Bignè alla Crema (Italian Cream Puffs with Vanilla Pastry Cream)

Vanilla pastry cream

• 500 ml Whole milk
• 120 g Caster sugar
• 40 g Cornflour
• 1 pinch Fine sea salt
• 4 Egg
• 30 g Unsalted butter
• 2 tsp Vanilla extract

Choux buns and finish

• 125 ml Whole milk
• 60 g Unsalted butter
• 1 pinch Fine sea salt
• 10 g Caster sugar
• 75 g Plain flour
• 3 Egg
• 20 g Icing sugar

1. Make the pastry cream first so it can chill. In a saucepan, warm the milk with the vanilla until steaming but not boiling.
2. In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the caster sugar, cornflour and a pinch of salt until smooth. Slowly whisk in the hot milk, then pour everything back into the saucepan.
3. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, for 3 to 5 minutes until thick and bubbling. Take off the heat and whisk in the butter until glossy.
4. Tip the pastry cream into a clean bowl and press a piece of baking paper directly onto the surface to prevent a skin forming. Chill until cold and set.
5. Heat the oven to 200°C (390°F) and set a baking tray in the middle of the oven to preheat. Measure out the flour for the choux so it is ready to add in one go.
6. In a saucepan, bring the milk, butter, salt and caster sugar to a full boil. Remove from the heat, add the flour all at once, then beat hard with a wooden spoon until a smooth paste forms.
7. Return the pan to medium heat and cook the paste for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring, until it forms a ball and leaves a thin film on the base of the pan. Tip into a mixing bowl and leave to cool for 5 minutes so it does not scramble the eggs.
8. Beat in the eggs one at a time until the paste is smooth, glossy and drops from the spoon in a thick V shape. Spoon into a piping bag and pipe 12 even mounds onto the hot baking tray, spacing them well apart.
9. Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven to 180°C (355°F) and bake for 10 to 15 minutes more until deep golden, crisp and well risen. Turn off the oven, crack the door open, and leave the buns inside for 5 minutes to dry out.
10. Cool the buns completely on a rack. Whisk the chilled pastry cream until smooth, pipe it into the buns, then dust generously with icing sugar to serve.

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