Crispy Exterior, Velvety Interior Cream Puffs

Instructions

1. 1

   To prepare the cream puffs, start with the cream. First, heat the milk in a saucepan. In the meantime, in a bowl, pour the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla seeds. Whisk with a whisk, then add the flour.

2. 2

   and work with a whisk until you obtain a smooth and lump-free mixture. When the milk has almost reached boiling point, pour it into the bowl and mix everything with a whisk.

3. 3

   Transfer back into the saucepan and bring to the fire. Continue stirring with a whisk, until the cream has thickened. At this point, transfer it to a container, cover with plastic wrap and let it cool completely.

4. 4

   In the meantime, prepare the choux pastry. In a saucepan, pour the butter in cubes and the water. Add also the sugar and the salt. Bring to the fire, stirring with a whisk. When the mixture has reached boiling point, pour the sifted flour in a rain and mix quickly with a wooden spoon.

5. 5

   When the mixture starts to detach completely from the pan, forming a white patina on the bottom, remove from the heat and transfer into the bowl of a planetary mixer fitted with a leaf whisk. Alternatively, you can also do this in a bowl using a wooden spoon. Turn on the machine for a couple of minutes, in this way the mixture will cool down a little.

6. 6

   When no more smoke comes out, you can add the eggs one at a time, taking care to add the next one only when the previous one has been completely absorbed. You must obtain a smooth and homogeneous mixture. Now transfer the choux pastry into a pastry bag fitted with a large and smooth nozzle; form small mounds of pastry, about the size of a walnut, on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.

7. 7

   With your finger or a slightly damp spoon, lower the tip of the cream puffs. Bake the cream puffs in a static oven preheated to 220° for 15 minutes, avoiding opening the oven during cooking. After the first 15 minutes, lower the temperature to 190° and bake the choux pastry for another 10 minutes. At this point, turn off the oven and leave the cream puffs inside for another 10-15 minutes with the door slightly open (put a wooden spoon between the door and the oven); this will help to dry the inside well, then take them out of the oven.

8. 8

   Take the cream out of the fridge and work it with a whisk until it becomes smooth. Transfer the cream into a pastry bag fitted with a smooth nozzle and use it to fill the cream puffs. When you have filled them all, sprinkle the surface with powdered sugar and serve your cream puffs.