A light and airy pastry with a touch of lemon flavor, these Cream Puffs are filled with a luscious Lemon Pastry Cream. They're lovely, sunshiney treats!
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Who loves cream puffs? I suddenly find myself shouting, "Me, me, me!" And I hope that you are also shouting, "Me, me, me!!" Because if you are, I think you will find this to be a very tasty recipe: Cream Puffs with Lemon Pastry Cream.
The pastry used to make the lemon puffs recipe is a choux pastry. (That's the same type I use for savory and cheesy Gougères.) The baked and cooled choux puffs are filled with a citrusy, lemon-flavored pastry cream.
Serve these little easy lemon cream puffs chilled; they're cool, creamy, and full of bright flavor! A lovely dessert any time of the year, they bring a little elegance to the table.
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Are cream puffs hard to make?
I totally understand why you assume that cream puffs must be a bear to make. They're a French pastry, and many French pastries are pretty complex. Cream puffs are often found in fancy bakery pastry cases, and heck, they even look pretty darn fancy!
Plus, cream puffs can be found in the freezer aisle at some stores, fully baked, filled, and frozen. I think a lot of times folks see certain treats premade in the freezer or cold case (like pie crust, quiche, and whipped cream) and assume this means they're too time-consuming or tricky to make from scratch. The truth is, cream puffs are easier to make than you think.
Cream puffs have two parts: the pastry puff and the filling it holds. The puff part is made from choux ("SHOO") pastry; cream puffs are also known as choux buns.
The unique thing about this pastry is that it's made on the stovetop. Butter, simmering water, and flour are stirred together in a saucepan until they look like mashed potatoes. This dough goes into a mixer where it's combined with eggs. It's then spooned or piped onto a baking sheet and baked until puffed and crisp. That's not too hard at all!
In this recipe, the cream puff filling is pastry cream, also made on the stove top with egg yolks, cream, sugar, and any flavorings you want. They're simmered together until they turn into a pudding or custard-like mixture that's then chilled. You do have to whisk it a whole bunch, but other than that, it's very doable.
And of course, there are other fillings to try in the puffs if you're not interested in pastry cream—such as whipped cream, ice cream, chocolate ganache, or even savory fillings like chicken salad!
In short, you got this! You can absolutely make cream puffs. Yahoo for choux!
Why you'll love this recipe
One thing you'll love is that these cream-filled puffs are loaded with lemon flavor. That makes them a versatile dish, one to enjoy during the gray days of winter or to celebrate the sunshine of spring and summer.
The choux pastry recipe has a touch of fresh lemon zest and lemon juice, giving the baked cream puff shells a light, lemony taste. The pastry cream, a sweet custard cooked on the stovetop, also has lots of fresh lemon plus a little vanilla—because lemon and vanilla, in my opinion, are a dynamic duo of the dessert world!
If you haven't tried making your own choux pastry, you'll be so surprised at how easy it is. It comes together very quickly, and scoops of dough transform into little puffs once they hit the heat of the oven. They're fun to watch puff up!
Make Cream Puffs with Lemon choux cream for your next brunch or wedding shower, or as a decadent little treat to enjoy at home.
Lemon love!
Lemon Lavender Icebox Pie
A creamy, no-bake pie served in a cookie crust.
🔪 How to make Cream Puffs with Lemon Pastry Cream
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Ingredients:
- Eggs: Eggs and egg yolks are used in the choux pastry and the lemon pastry filling.
- Sugar: We use two kinds here—granulated sugar in the pastry cream and powdered sugar to dust the cream puffs.
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour; my go-to brand is King Arthur Baking.
- Half-and-half: A blend of cream and milk, half-and-half makes a rich lemon cream filling.
- Lemons: Pick up two lemons; you'll use both the juice and the zest to flavor this dessert.
- Vanilla extract: You only need a little here, but it's always worth it to use a quality brand, like Nielsen-Massey.
- Butter: Use a good, unsalted butter for the choux pastry—Cabot, Vermont Creamery, and Kerrygold are fine choices.
- Salt: Just a little salt in the puffs enhances the overall flavor.
Make the pastry cream
Whisk together egg yolks, sugar, and flour in a large saucepan. Heat half-and-half in a separate saucepan to barely a simmer. Whisking constantly, slowly add the heated half-and-half to the egg yolk mixture and cook until it thickens.
Add lemon juice and vanilla, then pop the lemon pastry cream into the fridge to chill.
Make the choux pastry
Whisk together butter, water, and salt in a large saucepan and bring it to a boil. Whisk in flour and cook until the dough looks smooth and thick.
Transfer it to a stand mixer bowl and beat in the eggs. Mix until the dough looks shiny and smooth, then mix in the lemon juice and zest.
Bake the puffs
Scoop the dough onto a lined baking sheet. Bake the puffs until they're puffed and lightly browned.
Cool them completely.
Fill the puffs
Slice the puffs in half. Spoon the lemon creme onto the bottom halves. Place the puff tops on the filling and dust with powdered sugar.
FAQs
To get light and fluffy pastry puffs, remember NOT to open the door when they're baking. The rush of cool air and release of steam will make the choux puffs deflate. Also, let the baked puffs cool on the oven rack, with the oven turned off and the door ajar. This helps the outside of the puffs stay crisp as they cool, which will help them keep their light shape.
The filled cream puffs should be covered with food wrap on a plate or transferred to an airtight container. Keep them refrigerated. For the best texture in the puffs, enjoy them within two to three days.
Tips:
- The pastry cream is not difficult to make—just remember to add the heated half-and-half very slowly to the egg mixture. This allows the mixtures to combine smoothly with no cooked bits of egg. It's a deliciously smooth and creamy filling for the puffs.
- If you think there may be some bits of cooked egg, press the pastry cream through a fine mesh strainer to remove them.
- Don't panic if the puffs do deflate a little. They're still a delicious vehicle for the lemon pastry cream.
The Cream Puffs recipe with Lemon Pastry Cream is below! Here are more lemony recipes for you:
💬 Did you make and devour this recipe? Leave a comment below.
📖 Recipe
Cream Puffs, with Lemon Filling
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Ingredients
For the pastry cream:
- 6 large egg yolks
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 16 ounces half-and-half (2 cups)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest (from roughly 1 lemon)
For the puffs:
- ½ cup butter, unsalted
- 10 ounces water (1¼ cups)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest (from roughly 1 lemon)
- Confectioners' sugar for dusting
Instructions
Make the pastry cream:
- In a large saucepan whisk together the egg yolks, granulated sugar and the 3 tablespoons of flour. It should be a smooth mixture. Hold this aside.
- In a separate small saucepan heat the half-and-half over medium heat, stirring it frequently just until it comes to a simmer.
- Pouring very slowly (so as not to cook the egg), pour half of the hot half-and-half over the egg mixture, whisking rapidly. Keep whisking until the mixture is smooth. Slowly pour in the rest of the half-and-half; whisk it in.
- Place this mixture over medium heat and whisk it constantly for 3 to 6 minutes—as the mixture heats up, it will thicken.
- Once it has thickened whisk and cook it 2 minutes longer and then remove the pan from the heat.
- Stir in the tablespoon of lemon juice, ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons of lemon zest.
- Allow the pastry cream to cool to room temperature. Press a piece of plastic wrap to the surface of the cream and refrigerate it until it's cold—about 1 hour.
Make the pastry dough:
- Preheat the oven to 425° F. Have ready a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Slice the butter into small pieces. Heat the butter, water and salt in a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat, until the water comes to a boil and the butter is melted. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Stir in the 1¼ cups of flour; keep stirring until no dry flour remains. Return the pan to the burner over medium heat.
- Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to stir the flour mixture constantly over the heat—it will quickly pull away from the sides and form a sticky lump of dough. Keep stirring the dough for about 3 to 4 minutes. (The bottom of the pan will get covered by a film which is normal.) If you have a digital thermometer you can check the temperature of the dough—it should be 165° to 175°F.
- Transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Mix the dough on low for 3 to 4 minutes to cool it enough to touch.
- Beat one egg at a time into the dough, mixing thoroughly and scraping the sides of the bowl before adding the next. Once all of the eggs are in, mix in the tablespoon of lemon juice and the 2 tablespoons of lemon zest.
Make the puffs:
- Use a medium 2-tablespoon-sized cookie scoop to scoop balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- Bake the puffs for 10 minutes. Then, reduce the oven temperature to 350° F. (Do not open the door.) Bake the puffs for another 15 to 20 minutes, until they're lightly browned on top and the tops feel sturdy.
- Turn off the oven and partly open the door. Leave the sheet of puffs inside and let them cool on the oven rack for 30 minutes. (This helps keep them crisp.)
Fill the puffs:
- Use a sharp knife to slice the puffs in half to create tops and bottoms.
- Spoon about 1 tablespoon of chilled pastry cream into each puff bottom. Another option is to spoon the pastry cream into a piping bag with large, round tip, and pipe the cream into the puff shell.
- Place the tops on all the puffs and then dust them with confectioners' sugar.
- Serve the puffs immediately or store them covered in the fridge until you need them. Leftover puffs can be kept covered and refrigerated for about 2 days.
- Makes about 23 cream puffs.
Notes
- The pastry cream is not difficult to make—just remember to add the heated half-and-half very slowly to the egg mixture. This allows the mixtures to combine smoothly with no cooked bits of egg. It's a deliciously smooth and creamy filling for the puffs.
- If you think there may be some bits of cooked egg, press the pastry cream through a fine mesh strainer to remove them.
- Don't panic if the puffs do deflate a little. They're still a delicious vehicle for the lemon pastry cream.
- The pastry cream is adapted from the recipe in The Dessert Bible by Christopher Kimball.
Nutrition
Jill says
Don't understand what half and half is.
Nancy Mock says
Hi Jill, half and half is a mixture of milk and cream. You can substitute half whole milk and half light cream for the half and half in this recipe. I appreciate you reaching out!