Cream Puffs

Cream Puffs, or choux pastry not to be confused with the other cream puff recipe I uploaded.
The Japanese Crispy Cream Puff has an extra piping of butter cream before baking.
So there is a crispy layer or skin on the puffs when cooked.
Where else this one is soft and smooth with a fine dusting of icing sugar.

In the original recipe the puffs are dipped in melted chocolate and has orange chocolate filling.
I followed the recipe for the choux pastry. And the method is my take after several tries and errors!

Cream Puffs
source: The Australian Women Weekly Cookbooks (Chocolate Cookbook)

Choux Pastry
75g butter, chopped
1 cup water
1 cup plain flour
4 cold eggs

In a pot combine water and chopped butter. It is advisable for the butter to be of room temperature and chopped into small cubes so that it melts faster.
Once the butter is all melted, turn down the heat and add in all of the flour.
Using a wooden spoon stir vigorously until combine and the dough pulls away from the sides of the pot and forms a ball.
Turn of the heat and allow the dough to cool.
At this point some recipes say to continue beating with a hand mixer or transfer the dough to another bowl.
I just let it cool in the pot, stirring occasionally for it to cool. It takes about 20 minutes or so.
I read that real cold eggs will also help cool down the dough that's why I said cold eggs.

Don't make the mistake I made several times of adding eggs when the dough is still very warm.
You will end up with a mixture that is running and will not puff up at all.

Once the dough is reasonable cool, add the eggs one at a time and continue beating.
I use a wooden spoon but you could use a hand mixer.
Keep adding the eggs and beating until the mixture is smooth and glossy.

You can either pipe the mixture onto a greased oven tray or use tea spoon to drop the mixture onto the tray. I personally found the tea spoon way faster and easier.

Bake for 10 min on high heat and later the next 15 min lower the temperature.
Once it puffs up and is golden brown, take out and cool on cooling rack.

Once cooled, split the puff with a knife or scissors. Pipe in the custard into the puffs.
Lastly dust some icing sugar on the top.

Happy Baking.