so they don't collapse).
• Remove the pan from the oven and working quickly, use a thin wooden skewer to pierce the side of each cream puff; doing this will allow any steam to escape. I try to poke the cream puff shell right in the middle where I'll be splitting it anyway to add the cream. Remove them from the tin and let them cool completely on a wire rack.
• Repeat the filling and baking process with the remaining dough.
• For the vanilla cream filling, in a medium saucepan, bring the milk and 1/4 cup powdered sugar to a simmer. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, egg, cornstarch and 1/3 cup powdered sugar. Slowly ladle or drizzle in the hot milk mixture to the bowl while whisking constantly (this tempers the eggs so they don't curdle and cook into hard bits). Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring and/or whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and thickens.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla.
• Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer (this part is optional but can help remove any lumps) into a clean bowl. Press plastic wrap directly on the top and refrigerate until cold. The vanilla cream filling can be made up to a week in advance.
• For the sweetened whipped cream, whip the heavy cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla to stiff peaks (I like to use my Blendtec for whipping cream; super simple and takes just a minute or two).
• Split each cooled cream puff shell in half right at the seam where the puffy top meets the smooth bottom. Spoon vanilla cream into the bottom of each shell and top with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream and place the top back on. Lightly dust all the cream puffs with powdered sugar.
• The cream puffs can be fully assembled up to a day in advance (they actually taste better if assembled ahead of time). I store them uncovered in the refrigerator up to a day before serving.

CREAM PUFFS

Steps:

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

MINI CREAM PUFFS

Steps:

• 1. Put water and butter in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil until butter melts. Add salt.
• 2. Remove from heat and add flour and stir until smooth and return to heat and continue stirring until mixture forms a smooth mass, and the bottom on the pan is coated with a fine film. (this indicates that the flour is cooked)
• 3. Remove from heat and place mixture in the bowl of a food processor using the plastic dough blade. Add eggs one at a time, pulsing the batter until very smooth. (I started doing it this way when my shoulders would hurt so much from fibromyalgia that I couldn't beat the eggs in by hand any longer, now I wouldn't do it any other way)
• 4. Once the eggs have been incorporated into the dough it may be covered and left at room temperature for an hour or so.
• 5. Preheat oven to 425-degrees. Pipe dough with a pastry bag with 1/2 inch round tip onto parchment covered baking sheets, forming mounds 1 inch in diameter and 3/4 inch high. Lightly smooth the tops of each mound.
• 6. Bake for 10 minutes, Reduce heat to 375-degrees and continue baking until the puffs are golden brown about 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 325-degrees and bake until puffs are firm and the inside is not sticky or doughy.
• 7. Cool puffs on a wire rack. They may be used immediately or frozen in airtight container. To use, warm in a preheated oven for a few minutes.
• 8. SHRIMP AND CRAB FILLING: Toss together bread cubes, onions, melted butter and eggs. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• 9. Next day add celery, shrimp, crab and mayonnaise. Taste for seasoning. May need salt and pepper and a little lemon juice.
• 10. Use for filling mini cream puffs, canape`s or to make a sandwich with the filling. It is good enough to eat by itself. Bread extends the filling without compromising on flavor and taste.

CUTE CREAM PUFFS RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425˚F (220˚C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Chill a large bowl in the freezer.
• Add the melted chocolate to a small piping bag or zip-top bag and cut ⅛ inch (3 mm) off the tip of the bag.
• Pipe 10 sets of ears, eyes, noses, mouths, and paws onto 1 of the parchment-lined baking sheets. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• Make the puffs: in a medium pot, bring the butter, water, milk, sugar, and salt to a boil over high heat.
• Once the liquid begins to boil, remove the pot from the heat and immediately add the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the liquid is absorbed and the mixture begins to form a ball.
• Return the pot to the heat and cook for another 30 seconds to remove excess moisture. Remove the pot from the heat. Working quickly, add the eggs one at a time, stirring until each one is fully incorporated before adding the next. Continue stirring until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the pan and is thick and glossy. Transfer the batter to a piping bag or zip-top bag fitted with a round tip.
• Pipe 1-inch (2-cm) dollops of batter on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them at least 1-inch (2-cm) apart.
• Dip a fingertip in the egg wash and gently press down any points, then brush the egg wash lightly all over the puffs.
• Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350˚F (180˚C), and continue to bake for 20 minutes more, until golden brown.
• Transfer the puffs to a wire rack and cool until able to handle. Cut the tops off of the puffs with a serrated knife. Let cool completely.
• Make the whipped cream: add the heavy cream and powdered sugar to the chilled bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer or whisk until stiff peaks form. Transfer the whipped cream to a piping bag or zip-top bag fitted with a round tip.
• Pipe mounds of whipped cream into the puffs. Add the tops of the puffs and decorate with the chocolate faces.
• Enjoy!

EASY MINI STRAWBERRY CREAM PUFFS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Place a mixing bowl in the freezer.
• Combine water, butter, and salt in a saucepan; bring to a boil.
• Remove from the heat and immediately add flour; quickly beat in the flour with a wooden spoon, alternating between pressing on the dough and beating it quickly. Continue until dough has formed a ball and no longer sticks to the side of the pan.
• Add 1 egg, and using the same technique above, beat it in until dough has reached a smooth consistency. Repeat with the second egg. Beat until dough begins to break into strands, about 5 more minutes.
• Divide dough into 12 pieces. Round each piece and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until puffed up and browned, about 20 minutes. Remove and cool on a wire rack.
• Meanwhile, pour cold cream into the chilled mixing bowl. Add white sugar and beat with a hand mixer until light and fluffy.
• Slice across the tops of the cooled cream puffs just enough to open; they will be hollow inside. Put a heaping tablespoon whipped cream in the top and bottom cavities. Put a strawberry in the middle and close the two halves. Set on a plate and dust with powdered sugar.