In the latest line of trends that include new superfoods, rainbow and galaxy anything, and white people discovering Asian cuisine, comes the next big thing: tea-infused foods. I took this concept to the next level and got creative to present to you something you didn’t know you needed until you try it — earl grey cream puffs.
Now bear with me, because cream puffs are a little tricky to make and call for very precise measurements. However, it’s totally worth it in the end if you can stick to all the details. This recipe combines the traditional French method of making crunchy cream puffs (choux au craquelin) with a Japanese process.
Perfect for tea lovers, these earl grey cream puffs aren’t too sweet, can be enjoyed fresh or frozen, and are definitely a crowd-pleaser. Try this recipe out — you’ll be simultaneously keeping up with the food trends while satisfying a craving you never knew you had.
Choux Puff
Ingredients
Instructions
Preparation:
Pre-heat oven to 200 C (roughly 395 F). Sift the cake flour once. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cookie dough:
Combine flour and sugar, and add the cubed butter into the dry ingredients. Knead with fingers until well combined. Then wrap the dough in a plastic sheet and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Choux Puff:
In a small saucepan, combine water, milk, butter, sugar and salt. Bring to a boil using medium-high heat, then remove immediately.
Using a wooden spoon, stir in cake flour until combined and mixture forms a ball.
Return to heat and cook, stirring constantly until mixture leaves the sides of the saucepan and a film forms on the bottom of the pan.
Transfer mixture into a clean bowl. Add one egg at a time, beating with a wooden spoon until each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next.
Batter is ready when it forms a smooth triangle shape we you take a scoop of it. If not, add more egg.
Pour choux dough into a pipping bag fitted with a 1-cm round piping tip. Pipe out 5-cm circles onto the baking sheet and gently smooth out the peaks with a moistened finger.
Roll out the cookie dough to about 3 mm thick and cut out a 6 cm circle. Place one cookie dough on each choux pastry.
Bake choux puffs for 20 minutes before reducing the temperature to 180 C (355 F). Continue baking for another 20 minutes.
Earl Grey Cream Filling
Ingredients
Instructions
Simmer milk and add Earl Grey tea bags to infuse them in the heat.
In a clean bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar together until mixture is pale yellow. Add corn flour and mix well.
Add Earl Grey milk mixture to the egg mixture.
Return egg and milk mixture to the saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, constantly stirring. Continue mixing until mixture becomes smooth and glossy. Then remove the saucepan from the heat and set it over an ice water bath to stop the cooking process.
Pour the heavy cream into a cold metal bowl and whisk until soft peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the pastry cream mixture.
To Assemble:
Fill pastry cream into a pipping bag with a 1-cm plain round tip. Cut a small opening at the side of the choux puff pastry.
Pipe the pastry cream into the choux puff pastry until full.
Dust pastry with icing sugar. Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Simple Indulgence