Description
Delight in these classic cream puffs filled with a luscious homemade lemon pastry cream.
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 large egg yolks
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 16 ounces (2 cups) half-and-half
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest (from roughly 1 lemon)
- ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick), sliced into small pieces
- 10 ounces water (1¼ cups)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest (from roughly 1 lemon)
- Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks, granulated sugar, and 3 tablespoons of flour until smooth. Set aside. In a separate saucepan, heat the half-and-half over medium heat, stirring frequently until it just begins to simmer.
- Slowly pour half of the hot half-and-half into the egg yolk mixture while whisking rapidly to prevent cooking the eggs. Then gradually whisk in the remaining half-and-half until fully combined and smooth.
- Place the mixture back on medium heat and whisk constantly for 3 to 6 minutes, allowing it to thicken. After thickening, whisk and cook for 2 additional minutes, then remove from heat.
- Stir in the lemon juice, vanilla extract, and lemon zest. Allow the pastry cream to cool to room temperature. Cover the surface directly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 1 hour until chilled.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium saucepan, heat butter, water, and salt over medium-high heat until boiling and butter melts. Remove from heat and stir in the flour until no dry spots remain. Return to heat and stir constantly for 3 to 4 minutes until dough forms a sticky ball and pulls away from the pan sides, reaching 165°-175°F if using a thermometer.
- Transfer dough to a stand mixer bowl and mix on low speed for 3 to 4 minutes to slightly cool. Add eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition and scraping the bowl sides. Then mix in the lemon juice and lemon zest.
- Use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to portion dough balls onto prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake at 425°F for 10 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350°F (175°C) and bake an additional 15-20 minutes until tops are lightly browned and firm.
- Turn off the oven and open the door slightly. Leave the baking sheet inside on the rack for 30 minutes to cool and maintain crispness.
- Slice the cooled puffs horizontally to create tops and bottoms. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of chilled lemon pastry cream into each bottom or pipe the cream in using a piping bag with a large round tip.
- Place the tops on the filled bottoms and dust the cream puffs with confectioners’ sugar. Serve immediately or refrigerate covered for up to 2 days.
Notes
- Use fresh lemons for the best flavor.
- Make sure to cool the pastry cream completely before filling the puffs.
- Store filled cream puffs in the refrigerator.
- Prep Time: 55 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cream puff
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 25g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 80mg