Recipe: Cream Puffs with Low Fat Pastry Cream

CREAM PUFFS WITH LOW-FAT PASTRY CREAM

FOR THE PATE A CHOUX:
2 1/4 cups water
1/3 cup unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon raw cane sugar (Turbinado)
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
5 large eggs
FOR THE PASTRY CREAM:
1/3 cup corn starch
2 large egg yolks
4 cups fat-free milk
1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
1 cup raw cane sugar (Turbinado)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
FOR THE CHOCOLATE GLAZE:
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup Wax Orchards Fruit Sweet or corn syrup
3/4 cup raw cane sugar (Turbinado)
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Preheat the over to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

FOR THE PATE A CHOUX:
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the water, butter, salt, and sugar. Bring to a boil. Add the flour all at once to the water, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to medium. Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the batter comes away from the sides of the pan, 3 to 5 minutes.

Remove from the stove and begin beating in the eggs, one at a time. The batter will become stiff and shiny. Carefully place the batter in a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. IF the batter is too warm, wrap the pastry bag with a towel. Pipe the dough in 2-inch mounds on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the puffs has risen and are golden brown. (Do not open the oven door for at least 20 minutes).

FOR THE PASTRY CREAM:
In a mixing bowl, combine the corn starch, egg yolks, and 1/4 cup of the milk; set aside.

Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean pod and combine them with the remaining 3 3/4 cups of milk, sugar and butter in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Slowly whisk the hot milk into the egg mixture, stirring constantly. Return the egg mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the pastry cream is tick, about 5 minutes.

Strain through fine mesh strainer or a colander lined with cheesecloth. Pour the pastry cream into a bowl; cover with apiece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the cream. Chill for at least 1 hour. Makes 3 cups.

FOR THE CHOCOLATE GLAZE:
Combine the water, Fruit Sweet or corn syrup, and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a bill. Remove the saucepan from the stove and whisk in the cocoa powder.

Strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer or a colander lined with cheesecloth. Chill well before serving. Makes 1 3/4 cups.

TO ASSEMBLE:
Fit a pastry bag with a plain, round tip and fill with the pastry cream.

Cut a small slit in the side of teach cream puff. Carefully insert the tip of the pastry bag into the cream puff and squeeze gently to fill the puff.

Dip the top of each cream puff in the chocolate glaze. Place the finished cream puffs on a balking sheet lined with parchment papers. Allow the chocolate to harden.

Source: Argo Corn Starch