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Blueberry Cream Puffs with Crispy Blueberry Topping

This recipe combines a classic cream puff shell with a sweet vanilla blueberry cream filling and a crispy blueberry crumble on top to create an elegant, airy dessert that is perfect for any warm weather occasion. Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract and Paste perfectly complement the blueberries in this recipe, rounding out their tartness and adding a level of complexity to the flavor.

Ingredients

Blueberry Pastry Cream

Crispy Blueberry Topping

Cream Puff Shell

  • ¼ cup water
  • ¼ cup whole milk
  • 3 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
  • ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 2-3 large eggs

Directions

Blueberry Cream

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together egg yolks, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and cornstarch until lumps are gone.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring milk, 2 tablespoons sugar and salt to a boil, whisking occasionally. Once boiling, remove the pan from the heat.

Temper the yolks by whisking in about ¼ cup of the heated milk mixture into the egg mixture. Once the milk is fully incorporated, whisk in another ¼ cup of the milk. Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan, and continue cooking over medium-low heat, whisking constantly until cream begins to thicken. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in the butter and vanilla until completely melted. Stir in the blueberry preserves or jam.

Pour mixture into a rimmed baking sheet or large baking dish and cover with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic wrap gently touches the top of the blueberry cream. Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.

Crispy Blueberry Topping

In the bowl of a food processor or in a zip top bag with a rolling pin, crush freeze-dried blueberries into a powder. In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients together to form a dough using a handheld mixer, a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or by hand with a rubber spatula. The dough will look crumbly and is ready when you can squeeze a handful together and it doesn’t fall apart. Keep mixing in 1–2-minute-increments if the dough isn’t holding together. Transfer dough to a piece of parchment paper and place another piece of parchment paper on top. Roll dough between the two pieces of parchment paper to ⅛ inch thick. Place on a sheet tray and move to the freezer to firm up for at least 15 minutes and up to 3 days.

Cream Puffs

Prepare two baking trays with a piece of parchment or silicone baking mat. Preheat oven to 375°F.

In a medium saucepan, add warm water, milk, butter, salt and sugar over medium heat while gently stirring until the butter is melted. Increase to high heat to bring to a boil without stirring. Turn off heat and quickly stir in the flour with a firm spatula or wooden spoon. Return the saucepan to medium heat. Stir the mixture continuously for 1-2 minutes, until a thin film forms on the bottom of the saucepan and the dough forms a stiff ball.

Transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or use a large bowl and a handheld mixer. Mix on low speed until the dough feels warm to the touch, but not hot and is no longer giving off steam, 1-3 minutes. Continue mixing and begin adding eggs, one at a time, letting each egg fully incorporate before adding the next egg. Stop the mixer as needed to scrape down the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl. Before adding the third egg, check the consistency of the dough—if it has the proper consistency, the dough will hang in a sharp point when the paddle or rubber spatula is lifted straight up from the dough. If it does, no more eggs are needed. If it hangs with more of a blunt end, beat in the remaining egg. Once the final egg is incorporated, stop the mixer. Scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl again to make sure everything is evenly mixed, then return the mixer to low speed for 30 seconds.

Cut a ¾-inch opening in the corner of a quart-sized resealable bag or disposable pastry bag. Place the bag in a tall glass, folding the top of the bag over the top of the glass. Transfer the dough to the bag, filling the bag about only half full. Twist the top of the bag closed and hold the bag at a 90° angle about ¾ inch above the tray. Press firmly on the bag and release pressure once cream puff is roughly 2 inches in diameter. Without lifting the bag, quickly flick your wrist as if you were tracing the letter “O” on the top of the puff to cut off the tail of the dough. Pipe four cream puffs per baking tray, leaving enough room between each puff to account for spreading.

Remove crispy topping from the freezer. Remove the top layer of parchment paper. Lightly place the parchment back on top, flip the packet over and remove the other layer of parchment. Place that piece of parchment aside. Using a round cutter, cut out a piece of dough that is slightly larger than the top of the cream puff. With a small offset spatula, remove each round from the parchment paper and place on top of each puff, pressing down very lightly to adhere.

Bake cream puffs for 10-12 minutes. Once they have puffed and almost doubled in size, reduce the oven temperature to 325°F and continue baking 15-25 minutes or until golden brown. Finished cream puffs will sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Let cool 20 minutes before filling.

To fill the cream puffs, cut ¼ inch off the corner of a quart-sized resealable bag or a disposable pastry bag. Transfer the blueberry cream filling to the bag just as you did the cream puff dough.

Using a paring knife, make a small hole in the bottom center of the cream puff. Holding the cream puff in one hand and the bag with the other, slowly squeeze blueberry cream out of the bag into the opening. Be careful not to crack the shell of the pastry by overfilling.

Notes

  • Check out our tutorial on How to Temper Eggs to learn how to master the technique used in this recipe.
  • Filled cream puffs are best the day they are filled. All components can be made in advance and filled once ready to eat. Store leftover cream puffs in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
  • Unfilled cream puffs can be stored on the counter in an airtight container for 3 days. To refresh, place in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes and let cool before filling.
  • Secure the twist of your pastry bag with a rubber band to keep the filling from coming out of the top.
  • Cream puff dough can be scraped up and re-piped if necessary.
  • Recipe developed by Pastry Chef Jessica Ellington

Blueberry Pastry Cream

Crispy Blueberry Topping

Cream Puff Shell

  • 56 grams water
  • 56 grams whole milk
  • 50 grams unsalted butter
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 68 grams all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 2-3 large eggs

Directions

Blueberry Cream

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together egg yolks, 25 grams granulated sugar and cornstarch until lumps are gone.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring milk, 25 grams sugar and salt to a boil, whisking occasionally. Once boiling, remove the pan from the heat.

Temper the yolks by whisking in about 50 grams of the heated milk mixture into the egg mixture. Once the milk is fully incorporated, whisk in another 50 grams of the milk. Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan, and continue cooking over medium-low heat, whisking constantly until cream begins to thicken. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in the butter and vanilla until completely melted. Stir in the blueberry preserves or jam.

Pour mixture into a rimmed baking sheet or large baking dish and cover with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic wrap gently touches the top of the blueberry cream. Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.

Crispy Blueberry Topping

In the bowl of a food processor or in a zip top bag with a rolling pin, crush freeze-dried blueberries into a powder. In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients together to form a dough using a handheld mixer, a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or by hand with a rubber spatula. The dough will look crumbly and is ready when you can squeeze a handful together and it doesn’t fall apart. Keep mixing in 1–2-minute-increments if the dough isn’t holding together. Transfer dough to a piece of parchment paper and place another piece of parchment paper on top. Roll dough between the two pieces of parchment paper to 3mm thick. Place on a sheet tray and move to the freezer to firm up for at least 15 minutes and up to 3 days.

Cream Puffs

Prepare two baking trays with a piece of parchment or silicone baking mat. Preheat oven to 190°C.

In a medium saucepan, add warm water, milk, butter, salt and sugar over medium heat while gently stirring until the butter is melted. Increase to high heat to bring to a boil without stirring. Turn off heat and quickly stir in the flour with a firm spatula or wooden spoon. Return the saucepan to medium heat. Stir the mixture continuously for 1-2 minutes, until a thin film forms on the bottom of the saucepan and the dough forms a stiff ball.

Transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or use a large bowl and a handheld mixer. Mix on low speed until the dough feels warm to the touch, but not hot and is no longer giving off steam, 1-3 minutes. Continue mixing and begin adding eggs, one at a time, letting each egg fully incorporate before adding the next egg. Stop the mixer as needed to scrape down the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl. Before adding the third egg, check the consistency of the dough—if it has the proper consistency, the dough will hang in a sharp point when the paddle or rubber spatula is lifted straight up from the dough. If it does, no more eggs are needed. If it hangs with more of a blunt end, beat in the remaining egg. Once the final egg is incorporated, stop the mixer. Scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl again to make sure everything is evenly mixed, then return the mixer to low speed for 30 seconds.

Cut a 2cm opening in the corner of a quart-sized resealable bag or disposable pastry bag. Place the bag in a tall glass, folding the top of the bag over the top of the glass. Transfer the dough to the bag, filling the bag about only half full. Twist the top of the bag closed and hold the bag at a 90° angle about 2cm above the tray. Press firmly on the bag and release pressure once cream puff is roughly 5cm in diameter. Without lifting the bag, quickly flick your wrist as if you were tracing the letter “O” on the top of the puff to cut off the tail of the dough. Pipe four cream puffs per baking tray, leaving enough room between each puff to account for spreading.

Remove crispy topping from the freezer. Remove the top layer of parchment paper. Lightly place the parchment back on top, flip the packet over and remove the other layer of parchment. Place that piece of parchment aside. Using a round cutter, cut out a piece of dough that is slightly larger than the top of the cream puff. With a small offset spatula, remove each round from the parchment paper and place on top of each puff, pressing down very lightly to adhere.

Bake cream puffs for 10-12 minutes. Once they have puffed and almost doubled in size, reduce the oven temperature to 165°C and continue baking 15-25 minutes or until golden brown. Finished cream puffs will sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Let cool 20 minutes before filling.

To fill the cream puffs, cut 6mm off the corner of a quart-sized resealable bag or a disposable pastry bag. Transfer the blueberry cream filling to the bag just as you did the cream puff dough.

Using a paring knife, make a small hole in the bottom center of the cream puff. Holding the cream puff in one hand and the bag with the other, slowly squeeze blueberry cream out of the bag into the opening. Be careful not to crack the shell of the pastry by overfilling.

Notes

  • Check out our tutorial on How to Temper Eggs to learn how to master the technique used in this recipe.
  • Filled cream puffs are best the day they are filled. All components can be made in advance and filled once ready to eat. Store leftover cream puffs in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
  • Unfilled cream puffs can be stored on the counter in an airtight container for 3 days. To refresh, place in a 175°C oven for 5 minutes and let cool before filling.
  • Secure the twist of your pastry bag with a rubber band to keep the filling from coming out of the top.
  • Cream puff dough can be scraped up and re-piped if necessary.
  • Recipe developed by Pastry Chef Jessica Ellington

  • 2-2.5 hrprep

  • 60-75 mincook

  • 8cream puffs

This Recipe Uses

Bottle of Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract.

Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract

Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon pure vanilla bean paste

Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste

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