(Australian Metric 1 cup=250 mL) Click here for my recipe with American
measurements
Cream Puff Pastry (Choux)
120 g butter
3/4 cup water
1 1/3 cup plain flour, sifted (must be sifted)
5 eggs (60g each egg)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
Custard Cream:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
4 egg yolks
3 cups milk
30g real butter
1/2 or 1 vanilla bean OR Vanilla extract
+/- a cup of whipped fresh cream
Pai-Shuu Crust:
30g butter
1/3 cup icing sugar (powdered sugar)
1/3 cup SR flour (OR plain flour with 1/2 tsp baking powder (or a pinch bicarb soda))
4. Spoon into a piping bag and pipe directly downward onto paper-lined
tray. If you like, use chopsticks or fingers to pull pastry upwards on the
sides, to make them taller and rough-surfaced.
5. Place discs of Pai-Shuu Crust Dough on top.
6. Immediately bake in a very hot oven 210-220 degrees Celcius, 2530min until well puffed and browned then down to 100 degrees C for 40
min or more to dry.
7. Allow to cool (the puffs will firm up and become strong) before peeling
the baking paper from the bottom of the puffs.
**oven MUST be well pre-heated, esp for big cream puffs. And don't turn
the heat down too early, or they might fall. Wait until they're well puffed
and the colour is fully developed.
TIPS:
Custard Cream can be made the day before, but Cream Puff shells are best
made the day they will be served. If you need to make them the day
before, leave them out on a tray or plate in the open air or in the oven (switched
off, of course). Placing them in a lidded container or in the fridge will allow the
shells to loose their crispness as the inner moisture equalises with the outer
crispness.
If you want them really dry and crisp (like Beard Papa's) leave them
in a cool oven (100degC or less) for longer (1 hour or more), until just
before you serve/eat it. Put the cold filling in right before serving.
Cream Puffs can be made using margarine, but the custard cream
needs real butter if you want the flavour just right.