Memory from the childhood… Cream Puffs, or in Croatian Princez Krafne. My mom used to make them for us and we loved them. Puffs which are crunchy on the outside and soft on the insides are filled with lovely cream, plus whipped cream. They just melt in your mouth.
The recipe is not complicated, but dough could be delicate to make. It is important to bake it on the right temperature, for the right amount of time. This is a three step process. You start with the oven at the high temperature to help the pastries puff, then you lover it slightly to help the pastries cook and to give them golden color, and at last lower lower the temperature third time to dry them out. A well baked pastries should rise to a good size, and have a hole in the middle. On the outsides pastries should be golden and crispy. It is very important that you do not open oven doors while baking, as that will reduce the temperature and cause pastries to collapse. Once they’re baked, poke the pastries with a toothpick to make triple-sure no steam is trapped inside, and then let them cool completely before filling them.
When the pastries cool down we cut them in the middle and fill them with the tasty creams. You will end up with the beautiful and tasty dessert. Find the recipe below. Hope you will like it 🙂
Makes25 puffs
TimePreparation: 45 minBaking: 30 min
Ingredients
Puff dough (Pâte à Choux)
- 250 ml water
- pinch of salt
- 100 g butter
- 150 g flour
- 4 eggs
Pastry cream
- 1 l milk
- 6 eggs
- 150 g flour
- 200 g sugar
- 3 tsp vanilla sugar
Whipped cream
- 300 ml whipped cream
- 1 vanilla bean
1
Combine the water, butter and salt in a saucepan. Place over high heat and bring to a rolling boil. The butter should be completely melted by the time the water comes to a boil; if not, reduce the heat until the butter has melted to avoid too much water evaporating, then bring it back to a boil.
- 250 ml water
- pinch of salt
- 100 g butter
2
Take the pan off the heat and add flour. Mix in the flour, making sure there is no more dry flour. Place the pan back over medium heat. Stir the dough, mashing it against the sides and bottom of the pan and then gathering it up into a ball again — this dries out the dough and cooks the flour. Cook the dough for 3 to 5 minutes. The dough is ready when it pulls away from the sides of the pan to form a ball, the surface looks shiny and glossy, and it’s thick enough that you can stand a spoon upright in the middle. Take it off the heat.
- 150 g flour
3
Let the dough cool down while mixing with the spatula. Dough should be warm to the touch. Add eggs, one by one and combine well in the dough. The dough should be soft, creamy-colored, and very smooth.
- 4 eggs
4
Preheat the oven to 210° C. Transfer the dough to a pipping bag and pipe on the baking sheet. Pipe them in the small towers. Bake for 10 to 125 min. When the pastries look puffed, turn the oven down to 190° C. Bake for another 15 to 18 min. They should be golden brown. Turn the temperature the third time to 150° C. Continue baking the puffs to dry them out another 5 minutes or so. Transfer the puffs to a cooling rack and poke each one with a toothpick. This will prevent the puffs from getting soggy. Cool them completely before filling.
5
Pour milk in the pot and heat it to boil. Separate egg yolks from whites. In a bowl mix egg yolks with sugar. Lower the mixing speed and add flour. Now add a little of the heated milk. Mix it all together and add to the pot with the rest of the milk. Whip the egg white in another bowl and add vanilla sugar. When the cream cools a little add whipped egg whites.
- 1 l milk
- 6 eggs
- 150 g flour
- 200 g sugar
- 3 tsp vanilla sugar
6
In a large bowl, whip cream until stiff peaks are just about to form. Beat in vanilla until peaks form. Make sure not to over-beat, cream will then become lumpy and butter-like.
7
Cut the pastries in half, so that small hat is left. Fill the bottom with pastry cream as a first layer and then whipped cream. Put the hat on top. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
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