Festive Eggnog Cream Puffs: A Holiday Delight! 🎄
A delightful holiday treat featuring light choux pastry filled with luscious eggnog cream, perfect for festive gatherings.
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Piping bag
- Baking Sheets
- Parchment Paper or Silicone Mats
- Mixing Bowl
- Whisk
Ingredients
For the Choux Pastry
- 1 cup Water
- 0.5 cup Unsalted Butter
- 1 tablespoon Granulated Sugar
- 0.25 teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 4 large Eggs
For the Eggnog Pastry Cream
- 1 cup Full Fat Eggnog
- 0.5 cup Whole Milk
- 0.33 cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 tablespoons Cornstarch
- 4 large Egg Yolks
- 2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 0.5 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
- 0.25 teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
- 1 tablespoon Powdered Sugar
Optional Topping
- 1 tablespoon Powdered Sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Choux Pastry Preparation
- 1. Get Ready: Preheat your oven to a warm 425°F (220°C). Line your baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats to ensure your puffs won't stick.
- 2. Make Your Dough Base: In a saucepan, bring water, butter, sugar, and salt to a gentle boil. Once bubbling, remove from heat and quickly stir in the flour until it's fully combined and smooth. Return to low heat for a few minutes, stirring constantly, until the dough forms a neat ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Let it cool down a little.
- 3. Whip in Eggs: Add the eggs one at a time into the slightly cooled dough, mixing thoroughly after each addition until the dough becomes shiny and forms a stringy texture.
- 4. Shape Your Puffs: Transfer your pastry dough into a piping bag fitted with a round tip. Pipe out 1.5-inch rounds onto your prepared baking sheets. If any little peaks form, just gently smooth them down with a wet fingertip.
- 5. Bake to Golden: Bake your puffs at 425°F for 10-12 minutes to help them rise beautifully. Then, lower the temperature to 350°F (175°C) and bake for another 18-20 minutes, or until they're a lovely golden brown and feel light and airy.
- Eggnog Pastry Cream
- 6. Create the Cream Base: In a saucepan, gently heat the eggnog and milk. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch. Gradually whisk a small amount of the warm eggnog mixture into the egg yolk mixture to temper it, then pour everything back into the saucepan.
- 7. Thicken and Flavor: Return the saucepan to medium heat and stir continuously until the cream thickens nicely. Remove from heat and stir in the butter, vanilla extract, nutmeg, and salt. Pop this cream into the refrigerator to chill completely.
- 8. Whip and Fold: In a mixing bowl, beat the heavy cream with the powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Gently fold this light whipped cream into your thoroughly cooled eggnog pastry cream until it's smooth and perfectly combined.
- Assemble Puffs
- 9. Fill and Serve: Once your baked choux pastries have cooled down entirely, use a piping bag to fill them generously with the luscious eggnog cream. For a truly festive touch, dust them lightly with powdered sugar just before you serve them. Enjoy your homemade holiday treat!
Notes
Nutrition per serving: Calories: 150, Total Carbs: 15g, Net Carbs: 15g, Fats: 9g, Protein: 3g.
