Part 1 of How to Make Cream Puffs!

Cream puffs start with profiteroles (the dough part), which is made from choux (shoo) paste.

You will need:
1c. water
80g butter
pinch of salt
1c. AP flour
3-4 eggs

piping bag with 1/2" round tip, no fancy edges
parchment paper
preheat oven to 400F

Step 1: bring water, salt & butter to boil


Step 2: add all the flour all at once and start stirring!


Step 3: keep stirring, i know it hurts :P the mixture will start to look like mashed potatoes. you want to stir for a good 3-4 minutes to dry the dough out a little once it's combined properly.


Step 4: cool the dough (works best if you spread it out on something) to lukewarm. This is important because you are about to add eggs and you don't want to cook them.


Step 5: return dough to pot. whisk each egg with a fork individually and add to dough one at a time and stir until fully incorporated. Once you get to 3 eggs, you can do a 2-finger test to see if you need more egg or not. the dough should feel like chewing gum between your fingers, staying together when you pull your fingers apart a bit. You can add the whisked egg 1/4 egg at a time until you've got it right. the consistency is more important than using all the eggs!



Step 6: transfer the dough to a piping bag and push it all towards the tip. the tip i use is about 1/2" in diameter, and just round, no fancy edges.


Step 7: use a bit of the paste as glue to hold your parchment paper down (trust me).


Step 8: pipe the paste onto the pan, piping in the same spot until the paste is the size of a twonie, then stop, and flick the tip up, like a hershey kiss. mine are pretty ugly cuz that's my second pan and the paste wasn't coming out as nicely. Wet your finger with water and pat down the tips just a little bit.



Step 9: put in oven, and do NOT open the door for at least the next 12-15 minutes. When the overall color is a light golden brown, turn the oven down to 350F, and check them periodically. They should end up being a darker brown than golden brown all the way around, top to bottom. You can rotate the pan in the oven if you want.


I didn't space mine properly, which is why they have all mushed together. no matter, they were still tasty! And here's how they should look on the inside:


*makes a little over 40 puffs, which can be frozen (empty) if not using right away. They are also yummy to eat plain.
Part 2 will be the filling and chocolate ganache topping!