Beautiful! And beautiful picture too, magazine worthy.I would love to have two or three of those right now! Care to share the pastry cream recipe?

Di

What a perfect breakfast. Great photo.

How far ahead can you make the puffs... without filling?

I love when you post photos Eileen.

Di is right. Absolutely beautiful. And as Nancy said, the perfect breakfast.

Ann

I've never made them ahead but I found this on myrecipes.com:

"This classic dessert is easily made ahead. Bake the shells up to a month in advance, then freeze in an airtight container. Several hours before serving, cut top third off puffs using a serrated knife. Fill the frozen shells with the custard filling and refrigerate. In the refrigerator, the shells will thaw but remain crisp."

I use the recipe from The New York Times Cookbook. I found it online:

Ingredients:

1 cup water
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup sifted all purpose flour
4 eggs

Cooking Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 450 F.

2. Combine water, salt, butter and bring to a boil in a deep pot. Remove from the heat and add the sifted flour all at once. Stir vigorously until mixture leaves the sides of the pot. If the ball does not form almost immediately, hold the pan over low heat and beat briskly a few times. Cool slightly.

3. Add the eggs, one at a time and beat until the mixture is smooth and glossy after each addition.

4. Drop pastry mixture by rounded tablespoonfuls onto greased baking sheet. Space two inches apart as the mixture will expand to several times its size.

5. Bake 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake about 30 minutes more until no bubbles of fat remain.

6. Cut each puff in half with a serrated knife. Fill with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream or custard.

I also use the recipe for pastry cream from the same cookbook if I have lots of time.

Pastry Cream

1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Blend one cup of the milk and the cream in a saucepan and bring to the boil.

2. As the mixture is heated, put the egg yolks and sugar into a mixing bowl and beat until pale yellow. Add the cornstarch to the yolk mixture and beat well. Add the remaining one-half cup of milk and beat until blended.

3. When the milk and cream mixture is at the boil, remove from the heat. Add the yolk mixture, beating rapidly with a wire whisk.

4. Return to the heat and bring to the boil, stirring constantly with the whisk. When thickened and at the boil, remove from the heat. Add the vanilla and let cool, stirring occasionally.

YIELD: About two and one-quarter cups.

This stuff is delicious.

The ones I made last night and this morning have faux pastry cream made with a small package of French vanilla instant pudding and 1-3/4 cups half and half with a 1/2 teaspoon of good vanilla extract. It's pretty good in a pinch but not nearly as good as the real thing. I didn't have time to make the real thing this time.

My notes: I found that 15 minutes at 450 in my oven is a little too long. So watch them carefully. I also reduced the 350 to 250 for the 30 minute drying out period.

I doubt that they will remain crisp! You can try drying them out in the oven. I would think they need to be fresh to be at their best.

I'm sure they would benefit from a crisping in the oven after thawing. I froze the filled ones above. We like to eat them frozen, too.

I gave Alice the recipe and she made puffs and filled them with scrambled eggs topped with salsa, cheese and sour cream for her breakfast.

These are in the oven as we speak...I am filling mine with vanilla ice cream and serving with a homemade hot fudge sauce on Christmas day. Thanks for posting this recipe, I was stumped for a dessert idea!

This is all the same for eclairs....right? Just longer?

I vaguely Alton having a show on these

Vanilla ice cream sounds delicious. I like them filled with whipped cream, too.

Yes, like eclairs, only longer. :) I am a complete klutz with a piping bag. (I greatly envy those lovely rose petal frosted cupcakes Annie, Alexa, and others produce.)

I am making more for Christmas Eve. I am joining another family. Alice and Daniel will not be home this year for Christmas. This time I will make real pastry cream. I'll have time.

Yummy looking and what a treat for breakfast.

Linda

Eileen:
How about Canoli Filling ???

LOU

I use cannoli filling for cannoli, which I didn't make this year. I made these instead. They are little more diet friendly than cannoli. I use all mascarpone in the cannoli filling and line the shells with dark chocolate. Yummy but SO rich. This picture is of some I made without the chocolate coating on the insides.

Next year...

I knew that!

Just another suggestion.
LOU

What is that around the cannoli filling? I am too busy right now but I so want cream puffs and cannoli for Christmas! Maybe I'll make them for New Years eve.

Di

Those are cannoli shells. Part of the reason I didn't make them this year is that I am not equipped to make my own and the ones I purchased locally last year were icky stale. I can order fresh ones online but I didn't plan ahead. The store where I used to buy nice fresh ones stopped carrying them as a seasonal item.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cannoli shells to purchase.

Love your idea of breakfast....YUM! I'll take a couple of those cannoli for dessert.

David

Oh I misunderstood, thought you used something else for the cannoli, you meant the pate a choux as being more diet friendly.

Di