Sweet heavy cream filled puffs with rich, decadent chocolate ganache will make you fall in love all over again. These most delicious cream puffs are the perfect dessert for Valentine’s Day.
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My great aunt Bea would make these cream puffs and whenever she’d bring them to family gatherings I always ate way too many of them. I always made a big deal when she’d make them, hoping she’d always make them when we got together. Aunt Bea was so elegant and posed, so I have the same feeling about these cream puffs.
They are slightly bigger than a store bought box of cream puffs and one thousand times better. The puff is sliced in half with a layer of chocolate ganache on the inside bottom half, then filled with sweet creamy whipped cream and topped with the other puff, which has chocolate ganache slathered on top. She really knew what she was doing.
The Dough
In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil and add butter. Once the butter has melted, lower the heat and stir in flour and salt. Stirring continuously until flour is well combined. Remove from heat and let the dough cool for one minute. Add one egg and mix until well combined. You have to work quickly as the egg will start to cook. Add the second egg and mix until well combined.
Use a #40 cookie scoop to portion the dough and place the dough on a parchment lined baking sheet about two inches apart. If you don’t have a cookie scoop, you will need about 1 ½ tablespoons of dough or a heaping tablespoon. I like to dip my cookie scoop in water before I scoop dough, as this makes it easier to come out of the cookie scoop. I would do the same if using a large spoon. I also wet my fingers and run my wet finger around the dough balls to smooth the puff balls as best I can as well.
Baking the Most Delicious Cream Puffs
Now, you will bake your puffs in a preheated oven of 400 degree F and bake for about 25 minutes. You want them to be slightly golden brown. Once they are slightly golden brown, you will turn off the oven and leave the puffs in the oven for 5-10 minutes. Remove the puffs once they are golden brown.
Chocolate Ganache and Heavy Cream
Allow the puffs to cool on a cooling rack. Once puffs are cooled, make the chocolate ganache. Slice each puff in half and spread ganache on the inside bottom half of the puff and on the top outside of the puff. I like to do this on a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper. Chill puffs until the ganache has set. While the puffs are chiling, whisk heavy whipping cream in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Once stiff peaks from, add sifted powdered sugar and mix until well combined.
Once the ganache has set, fill puffs with whipped heavy cream. I use a piping bag with a Wilton 2D tip, but you can use a spoon to fill your cream puffs. Place the top half of the cream puff on top of the cream and you are all set!
This recipe makes about 10 cream puffs, but the recipe can easily be doubled if you are feeding a crowd. You can also make jumbo cream puffs by using the #20 cookie scoop, but you will need to adjust your baking time.
Equipment Needed to Make the Most Delicious Cream Puffs
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment: I use a KitchenAid (6 quart), similar to this one.
- Rubber spatula: I’m still looking for one that I love, so if you have one you love let me know in the comments.
- Measuring cups and spoons: I use and love this set.
- Half baking sheet: I love these Nordic Ware baking sheets.
- Cookie Scoop: This set of three is great.
- Piping bags: I love these Wilton piping bags.
- Piping tip: I love the Wilton 2D and 1M tips. I could only find the 1M tip here. If you go in store, you might be able to find a 3 or 4 pack with both of these tips. It’s only a few dollars and way cheaper than what I was finding on Amazon.
- Small saucepan: This one has great reviews on Amazon.
Other Delicious Recipes You Will Love
The Most Delicious Cream Puffs
Equipment
- Small Saucepan
- rubber spatula
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Baking sheet
- Cookie scoop
- Piping bag (optional)
- Piping tip (optional)
Ingredients
Puff Dough
- ¼ cup (57 g) unsalted butter
- ½ cup (120 ml) water
- ½ cup (60 g) sifted all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon (1.5 g) salt
- 2 eggs
Whipped Cream Filling
- 1 cup (120 g) heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar, sifted
Chocolate Ganache
- ¼ cup (40 g) dark chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat over to 400 degrees F and line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add butter and stir until melted.
- Reduce heat, add flour and salt, stirring vigorously. Continue stirring until mixture leaves sides of pan.
- Remove from heat and cool for 1 minute, I like to flatten the dough in the pan to help it cool. This helps prevent getting a scrambled egg.
- Add eggs one at a time. Beating with a spoon after each addition until smooth.
- Drop heaping tablespoonfuls (it helps to have the spoon wet) 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet. Shape dough into rounds. I used my #40 cookie scoop.
- Bake at 400 degrees F for 20-25 minutes. The puffs should be yellow-gold in color. Turn off the oven and leave puffs in oven for an additional 5-10 minutes. The cream puffs should be golden brown.
- Meanwhile, beat heavy whipping cream in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment for about three minutes. Add powdered sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to fill puffs.
- In microwave safe bowl, heat heavy cream and chocolate chips for 30 seconds. Let sit for a few minutes. Stir until smooth. If the chocolate isn’t completely melted, heat for another 10 seconds and stir. Continue to heat at 10 second intervals until chocolate is smooth. Set aside and let thicken.
- Remove puffs from oven and cool.
- Once cooled, cut puffs in half. Spread chocolate ganache on the inside bottom half of the puff and spread ganache on the outside top half. Chill until ganache is set.
- Once ganache is set, pipe whipped cream on top of the ganache bottom half of the puff. Place the top of the puff over the whipped cream.
- Keep refrigerated in an airtight container until ready to serve. Enjoy!
