I have loved cream puffs ever since I was a young girl in grade school and discovered this French pastry at our local bakery. It was a quick stop on the way home from school and an indulgence I kept secret from my mother. I thought they were magic and never understood how the baker managed to put cream in that hollow shell.

When I was newly married, I discovered a treasured recipe that gave me the secret to baking the shell, and the BEST cream puff filling I have ever tasted anywhere. I have tweaked the recipe a few times over the years and I still love it. My kids love it. My husband loves it. Everyone I know who tastes one swoons in the process of eating one of these decadent cream puffs. You will too.

Happy baking!

Charlotte’s Decadent Cream Puffs

Serves 12

• French Custard Filling
• Pate Choux
• Chocolate Buttercream
• Coarsely chopped toasted pecans
• Confectioners sugar

Make the French Vanilla Custard according to the directions below to the point before you add the whipping cream. Allow the mixture to cool while you make the pate choux/puffs. While the puffs are cooling, whip the cream and fold it into the cooled custard.

Make the Pate Choux puffs according to the directions below. When puffs are cool, cut off the top ⅛ to ¼. Reserve top. Gently remove any soft filling in the middle, using your fingers or a fork, until only the crisp shell remains. Fill the puffs with French Custard Filling using a small (1/4-cup) measure with a spout.  Replace the top of the puff and drizzle generously with Chocolate Buttercream. Sprinkle tops with toasted pecans before buttercream sets.

NOTE: Cream puffs may be made up to 8 hours ahead and refrigerated. The puff part will soften a bit, but in my estimation that is not a bad thing.

When ready to serve, sprinkle the middle of a dinner plate lightly with confectioners’ sugar.  Place a frosted puff in the center of the plate and sprinkle a few toasted pecans on top of the confectioner’s sugar.

French Custard Filling

• ⅔ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 cups whole milk
• 2 slightly beaten egg yolks
• 2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup whipping cream, whipped

In saucepan, combine sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually stir in milk. Cook and stir until mixture thickens and boils; cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes longer. Stir a little hot mixture into egg yolk; return to hot mixture. Cook and stir until mixture just boils. Add vanilla; cool. Beat smooth and fold in whipped cream.  May be used to fill éclairs or cream puffs.

Pate Choux

• 1 cup water
• ½ cup unsalted butter
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup flour
• 4 eggs room temperature

Bring water, butter and salt to a rolling boil (one that cannot be stirred down).  Add flour all at once, stirring till all the water is absorbed by the flour and it forms a ball. (It will not be a perfect ball, but rather a big solid lump.) Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric stand mixer and mix on low speed for two minutes.  Add eggs one at a time beating after each addition till the eggs are incorporated into the flour.

Spoon 12 heaping tablespoons ( about 3 measured tablespoons) of mixture onto parchment or Silpat lined baking sheets, and bake at 400˚F for 30 – 35 minutes or till brown.  Cool on a wire rack.

The wire rack is important as it keeps the bottoms of the puffs from steaming. Poke a discreet hole in the top to aid the process of letting steam escape.

Chocolate Buttercream

• ½ cup salted butter, melted
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 2—3 tablespoons unsweetened natural or Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 3 – 6 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Mix all ingredients together with a stand or handheld mixer. Add additional cream or confectioner’s sugar till the desired consistency is reached.

NOTE: To toast pecans, preheat your oven to 350˚F, place the chopped pecans in a small aluminum cake pan and toast for 5 – 10 minutes in the middle of the oven. You can normally tell when the pecans are ready as soon as you begin to smell their fragrance while roasting. Do not let them get too brown or burnt. If you do, toss them out and start over.