Description
Delicious homemade choux pastry filled with a creamy custard and topped with powdered sugar and cherries.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 1/4 cup water
- 1 2/3 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup salted butter, softened
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 2/3 cups whole milk
- 6 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
- 1/2 cup corn starch
- 1/2 cup salted butter
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 12 maraschino cherries or compote cherries
Instructions
- First, in a medium sized pot on the stove on high heat, add butter and melt it. Immediately add the water (1 1/4 cups) and salt (1/2 tsp). As soon as it comes to a boil, reduce heat to low and add all of the flour. Stir until it becomes thick and malleable and then turn off heat.
- Next, place it into a large mixing bowl and allow it to cool for 5 minutes. Then, mix the dough for about a minute.
- Important: Add eggs only ONE AT A TIME after each has been combined into the dough. The dough should be smooth after the last egg.
- Then, add parchment paper or silicone mats to two large baking sheets.
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Then, put the dough into a pastry bag with a large star tip (optional) and begin piping the dough in round circles about two inches apart on the baking sheets. You can pipe one layer to use each as a top and a bottom, or you can pipe two layers on each to make them taller and then cut them in half when they’re cool to fill with custard. The latter option will make larger pastries than the former.
- Next, bake them until they get a brown coating on top which will be about 25 minutes and then add 3-4 more minutes. They need to be lightly browned on top before you remove them. Do not remove them beforehand. My suggestion is to do one baking sheet at a time because the bottom rack may not brown as quickly as the top if you bake them at the same time. Let them cool.
- First, in a large mixing bowl, add egg yolks, vanilla extract, and sugar and mix. Add the corn starch and half of the milk. Mix until smooth.
- Then, in a medium-sized pot (non-stick preferably), add the remaining two cups of milk and 1/2 cup of butter. Heat it but, don’t bring it to a boil. Turn the heat to low and begin adding the egg mixture. Stir quickly to combine and keep stirring it constantly until it thickens. Scrape the bottom when it starts sticking. Do not overcook or it’ll burn. Remove from heat and cover and allow it to cool until ready to use.
- First, place the pastry cream into a piping bag with the star tip but, it isn’t necessary to use the pastry bag and star tip. You may also just spoon the cooked pastry dough into a gallon-sized plastic zipper bag and cut the corner one inch as a substitute piping bag and not use the star tip.
- Once the cooked pastry dough is cool, cut them in half. If you ended up with flat pastry, you may also use them and just pipe the cream on top of half of them and top them with the other half.
- Then, put a one inch dollop of cream on the top, in the middle as shown on each.
- Next, sprinkle with powdered sugar or do it just before serving.
- Then, top with a cherry on the dollop of cream. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- You can pipe one layer to use each as a top and a bottom or pipe two layers for taller pastries.
- Ensure the pastry is lightly browned for the best texture.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French