Try this Churro Cream Puffs recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 6.22543085150328 g
- Cholesterol 68.5094531441786 mg
- Fat 5.5644040137678 g
- Fiber 0.332764176318163 g
- Protein 2.43388867647536 g
- Saturated Fat 3.04457952254868 g
- Serving Size 1 1 to 20 (32g)
- Sodium 95.1521069581485 mg
- Sugar 5.89266667518512 g
- Trans Fat 0.457655089785158 g
- Calories 84 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease or line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Measure your flour and set aside.
- Bring butter, salt, sugar and ¾ cups water to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Immediately remove from heat and stir in flour all at once. Return to heat, and stir with a wooden spoon for 1 to 2 minutes, or until dough is smooth and forms a ball. Transfer dough to the bowl of a stand mixer and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Add 3 eggs, 1 at a time, beating until mixture is smooth and glossy. Spoon into a pastry bag fitted with a tip.
- Pipe dough onto prepared pan into 1½ inch rounds (1½ inch high). Smooth out peaks and round tops with a moistened finger.
- Whisk together remaining one egg and 1 tsp water. Brush tops of dough with egg mixture. Bake at 425 degrees F for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 degrees and bake an additional 30 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown. Turn oven off and let sit in closed oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely on wire racks.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine 1 tsp ground cinnamon with 1 tbsp granulated sugar in a small bowl and set aside.
- Microwave honey in a microwave-safe bowl on HIGH for 20 seconds, or just until it starts to boil. Brush tops of cream puffs with honey and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place cream puffs on a parchment lined baking sheet in an even layer and bake for 5 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes.
- Whisk together cream and salt in a large bowl. Beat cream mixture at medium-high speed with an electric mixer until foamy; gradually add powdered sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon, and beat until stiff peaks form. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
- Spoon whipped cream into a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip. Pierce the top of each cream puff with a knife to create a small hole. Insert the pastry tip and fill with whipped cream.
Dough Mechanics
Working within strict thermal limits dictates the success of choux pastry. Boiling the water, butter, salt, and sugar rapidly before adding the flour ensures the starches gelatinize properly. Stirring that mixture over heat for one to two minutes drives off excess moisture. That dehydrated panada absorbs four large eggs without becoming too slack to pipe. Room-temperature eggs prevent the hot dough from seizing during mixing. Dropping the oven temperature from 425 degrees F to 375 degrees F halfway through baking sets the exterior shell while drying the hollow interior.
The Fresh Spice Factor
Commercial cinnamon blends often sit in jars for months, losing volatile aromatic oils. Grinding whole cinnamon sticks immediately before mixing with granulated sugar yields a sharper, more pungent spice coating. Honey brushed onto the warm pastry acts as a sticky binder. A brief five-minute post-bake at 350 degrees F caramelizes that honey and sugar layer into a crisp crust.
Texture Control
Moisture remains the primary enemy of crisp baked goods. Cooling the pastry completely on wire racks prevents steam condensation from softening the shells. Whip the heavy cream and powdered sugar to stiff peaks just before filling to maintain structural integrity. Storing filled puffs too long causes the dairy liquids to migrate into the shell, destroying the contrast between the crunchy exterior and the rich interior.
