Poisoned Apple Cream Puffs are Spooky Good

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Elevate your Halloween party with these hauntingly delicious Poison Apple Cream Puffs.  They look like a poisoned apple, but they’re chocolate cream puffs filled with a luscious pistachio cream. These delectable treats are not only visually stunning but also incredibly tasty, making them the perfect addition to your spooky festivities.

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I have made cream puffs one time before.  And I have to say, it’s so satisfying to be able to make them from scratch.  The flat rounds that slowly puff up and crisp as they cook make them almost as rewarding to make as macaron.  It’s the science behind baking that makes these two quintessential pastries so fun to try and rewarding to make.

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What is a Cream Puff?

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For those that don’t know, a cream puff is an airy, golden pastry.  They’re usually filled with a luscious cream.  Cream puffs are a bite-sized symphony of textures and flavors. They’re made from choux pastry (pronounced “shoo”), these treats rise in the oven thanks to steam.  The same steam creates the feet on macaron. 

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But this steam creates a hollow center that is perfect for all sorts of irresistible fillings. Crisp on the outside and soft within, cream puffs are a must-try for anyone who loves baking or eating desserts.  And they’re made with water, butter, flour, and eggs.  That’s it.  Nothing fancy.  It’s the technique for making the dough that’s the tricky part.

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Cream puffs date back to Renaissance France.  Catherine de’ Medici’s pastry chef is often credited with perfecting this light dough.  It quickly became a fixture in French patisseries. Over time, cream puffs spread throughout Europe and beyond.  They evolved into various shapes and sizes. From elegant croquembouches at weddings to simple éclair delights at bakeries.  Choux pastry has enchanted dessert lovers for centuries.

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What is Pastry Cream?

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Pastry cream, also known as crème pâtissière, is a velvety custard filling.  It’s made from milk, eggs, sugar, and starch and is sometimes flavored with vanilla, chocolate, or other delights. Used in everything from éclairs to fruit tarts, pastry cream is the backbone of many classic desserts. Its creamy, rich texture complements the lightness of choux pastry perfectly, making it the go-to filling for cream puffs.

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Fillings for Cream Puffs: Classic and Creative

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There’s a slew of ways you can fill your cream puffs.  I usually opt for the pastry cream or the mock pastry cream made with pudding mix and whipping cream.  But you can fill them with whipped cream.  That’s an easy filling for these light pastry desserts.

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You can fill them with a nutty cream made from pistachios or hazelnuts.  Or even almonds or cashew.  It makes a nutty and elegant filling for cream puffs.  You can fill them with seasonal fruit filling like strawberry, lemon, or pastry cream.  Or you can fill them with curd made from the same fruit.  My mother filled them with ice cream.  I might have to try that next time.

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Ingredients to make the choux pastry for Poisoned Apple Cream Puffs

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Ingredients – water, butter, flour, cocoa powder, salt, eggs, half and half, milk, pistachio pudding mix., green food dye

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To Make the dough, heat water, butter, salt, and sugar until simmering. Remove from heat and stir in the flour and cocoa powder until the dough forms. Return to heat, stirring until the dough pulls away from the pan and dries slightly.

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Put the dough in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Let it cool for a few minutes while stirring on low.  Then slowly beat in eggs one at a time until the mixture is smooth and glossy. The dough should be pipeable but hold its shape.

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Piping the cream puffs

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Preheat your oven to 400 F.  Pipe small rounds onto a silpat-lined baking sheet. I tried to keep the tip close to the pan to make round cream puffs that were not too tall so they looked more like apples.  Bake the cream puffs in a preheated oven at 400 F for 10 minutes.  Reduce to the heat to 350 F and continue to bake an additional 25 minutes or until crispy on the outside.  Cool completely before filling.

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Whipping Up a Dreamy Pistachio Pastry Cream Filling

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I like using pudding as the base for a mock pastry cream.  It’s simple and you can achieve similar results without all the hassle.  Add the cream and pudding mix to a mixing bowl and beat with the whisk attachment of a hand mixer until light and creamy.  Let the mixture sit for a minute or two.  If it’s too thick add the milk a little at a time until you reach your desired consistency.

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Assembling Your Spooky Cream Puffs

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Transfer your pistachio cream to a piping bag fitted with a round tip.  Genty insert the tip into the bottom a cream puff.  Pipe enough pastry cream until you start to see the bottom of the cream puff get bigger.  That means that the cream puff is full of the delicious pistachio cream and you’re ready to move on the next one.  Continue filling the cream puffs until they’re all filled or you’re out of filling or puffs.

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Serving your Poisoned Apple Cream Puffs

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Presentation is everything! I am always the simpleton with mine.  I like the ingredients be the star of the show.  But you can easily elevate yours with a drizzle of white or red chocolate and a sprinkling of chopped pistachios.  That way your guests will know what the flavor of the crema puffs are.  You can try your hand at some edible gold leaf or some of the edible glitters.  You can dust them with a little powdered sugar.  Or you can find some of those fun Halloween themed decorations.

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What do these cream puffs taste like?

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That shot is making me say, “Feed me Seymour!”  The cream puffs are light and crispy on the outside.  They’re tender and filled with delicious pistachio filling in the middle.  The first thing you’ll taste is the mock pistachio pastry cream in the middle with its subtle sweetness and delicious pistachio flavor. bl

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Next you taste the rich, chocolatey goodness of the shell itself.  Finally, you taste all the effort you put into making this fun and delightful poisoned apple cream puff recipe.  The reward of all your hard work is the complex and delicious flavors your Halloween party guests will enjoy.  Or in my case, my coworkers.  I think they need a treat right about now.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

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Welcome to 2025’s #HalloweenTreatsWeek event!

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This is our 8th year doing #HalloweenTreatsWeek … has it really been 8 years? Wow!

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#HalloweenTreatsWeek is a Halloween blogging event that is hosted by Angie from Big Bear’s Wife every October. This event is an online, week-long event that is filled with some amazingly wicked Halloween treats and recipes from some fantastic Halloween-loving bloggers!

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Make Sure to check out all of the fun Halloween recipes that we’re sharing this week!

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