Make papa cream puffs at home in just 15 minutes
Perhaps the trend of papal cream puffs has already passed, but that's even better. You don't have to travel to Wadowice to enjoy a delicious puff pastry with custard cream. I found a recipe that allows you to prepare this sweet treat at home in less than 15 minutes. Plus, a simple trick makes it easy to cut the cake into portions.
3:13 PM EST, November 16, 2024
Cream puff in 15 minutes? I might even manage to make it faster, not counting the time to bake the layers. However, I don't have to worry about that—I buy good-quality puff pastry at the store. I just need to prepare the custard cream and assemble the puff. I put the cake in the refrigerator to set, and once it's ready, it disappears in 15 minutes as well.
Where does the name papal cream puff come from?
In the Małopolska region of Poland, the cream puff became popular after Pope John Paul II visited Wadowice on June 16, 1999. In the evening, during a meeting with the residents, the Pope mentioned a local pastry shop he used to visit after high school for cream puffs.
Sources also mention a bet made by Karol Wojtyła with his colleagues about who could eat more cream puffs. The future Pope ate several of them. They must have been very good.
Quick cream puff you can make in 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 package puff pastry (13 oz)
- 4 cups milk
- 3.5 oz butter
- 3.5 oz sugar
- 1 oz vanilla sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- 3.5 oz all-purpose flour
- 1.8 oz powdered sugar
Baking the pastry for cream puffs
I prepare a square baking tray with dimensions 9 x 9 inches. I divide a sheet of puff pastry into two squares the size of the tray. I place one on parchment paper and put it into an oven preheated to 356 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes.
When the base of the cake is ready, I transfer it from the tray. I divide the second part of the puff pastry into 16 equal squares. Without removing them from the parchment, I place them on the tray and bake for another 20 minutes.
It's worth dividing the top sheet of pastry into squares. This way, you get ready portions that will be easier to transfer to plates.
Custard cream for cream puffs
In a pot, I heat 2 cups of milk, butter, regular sugar, and vanilla sugar. In a separate vessel, I mix the remaining 2 cups of milk with egg yolks and flour. When the milk in the pot boils, I add the mixture from the second vessel. I combine everything vigorously to achieve a thick and smooth consistency.
Assembling the cake
I transfer the still-hot cream onto the large sheet of pastry. I spread it out and cover it with the small squares. I set it aside to cool, refrigerate it for 2-3 hours, and before serving, I sprinkle it with powdered sugar.
