Description
These Croatian cream puffs, known as ‘princess doughnuts’, feature a light and airy choux pastry filled with rich custard and topped with whipped cream and powdered sugar.
Ingredients
Units
For the pastry
- 1 cup (250 ml) eggs (this is about 4 eggs size S)
- 1 cup (250 ml) water
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) vegetable or sunflower oil
- 1 1/4 cups (150 g) all purpose flour
- pinch of salt
- 3 tsp sugar
For the filling
- 4 cups (1 l) milk
- 3 sachets vanilla sugar (or 3 tsp vanilla extract)
- 1 1/4 cups (250 g) sugar
- 1 egg
- 5 egg yolks
- 1 1/4 cups (150 g) cornstarch
- 1/2 cup (125 g) butter, softened, room temperature
- 1 cup (250 ml) whipping cream + some powdered sugar
- powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup water, 1/2 cup oil, a pinch of salt, and 3 tsp sugar. Heat over medium-high until it comes to a boil.
- Remove from heat and add 1 1/8 cup flour all at once. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a smooth ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan.
- Let the dough cool slightly, then transfer it to a mixing bowl. Gradually add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition until the dough is smooth and glossy.
- Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe small mounds onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the puffs are golden brown and crisp. Do not open the oven door during baking.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.
- For the custard filling, in a saucepan heat 4 cups (1 l) milk with the vanilla sugar (or 3 tsp vanilla extract) until it just comes to a boil.
- Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, 5 egg yolks, 1 1/4 cups (250 g) sugar, and 1 1/4 cups (150 g) cornstarch until smooth and lump-free.
- Gradually whisk the hot milk into the egg mixture, then return everything to the saucepan. Cook over low-medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbling. Remove from heat, cover with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface, and let cool to room temperature.
- Beat 1/2 cup (125 g) softened butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the cooled custard and beat until fully incorporated and smooth.
- Whip 1 cup (250 ml) heavy cream with a little powdered sugar until stiff peaks form.
- To assemble, cut the tops off the cooled puffs. Fill each with a generous spoonful of custard, followed by a dollop of whipped cream. Replace the tops and dust with powdered sugar.
Notes
- Use vegetable or sunflower oil instead of butter for a better dough consistency.
- Measure eggs by volume to ensure accuracy.
- Cornstarch is preferred for a lighter custard texture.
- Store filled cream puffs in the refrigerator and consume within 2 days for best freshness.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: Croatian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cream puff
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 10
- Sodium: 100
- Fat: 15
- Carbohydrates: 25
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 5
- Cholesterol: 100