[Ingredients] - 40
150ml water
100ml fresh milk
100g unsalted butter, softened
1tsp sugar
1tsp salt
10-12 egg yolks
150g plain flour, sifted
Icing sugar - for dusting
[Custard Cream]
800ml fresh milk
4tsp vanilla essence
12 egg yolks
200g castor sugar
80g plain flour
40-80g unsalted butter, softened
[Steps]
Choux: Preheat oven 200degC.
Place water, milk, butter, sugar and salt in a saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat and remove from heat immediately.
Using a wooden spoon, quickly stir in flour till incorporated and mixture becomes a ball.
Return to heat and cook stirring constantly until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan and a film forms on the bottom of the pan.
Transfer mixture into a mixing bowl. Add in yolks one at a time, mixing in with the wooden spoon until each yolk is incorporated before adding in the next.
Test the batter by scooping it up using the wooden spoon. The batter should hang down, forming a smooth triangular shape. If not, it means the batter needs a little more egg.
Transfer choux dough into a large piping bag fitted with a 1cm round piping tip. Pipe out 3cm circles on a parchment paper-lined baking tray, an inch spaced apart.
Smooth out the pointed peak with a moistened finger.
Bake for 15mins, reduce oven temperature to 160degC and bake for another 15mins.
Remove puffs from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack before piping in the filling.
In a mixing bowl, beat (electric whisk) yolks and sugar together till mixture becomes pale and thick.
Whisk (balloon whisk) in flour till incorporated, followed by hot milk.
Return egg and milk mixture into pan and bring to boil over high heat, whisking constantly. Continue whisking until mixture thickens up and becomes smooth and glossy. Remove from heat.
Transfer cream into a bowl and chill cling-wrapped to cool.
Before use, whisk (balloon whisk) cream slightly.
If the cream is too thick, whisk in some butter, a teaspoon (5g) at a time till desired consistency is achieved. The more butter added in, the more creamy the cream will be. The cream can be kept chilled up to two days.
Transfer cream into a large piping bag fitted with a small round piping tip. Make a slit at the bottom, top or side of the puff and fill puff up.
Dust icing sugar over and chill till ready to serve. Best served chilled.