Savory Cheese Puffs Standard Cream Puffs Recipes

SAVORY PROFITEROLES

Steps:

• Put water, butter, and salt in a pot and boil briefly or melt butter. Pour flour all at once (!) into the hot liquid. Stir with a (wooden) spoon until large dough ball forms and a thin white layer appears on the bottom of the pot; the "burning off" takes about 1 minute. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let cool slightly until the dough dumpling is lukewarm.
• Beat the eggs. Using a hand mixer, gradually stir one part of the egg mixture (never all at once) into the cooled dough dumpling. The dough should have the consistency of a sponge, i.e. it should not be too fluid. If in doubt, do not use the entire egg mixture, but leave some. Stir the baking powder into the choux pastry at the end.
• Preheat the oven to 380°F/190°C. Cover a baking sheet with baking paper. Using a piping bag, pipe large dots (or other shapes as desired) of the dough onto the baking sheet. Leave enough space because the choux pastry will rise during baking!
• Bake the cream puffs for about 20 minutes in a preheated oven. Do not open the door during this time! Cut lids off the finished profiteroles while they are still hot using scissors or a sharp knife.
• When the profiteroles are completely cool, put the cream cheese in a piping bag and squirt it on top. Alternatively, you can spread the cream with a teaspoon. Decorate with diced peppers and chives.

PâTE à CHOUX FOR CHEESE PUFFS AND CREAM PUFFS

Steps:

• Put butter and salt in medium saucepan with 1 cup water, and bring to a boil. Add flour, and stir with wooden spoon or sturdy whisk until mixture comes together, about 1 minute. Lower heat and cook for 1 minute more.
• Transfer dough to bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Mix at medium speed to cool mixture slightly. Increase speed and begin to add eggs, one at a time. Make sure each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. After fourth egg has been added, beat for a minute more, until dough is smooth and glossy. Stop machine, add cayenne, nutmeg, pepper and grated cheese, then mix briefly to combine. (If you don't have a mixer, you can also beat the dough vigorously by hand.) Scrape down sides of bowl and remix, then put mixture in pastry bag.
• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line two 12-by-18-inch baking sheets with parchment. On each sheet, pipe six rows of 1 1/2-inch-round mounds of dough, five to a row, with at least 1 inch of space between them. (If you prefer, use two soup spoons to put the dough on the sheet.) Brush each mound with beaten egg, smoothing the tops with a finger if not quite round.
• Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 degrees. Continue baking for about 25 minutes, turning baking sheets as necessary, until mounds are puffed, golden and crisp. Serve immediately or cool on a rack and reheat later.

CREAM PUFF SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). In medium saucepan, combine shortening, salt and boiling water and heat until entire mixture boils. Reduce heat, add flour all at once and stir vigorously until mixture forms a ball. Remove from heat and add eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Continue beating until mixture is thick and shiny and breaks from spoon.
• Pipe or spoon onto ungreased cookie sheet and bake 20 minutes, reduce heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and bake 20 minutes more, or until golden and sound hollow when tapped. Cool and fill.

CHEESEBURGER CREAM PUFFS

Steps:

• For the puffs: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line an 18-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a medium saucepan, bring the butter, salt and 1 cup water to a boil over medium-high heat. Decrease the heat to low. Add the flour and stir constantly until a sticky ball of dough forms, about 4 minutes.
• Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on medium-low speed until there is no longer any steam. Decrease the mixer speed to low and add 3 of the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition. The dough will be done once it clings to the paddle in "spokes" as it spins in the bowl. You may need to add another egg to get this consistency. Add the Gruyere and mix to combine.
• Dab a small amount of the dough under the parchment paper at the four corners and in the center of the prepared baking sheet to keep the parchment paper in place. Using a 3-ounce ice cream scoop, scoop out the dough onto the parchment, 2 inches apart. You will end up with 12 scoops. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining egg with a splash of water and a pinch of salt. Brush each cream puff with the egg wash and sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Bake for 20 minutes, then rotate the baking sheet 180 degrees. Lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees F and bake until deep golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer the cream puffs to a wire rack and allow to cool to room temperature.
• For the cheese mousse: Meanwhile, add the cream cheese to a bowl, and using a hand mixer, beat until soft, about 1 minute. Add the processed cheese, paprika, salt and white pepper and beat until fluffy and smooth. Mix in the heavy cream as needed until the mixture is velvety and smooth but not too loose. Transfer to a piping bag with a large star tip. Set aside.
• For the burger patties: Transfer the ground beef to a cutting board. Cut into 12 squares, then roll each square into a ball. Place onto a piece of wax paper. Fold the wax paper over, leaving room for the meat to spread out. Using a rolling pin, roll the patties until paper thin. Season with salt and black pepper.
• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the butter and, once melted, cook the patties for 4 minutes on the first side. Flip and continue to cook for another minute or two. Remove to a plate. Add the onions to the same skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and translucent, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• To assemble: In a small bowl, mix the ketchup, mayo and sweet relish together. Set aside. Slice the puffs in half. Spread the special sauce on the bottom half of each puff, then top with a patty, onions, bacon if using and lettuce. Before topping each burger with the top "bun," pipe some of the cheese mousse into it first. Top each burger cream puff with a halved cornichon secured with a toothpick.

CLASSIC CREAM PUFFS WITH CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Steps:

• Make the pastry cream: In a medium saucepan, whisk together the granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk in the egg yolks until combined, then whisk in the milk. Heat over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until it starts to thicken, 4 to 5 minutes. Immediately remove from the heat.
• Whisk in the butter and vanilla bean paste. Transfer to a bowl, then press a sheet of plastic wrap on the surface of the pastry cream. Let cool, then refrigerate until chilled through, at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
• Start the cream puff dough: In a medium saucepan, bring the milk, butter and salt to a simmer over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture comes together. Cook until the mixture starts to pull away from the sides of the pan into a ball and looks dry, 3 to 5 minutes more.
• Finish the cream puff dough: Using a wooden spoon, beat in the eggs, one at a time, waiting until they are fully incorporated before adding the next. Mix until the batter is shiny and stiff. Alternatively, you can use a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-low speed to incorporate the eggs. Transfer the batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round pastry tip.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Form and bake: On the prepared baking sheet, pipe rounds of dough that are 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide and about 1 inch high, allowing 1 inch between each. Alternatively, measure out a scant 1/4-cup dough for each puff. Wet your finger and press down any pointed tops on the cream puffs. Bake for 15 minutes. Lower the oven to 350 degrees F and bake until firm to the touch, another 15 to 20 minutes.
• Finish baking: Shut the oven off. Let the puffs dry inside the oven for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool.
• Assemble: Using a paring knife, hollow out a hole in the bottom of each of the puffs. Pipe the pastry cream into the hole. Alternatively, you can cut the top off each puff and remove any undercooked dough in the center, then fill with the pastry cream and top with the top again. Hold in the refrigerator until ready to garnish and serve.
• Make the chocolate sauce: In a small pot, heat the cream. In a small bowl that fits over the pot of cream (without the bottom of the bowl touching the cream), combine the chocolate with the cinnamon. Use the pot of cream as the bottom of the double boiler and melt the chocolate over the cream. When the chocolate is melted, add the heated cream to the bowl with the chocolate and whisk to combine. Keep warm.
• Top the cream puffs with a sprinkle of confectioners' sugar and some of the chocolate sauce.

CHEESE-OLIVE CREAM PUFFS

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring the water, butter and salt to a boil. Add flour all at once and stir until a smooth ball forms. Remove from the heat; let stand for 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until mixture is smooth and shiny., Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 3 in. apart onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake at 400° for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown., Remove to wire racks. Immediately split puffs open; remove tops and set aside. Discard soft dough from inside. Cool puffs., For filling, in a small bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in sour cream and lemon-pepper. Fold in blue cheese and olives. Fill the cream puffs just before serving.

BASIC CHEESE PUFFS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the butter, salt and water in a pan. Bring to a boil.
• Sift the flour onto a sheet of waxed paper, then, off the heat, add it all to the butter and water mixture and stir it in very quickly to form a thick paste that leaves the sides of the pan clean.
• Return the pan to the heat and beat the mixture with a wooden spoon for 1 minute to dry it. Remove the pan from heat and cool for 5 minutes.
• Beat in the eggs and yolk, one at a time, then add the mustard, cayenne pepper and grated cheese. (I didn't have dry mustard so I used 1 teaspoon grainy, brown mustard. I also used a dash more cayenne for an extra bite.).
• Place teaspoonfuls of the mixture onto a nonstick baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees and cook for 15 minutes, until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack and serve cold.

CREAM CHEESE PUFF PASTRIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F.
• Unfold pastry sheet onto cutting board; cut into 12 squares. Press 1 pastry square onto bottom and up side of each of 12 muffin pan cups sprayed with cooking spray.
• Bake 15 to 20 min. or until pastry cups are puffed and golden brown. Meanwhile, mix cream cheese and mozzarella until blended.
• Use rounded handle of wooden spoon to press hole into center of each pastry puff, being careful to not press through to bottom of cup. Fill each hole with 1 tsp. pasta sauce and about 1 Tbsp. cream cheese mixture.
• Bake 7 to 10 min. or until filling is heated through. Sprinkle with remaining ingredients.

SOUR CREAM CHEESE PUFFS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, red pepper, onion, lemon juice, dill and pepper until blended. , Cut each biscuit in half horizontally; press into greased miniature muffin cups. Place a rounded tablespoonful of cream cheese mixture in each cup. , Bake at 375° for 14-16 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle with cilantro. Serve warm.