These cream puffs filled with cranberry compote and almond pastry cream are the perfect dessert to kick off the holiday baking season!
It’s December. Finally? Already? Did this year go by at the speed of light? Or did it crawl by? Some days it feels like both. One thing is for certain. I think we’ve baked more this year than any other year in our 29 years on this planet. (ohemgee we are almost 30, help) We have used so much sugar. SO MUCH BUTTER and too many eggs to count. We’ve made old favorites like caramel stuffed chocolate chip cookies, and tried new things like our cozy spiced peach pie.
But strap in ladies and gentleman because its holiday season! Our favorite baking time of the year!!! We have so many fun baking plans for the coming month and can’t wait to get started making all the things. But, for now please enjoy the first of our holiday endeavors: Cranberry Almond Cream Puffs. EEEEEP.
What are cream puffs?
Delicious. That is what they are. At first glance they probably look a little intimidating. Like they are way too hard to actually make. We’ve had those same thoughts. However, they are actually quite simple! The dough for the shells (that actually has a very French name but I do not care to look up how to spell it) is real quick and easy to make. Its water, flour, butter and eggs. All things you probably have on hand.
What’s inside these little puffs?
Only the most delicious almond pastry cream to ever exist. It is so creamy and rich and we just want to stuff it inside everything. Underneath that pastry cream is a cranberry compote. Ooooooo. Aaaaaahhhhh. It adds a fresh, fruitiness to these bad boys that makes them oh so good. We love these because you can make any kind of compote you would like. Anything would pair nicely with the almond pastry cream. Or if you hate fruit, just leave it out. These are just as delicious without a compote.
What if I don’t feel like making pastry cream?
We get it. Definitely been there ourselves. Instant vanilla pudding would be a great substitute here. It has a very similar consistency and would certainly work if you needed to save some time.
Now let the holiday baking begin! Let us know what desserts you’re baking up this month!
Cranberry Almond Cream Puffs
Ingredients
For the shells
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup flour
- 4 eggs
For the almond pastry cream
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1 3/4 cups whole milk
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 4 egg yolks
- 4 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter room temp
For the cranberry compote
- 1 cup cranberries fresh
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp water
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium saucepan combine the butter, water and salt. Heat over medium high until it is boiling.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the flour with a wooden spoon until mixed in. Return to the heat to cook the flour. Cook for about 5 more minutes until it no longer smells like raw flour. The dough should form a ball in the center when stirred.
- Transfer dough to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on high speed to cool it down.
- Once it is warm to the touch but not hot add the eggs one at a time with speed on low.
- The dough should be soft and not sticky.
- Place dough in a piping bag fitted with a round tip
- Pipe mounds onto the baking sheet. About 2 inches in diameter.
- You can wet your finger and flatten any peaks that form when you pipe.
- Bake for 15 minutes until they puff up.
- Turn the heat in the oven down to 350 and continue to bake about 25-30 minutes until they are golden.
- Once baked turn off the oven and crack the door to allow the puffs to dry out some more. 10-15 minutes.
- Take out of oven and allow to cool completely.
For the pastry cream
- In a medium saucepan heat the milk and almond extract on medium low heat until simmering.
- In a separate bowl whisk together the egg yolk, sugar and cornstarch until smooth.
- When milk is simmering remove from heat and temper the milk into the egg mixture. Add a little bit at a time to the egg mixture and continuously stir to slowly bring up the temperature of the eggs without cooking them. Continue to do this until milk is gone.
- Return mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium high heat while stirring until it thickens. Pour it into a bowl that has the butter into it and stir to combine. Once mixed run it through a mesh sieve to get rid of any clumps and put in the fridge too cool.
For the cranberry compote
- Combine cranberries, sugar, water and vanilla in a small saucepan.
- Heat over medium high heat until it starts to boil
- Reduce to a simmer and cook until it thickens – about 5-10 minutes
- Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
Assembly
- Once creampuffs are completely cool cut off the top third of the puffs carefully with a seated knife.
- Spoon a small amount of cranberry compote into the bottom of each puff.
- Put the pastry cream in a piping bag and pipe cream on top of the compote. Put the top of the creampuff back on top.
- Pipe a dollop of pastry cream on top and garnish with sugar coated cranberry if desired.
- Store in the fridge