Miniature Cream Puffs Recipes

AMAZING AND FOOLPROOF CREAM PUFFS

Steps:

• Place an oven rack in the lower-middle position. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (decrease by 25 or 50 degrees if using a dark coated pan). Lightly grease a 24-cup mini muffin tin or a 12-cup regular muffin tin (you'll bake in two batches).
• In a medium saucepan, bring the water and butter to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the flour, stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula until the mixture forms a ball.
• Scrape the warm mixture into a mixing bowl (or into the bowl of an electric stand mixer) and beat with a handheld electric mixer until the dough has cooled slightly, 1-2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating constantly, until the mixture is thick and smooth.
• Scoop a heaping 1/2 tablespoon into each mini muffin tin (about 1/2 full) or a couple tablespoons into a regular muffin tin (again, about 1/2 full). A cookie scoop works great for this.
• Once the mini muffin cups are filled, wet your fingers with cold water and dab them on the top of the mounded dough to smooth out any rough spots and even out the dough (this will help them bake into a pretty rounded top).
• Bake for about 15-20 minutes for mini cream puffs and 25 minutes for regular cream puffs until the tops of the shells are lightly golden and they are baked all the way through (if there is any doughy moisture inside the shells add a few minutes so they don't collapse).
• Remove the pan from the oven and working quickly, use a thin wooden skewer to pierce the side of each cream puff; doing this will allow any steam to escape. I try to poke the cream puff shell right in the middle where I'll be splitting it anyway to add the cream. Remove them from the tin and let them cool completely on a wire rack.
• Repeat the filling and baking process with the remaining dough.
• For the vanilla cream filling, in a medium saucepan, bring the milk and 1/4 cup powdered sugar to a simmer. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, egg, cornstarch and 1/3 cup powdered sugar. Slowly ladle or drizzle in the hot milk mixture to the bowl while whisking constantly (this tempers the eggs so they don't curdle and cook into hard bits). Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring and/or whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and thickens.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla.
• Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer (this part is optional but can help remove any lumps) into a clean bowl. Press plastic wrap directly on the top and refrigerate until cold. The vanilla cream filling can be made up to a week in advance.
• For the sweetened whipped cream, whip the heavy cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla to stiff peaks (I like to use my Blendtec for whipping cream; super simple and takes just a minute or two).
• Split each cooled cream puff shell in half right at the seam where the puffy top meets the smooth bottom. Spoon vanilla cream into the bottom of each shell and top with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream and place the top back on. Lightly dust all the cream puffs with powdered sugar.
• The cream puffs can be fully assembled up to a day in advance (they actually taste better if assembled ahead of time). I store them uncovered in the refrigerator up to a day before serving.

FINGER-LICKING GOOD MINI CREAM PUFFS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. In a small saucepan, bring water and butter to a rolling boil over medium heat. Add flour and salt all at once; beat until blended. Cook, stirring vigorously, until a film forms at the bottom of the pan, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes., Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition until smooth. Continue beating until mixture is smooth and shiny. Drop dough by 1-in. balls 1-1/2 in. apart onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until puffed, very firm and golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Cool on wire racks., Meanwhile, whisk together pudding mix and milk for 2 minutes or until thickened; let stand 5 minutes. Fold in whipped topping. Cut puffs in half. Fill cream puffs with vanilla filling; replace tops. Dust with confectioners' sugar; serve immediately.

MINI CREAM PUFFS

Steps:

• 1. Put water and butter in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil until butter melts. Add salt.
• 2. Remove from heat and add flour and stir until smooth and return to heat and continue stirring until mixture forms a smooth mass, and the bottom on the pan is coated with a fine film. (this indicates that the flour is cooked)
• 3. Remove from heat and place mixture in the bowl of a food processor using the plastic dough blade. Add eggs one at a time, pulsing the batter until very smooth. (I started doing it this way when my shoulders would hurt so much from fibromyalgia that I couldn't beat the eggs in by hand any longer, now I wouldn't do it any other way)
• 4. Once the eggs have been incorporated into the dough it may be covered and left at room temperature for an hour or so.
• 5. Preheat oven to 425-degrees. Pipe dough with a pastry bag with 1/2 inch round tip onto parchment covered baking sheets, forming mounds 1 inch in diameter and 3/4 inch high. Lightly smooth the tops of each mound.
• 6. Bake for 10 minutes, Reduce heat to 375-degrees and continue baking until the puffs are golden brown about 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 325-degrees and bake until puffs are firm and the inside is not sticky or doughy.
• 7. Cool puffs on a wire rack. They may be used immediately or frozen in airtight container. To use, warm in a preheated oven for a few minutes.
• 8. SHRIMP AND CRAB FILLING: Toss together bread cubes, onions, melted butter and eggs. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• 9. Next day add celery, shrimp, crab and mayonnaise. Taste for seasoning. May need salt and pepper and a little lemon juice.
• 10. Use for filling mini cream puffs, canape`s or to make a sandwich with the filling. It is good enough to eat by itself. Bread extends the filling without compromising on flavor and taste.

MINI CREAM PUFFS RECIPE

Steps:

• Mix together pudding mix, cream and milk. Cover and refrigerate to set.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Bring water and butter to a rolling boil in large pot. Mix flour and salt and add to pot.
• Stir with wooden spoon until mixture forms a ball (mix quickly to avoid lumps).
• Add to stand mixer with beater attachment. Pulse a few times to cool mixture slightly. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each.
• Drop by teaspoon onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Bake at 425 degrees for 5 minutes. Turn oven down to 350 degrees and bake an additional 25-30 minutes until golden brown and centers are dry.
• Fill with pudding mixture using a pastry bag once cool.
• Sprinkle with powdered sugar and enjoy!

CREAM PUFFS

Steps:

• Mix together vanilla instant pudding mix, cream and milk. Cover and refrigerate to set.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• In a large pot, bring water and butter to a rolling boil. Stir in flour and salt until the mixture forms a ball. Transfer the dough to a large mixing bowl. Using a wooden spoon or stand mixer, beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Centers should be dry.
• When the shells are cool, either split and fill them with the pudding mixture, or use a pastry bag to pipe the pudding into the shells.

CREAM PUFFS

Steps:

• To make the cream puffs: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a large saucepan, bring the water, butter, salt, and granulated sugar to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. When it boils, immediately take the pan off the heat. Stirring with a wooden spoon, add all the flour at once and stir hard until all the flour is incorporated, 30 to 60 seconds. Return the pan to the heat and cook, stirring, 30 seconds to evaporate some of the moisture.
• Scrape the mixture into a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix at medium speed. With the mixer running, and working 1 egg at a time, add 3 of the eggs, stopping after each addition to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix until the dough is smooth and glossy and the eggs are completely incorporated. The dough should be thick, but should fall slowly and steadily from the beaters when you lift them out of the bowl. If the dough is still clinging to the beaters, add the remaining egg and mix until incorporated.
• Using a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip, pipe the dough onto the baking sheet, in 2-inch diameter rounds or balls. Whisk the remaining egg with 1 1/2 teaspoons water. Brush the surface of the rounds with the egg wash to knock down the points (you may not use all the egg wash). Bake 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375 degrees F and bake until puffed up, and light golden brown, about 20 minutes more. Try not to open the oven door too often during the baking. Let cool on the baking sheet.
• To fill the cream puffs, place a pastry tip on your finger and poke a whole in the bottom of each puff. Whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla until stiff. Pipe whipped cream into each cream puff and chill until ready to serve, no more than 4 hours.
• Notes about the recipe: The moisture in the eggs turns to steam and puffs the batter to try to release itself. You can fill them with anything.

CRAB STUFFED MINI PUFFS

Steps:

• In a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, bring water, butter and salt to a boil Add flour all at once, stir until a smooth ball forms.
• Remove from heat let stand 5 minutes.
• Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Beat until smooth and shiny.
• Drop by tablespoonfuls 3 inchs apart on greased baking sheets.
• Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
• Remove to wire racks.
• Immediately split puffs open, remove and discard soft dough from inside.
• For Filling, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream onion, salt, dill, lemon juice and pepper in a bowl.
• Fold in the crab.
• Fill bottom halves of puffs, replace tops.
• Serve immediately.

EASY MINI STRAWBERRY CREAM PUFFS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Place a mixing bowl in the freezer.
• Combine water, butter, and salt in a saucepan; bring to a boil.
• Remove from the heat and immediately add flour; quickly beat in the flour with a wooden spoon, alternating between pressing on the dough and beating it quickly. Continue until dough has formed a ball and no longer sticks to the side of the pan.
• Add 1 egg, and using the same technique above, beat it in until dough has reached a smooth consistency. Repeat with the second egg. Beat until dough begins to break into strands, about 5 more minutes.
• Divide dough into 12 pieces. Round each piece and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until puffed up and browned, about 20 minutes. Remove and cool on a wire rack.
• Meanwhile, pour cold cream into the chilled mixing bowl. Add white sugar and beat with a hand mixer until light and fluffy.
• Slice across the tops of the cooled cream puffs just enough to open; they will be hollow inside. Put a heaping tablespoon whipped cream in the top and bottom cavities. Put a strawberry in the middle and close the two halves. Set on a plate and dust with powdered sugar.

MINIATURE CREAM PUFFS

Steps:

• Combine water, butter, salt and heat to boiling. Add flour all at once, stir until mixture leaves side of the pan and forms a ball. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Add eggs one at a time until batter is smooth.
• Drop by teaspoonful onto lightly greased pan - 2" apart.
• Bake until puffed and brown at 400°F for about 30 minutes.