Shirl, the extra large eggs would probably make a difference. You did remind me that I haven't made cream puffs in a very long time, I need to do that. I usually just make savory puffs, either cheese or rye, make small ones, and use them as appetizers, filled with corned beef and kraut for the rye ones, or chicken salad in the cheese puffs.

I would like one right now, though, filled with homemade vanilla custard and a drizzle of chocolate glaze....

Flat or not, I'd happily fill and eat those!

Annie

Yes, with extra large eggs you need more flour. Look for a sweet puff recipe (also known as pate a choux) that measures by weight or buy some large eggs. I think you'll find that with more flour they won't tear as easily and hold their shape when filled. Agreed with Annie, though. Yours look mighty tasty. :)

They look fine to me too, a simple sweet cream filling would taste good right now. I went through a period where we made a lot of them filled with crab though, as in 'whose turn is it to make the crab puffs'. Cream cheese lightened with a little sour cream, dash of tabasco, fresh - not canned - crab meat mixed in.

When you are making the batter before adding the eggs, if you do not cook it long enough, you will have too much water left, and this can also cause your problem. It is tricky to know exactly how long to cook the batter, but you have to get enough evaporation. I learned this from experience, and my first batter was too thin. After that, I cooked the batter a bit longer until it was very stiff before adding the eggs, and I did not have that problem again. I cook the water/butter/flour mixture for a couple of minutes after it has formed a ball.

Lars

It's simple. Choux pastry.

60G flour (seasoned with either a teaspoon sugar for sweet recipes, or salt and pepper for savoury)

50G butter

2 eggs, well beaten

150 mls cold water.

Put the water and butter in a pan and heat until the butter has melted and it comes to the boil.

Turn off the heat and tip all the flour quickly ino the pan and stir with a wooden spoon like crazy and don't stop until he mixture comes cleanly away from the sides of the pan. Then, add the beated egg little by little, beating all the time.

The pastry can now be piped/spooned ready for baking. under-baking will result in soggy choux buns. Bake them until they look cooked, then give them a few more minutes to be sure.

Agree with Lars , very important to make sure the dough is dry enough. Don't start adding the eggs until the dough forms a ball.

I like adding Gruyere, mustard salt and pepper to make Gougere

PS: nothing wrong with those puffs to me either, filled with some vanilla custard...or maybe lemon curd ...oh yum!

No kidding, making cream puff is art instead of science.....especially for the 'none precision cooking' person like me.

Having flatten cream puffs happened to me often until I added extra one or two eggs than recipe calls for and baked extra 3- 5 minutes longer. Sometimes I left baked cream puffs in oven after turning off the oven. Since then all the cream puffs I made came out nice and high.

Guess the extra egg(s) ensures the amount of eggs required. Based on my experience, extra eggs never hurts any batch, for example the recipe I used calls 4 extra large eggs, I would use 5 extra large eggs, or 6 large size eggs. Extra baking time ensures nice shape. I had also tried to take out one cream puff from oven, if after a few minutes it flattened, I would bake the rest longer.

Yes to leaving them in the oven! Crack the door and let them cool down in the oven so they don't fall.

I learned to make puffs at my mother's knee, so don't have the learning experiences that the others do, and yours, Shirl, look flat rather than fallen, but if you want them to keep the height and structure they've achieved, definitely cool them slowly for a couple of hours in the partially open oven.

I am thinking my dough was maybe still to wet before (not cooked long enough) before adding eggs. Knew then it did look as thick as I remember my Mothers. Will try again later this week....have already bought large eggs instead....will get back later this week ......and a big thanks for the suggestions. I believe mine were flat and not fallen......Having fun tho.....

You don't "cook" the dough before adding the eggs. You simply bring the water/butter to the boil, take it off the heat, then beat in the flour and keep beating until it comes away cleanly from the sides of the pan. Simples!