Pastry Cream Cups

One of my all time favorite desserts are eclairs. I get one every time I visit Amelie's Bakery in Charlotte. There is just something about the crunch of the eclair, coupled with the rich, creamy texture of the pastry cream that always seems to satisfy. I went to the bakery during Easter weekend and had my fill of french sweets, but then I came home and was still craving more.


So this weekend I decided to be brave and attempt cream puffs. Now, while I've never been able to recreate the perfect cream puff shell, I believe I have mastered the pastry cream filling. I start with traditional pastry cream, studded with real vanilla bean, and lighten it up a little with some whipped cream. The flavor is there, but the custardy taste is a little more subtle, which a lot of people enjoy. I used puff pastry for the shells and made a chocolate ganache for the top to cut through the sweetness of the cream.  The two flavors worked perfectly together. This is a great dessert for a dinner party because they are easy to make for a crowd or a few special friends. Enjoy!

Pastry Cream Cups

6 frozen puff pastry shells
Pastry cream
Chocolate Ganache

Pastry Cream:

1 oz cake flour
3 oz sugar
8 fl oz milk
3 egg yolks
1/2 vanilla bean, scraped
1/2 oz butter, softened

1. Whisk together the flour and sugar. Add the egg yolks and 2 oz of milk, whisk until smooth.

2. Heat the remaining milk over medium until it simmers. Slowly stream in a little milk at a time into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Once about half of the milk is incorporated add the yolk mixture to the pot place over heat again.

3. Whisking continually, heat the mixture until it thickens, this will happen quickly, so pay attention! You don't want the yolks to curdle. Once it has thickened to almost a paste, remove from heat and place in a bowl. Add the vanilla and butter and stir to combine.

4. Place plastic wrap directly on the surface, so it doesn't form a skin. Place in the fridge and allow to cool completely. Then fold in 2 cups of whipped cream.

Assembly:

1. Cook the puff pastry shells as directed. Dip the tops of the shells into ganache.

2. Pipe the pastry cream into the shells. Place top of shell onto the pastry cream and then drizzle with a little more ganache.