Perfect Strawberry Cream Puffs

Ingredients

To make Strawberry Cream Puffs, you’ll need the following simple ingredients:

Flour: Plain or all-purpose flour is suitable for this recipe.

Butter: I always use unsalted butter in my baking to control the amount of salt in the finished product.

Eggs: Add flavour, colour, and lift to the dough, giving the cream puffs their unique airiness. I use German size M eggs, which are closer to a large in most countries.

Sugar and salt: To add a touch of sweetness and balance to the dough. You’ll also need powdered sugar to dust the finished cream puffs.

Cream and Creme Fraiche: Combining heavy whipping cream with a bit of creme fraiche gives it a delicious tanginess and helps it to keep its shape.

Strawberries: For this recipe, try to find the sweetest strawberries you can. You don’t need too many, so it’s worth splurging on the good ones. If it’s not strawberry season, you could replace them with raspberries or other fresh berries.

Instructions

Despite its reputation for being a little finicky, making choux pastry is actually quite straightforward. To make Strawberry Cream Puffs:

First, prepare by heating the oven to 220°C / 425°F, lining a large oven tray with baking parchment paper and fitting a wide round tip to a piping bag.

Next, make the choux pastry by heating the milk, butter, sugar, salt and 100ml of water in a saucepan. When the butter has melted, add the flour all at once and beat vigorously over the heat for 2-3 minutes until the dough comes easily away from the sides of the pan and a film of flour forms on the base of the pan.

Transfer the pastry to the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle or dough hook attachment fitted. Allow it to cool for 5 minutes, then beat in the eggs one after the other until the dough is thick and glossy. Transfer to the prepared piping bag.

Spray or sprinkle a little water onto the baking tray, then pipe 20 round puffs onto the baking paper. To flatten the peaks, press down gently with a wet finger.

Transfer to the preheated oven, turn the heat down to 180°C, and bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown, well puffed, and the surface looks dry. Turn the oven off, open the oven, and prick each cream puff with a toothpick or wooden skewer to release the steam. Then, prop the door open with a wooden spoon and leave to dry for 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before cutting in half with a serrated knife.

To make the filling, whisk the cream, creme fraiche and vanilla sugar until the mixture forms stiff peaks and finely dice the strawberries. Either fold the strawberries under the cream and pipe into the cream puffs, or spoon them into the cream puff cases before piping the whipped cream on top.

Dust generously with powdered sugar and serve.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can I make cream puff shells in advance?

Yes, cream puff shells can be made 2-3 days in advance and kept in an airtight container at room temperature. They will soften over time, so you may want to crisp them back up in the oven for 5 minutes or so before using them.

Can I make the choux pastry without milk?

Yes, replace it with the same amount of water.

I need the cream puffs to be stable for longer. What should I use as a filling?

In this case, I would fill them with vanilla pastry cream (click link for recipe) instead, as it will stay stable longer than fresh cream. Alternatively, you could pipe softened ice cream into them and freeze them.