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Mocha Cream Puffs

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Mocha Cream Puffs are chocolaty, light, and perfectly delicious.  Especially with the light and creamy tiramisu style coffee mascarpone and whipped cream filling.

This post is sponsored in conjunction with #SpringSweetsWeek. I received product samples from sponsor companies to help in the creation of the #SpringSweetsWeek recipes. All opinions are mine alone. Thank you for supporting the brands that support A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures.

Mocha Cream Puffs are chocolaty, light, and perfectly delicious. Especially with the tiramisu style coffee mascarpone filling. #SpringSweetsWeek

 

These are a bucket list item for me. I have never made choux pastry before for anything. I’ve never made profiterole, cream puffs, eclairs; nothing that requires choux pastry. It was something I was sort of afraid of because there’s a lot of stirring involved. And if it’s not cooked right it can go wrong.

 

Yes. I realize many say the same thing about macaron. And there are those that say choux pastry is not that intimidating! But to me, it sort of was. But like with macaron, I was determined to try them and see what happens. By the way, my first macaron recipe is here.

 

Mocha Cream Puffs are chocolaty, light, and perfectly delicious. Especially with the tiramisu style coffee mascarpone filling. #SpringSweetsWeek

 

Who invented cream puffs?

 

As with all age-old recipes, that remains to be seen. Everyone wants the claim to fame on these recipes. But we have to southern Germany and France at around the 13th century. They made a cheese bun of similar pastry baked in an oven. Then they sliced the buns open and put cheese in there. The hot buns melted the cheese. I am totally trying this.

 

Pastry chefs in England and France were both playing around with the same type of pastry dough. A combination of pastry flour, fat, eggs, and water combined to make choux pastry. They called it choux pastry because the buns made with the pastry looked like cabbage. You guessed it! The French word for cabbage is choux. And a term of endearment in French is mon petite choux-choux. My little cabbage cabbage. At least so they told me in school.

 

Mocha Cream Puffs have a light and delicious tiramisu style coffee flavored mascarpone whipped cream filling. #SpringSweetsWeek

 

And as if the history of cream puffs isn’t confusing enough, the name changes depending on how you cook the dough. There’s choux pastry, puff pastry, profiteroles, and buns. And to made things even worse, dishes varied by restaurant. You can order profiterole in a French restaurant and order them in an English restaurant and get two different desserts.

 

What are profiterole?

 

They’re basically cream puffs. Cream puffs that have a cream filling and are dipped in caramel. These were made famous by chef Antonin Carême. He was the first to fill and dip the baked pastry. And then went on to make the Croquembouche. This is a tower of profiterole stacked in a pyramid. It’s then drizzled with a hard caramel that looks like spun silk when it’s finished. It’s an amazing sight. But I’ve never had it.

 

Mocha Cream Puffs have a light and delicious tiramisu style coffee flavored mascarpone whipped cream filling. #SpringSweetsWeek

 

Now, I’ve been reading that cream puffs and profiteroles vary, but I think they’re the same thing. Some sites will tell you that profiterole have ice cream filling. I’ve never had one that was frozen but apparently you can fill them with ice cream. I may have to try that, too. The Joy of Cooking just lists pastry cream or ice cream as appropriate fillings. So, put whatever you want in there.

 

What’s with the name profiterole? Well, historians think it’s related to the word for profit or small reward. It aptly describes the nature of the cream puff or profiterole. It’s a small 2 or 3 bites of choux pastry goodness filled with whatever you want. Cheese, pastry cream, whipped cream, ice cream, or in this case mascarpone whipped cream.

 

 

What about the Wisconsin State Fair cream puffs?

 

What surprises me is that the Wisconsin State Fair apparently sells a TON of cream puffs. In 2015 alone, they sold over 400K of those delicious gems. It totally cracks me up that one guy sited in an article about the Wisconsin State Fair Team Cream Puff is called Puff Daddy. That’s just too frickin funny.

 

Cream puffs debuted in the 1924 Wisconsin State Fair. And it was a match made in heaven ever since. The Wisconsin Bakers Association created a glass window to showcase all the recipes made with Wisconsin dairy. The cream puff was popular but it wasn’t until after the war where it skyrocketed in popularity. FYI during the war, cream was in short supply so cream puffs weren’t possible.

 

Mocha Cream Puffs have a light and delicious tiramisu style coffee flavored mascarpone whipped cream filling. #SpringSweetsWeek

 

But when the Dairy Bakery opened back up in 1947 they were more popular that ever. And, in 2011, Puff Daddy and his team set out to make the biggest cream puffs. Like Guinness World Record sized cream puff. It topped the scales at 125 pounds with 15.5 gallons of cream inside. That is one GYNORMOUS cream puff.

 

What do mocha cream puffs taste like?

 

Okay. I’m not ashamed to admit that I did more taste tests than I should have. There I was, standing in the kitchen. Eyeing the pan I the oven like a hawk. I could see them puff up. I had forgotten to turn the oven down on the first batch. Don’t do this. You need to turn the oven down so the inside gets cooked. So, the first batch was a little dry on the inside. No worries. They’re getting stuffed anyway.

 

Mocha Cream Puffs have light shells flavored with chocolate and have a coffee flavored mascarpone whipped cream filling. #SpringSweetsWeek

 

The second batch, I didn’t forget to turn down the oven. And they were so moist and delicious in the inside. Not dry at all. They have a hint of chocolate flavor making them rich and delicious. The outside is tender. They’re not crisp. See the notes section of the recipe if you want them to be crisp. I didn’t know this when I started down the path of making these mocha cream puffs. But it’s food for thought. Pun intended.

 

Now, the no shame part comes in with the filling. Y’all. I wanted to eat the whole batch of the filling all my myself. In the closet. With a spoon. It is THAT good!! I started down the path of whipping the cream and then folding in the mascarpone, but then it looked too thick. I added more whipping cream and bet it again. Then added a hint of almond paste and instant coffee. Then I realized I should have let the coffee set in the whipping cream to dissolve. Follow the instructions.

 

Mocha Cream Puffs have light shells flavored with chocolate and have a coffee flavored mascarpone whipped cream filling. #SpringSweetsWeek

 

Just look at that mocha cream puff! The crumb of the choux pastry, the creamy, rich color of the filling. I’m totally drooling. These need to go on the menu again. And soon! The slightly sweet, airy, and coffee laced mascarpone whipped cream filling is totally addictive. I am using it for more than just these cream puffs! I have no idea what else, but sometime. It’s THAT good.

 

And never be afraid to just jump feet first into making something. It’s a bucket list for a reason! You want to accomplish these things. So, do it! They’re not as hard as you think. These recipes are not as intimidating as you think. And there’s always someone that’s made them and is willing to help trouble shoot. Like me with macaron. I’ve had it all happen to me! So, just get out there and cook up some delicious mocha cream puffs. You’re family will thank you! And I thank you!

Signature

Mocha Cream Puffs have light shells flavored with chocolate and have a coffee flavored mascarpone whipped cream filling. #SpringSweetsWeek
Yield: 30

Mocha Cream Puffs

Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Mocha Cream Puffs are chocolaty, light, and perfectly delicious. Especially with the tiramisu style coffee mascarpone filling.

Ingredients

For the pâte à choux:

  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup flour
  • 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 4 - 6 eggs

For the tiramisu filling:

  • 8 ounce mascarpone
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 cup whipping cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon instant coffee

Instructions

For the pâte à choux:

    1. Preheat oven to 400.
    2. Combine the flour with the cocoa powder in a small bowl with a whisk. Set aside.
    3. Combine the water with the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the butter melts.
    4. Stir in the sugar and salt and continue to simmer until dissolved.
    5. Add the flour mixture and stir vigorously until there are no lumps.
    6. Continue cooking the pastry dough until smooth and a thin film of dough coats the bottom of the pan. This will vary based on moisture in the flour and quality of ingredients. Anywhere between 5 and 10 minutes.
    7. After the dough cooks, put it in the bowl of a stand mixture with the paddle attachment (or a large mixing bowl and use a hand mixer with the whisk attachment). Beat on low for amount a minute to cool the batter down enough for the eggs.
    8. Start adding the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
    9. Check the batter consistency after 3 eggs. The dough should be smooth and shiny. When you lift the paddle, the dough should fall slowly into a ribbon off the paddle. Continue to add eggs one at a time until the batter your batter looks like that. I had to add 6.
    10. Put the batter into a piping bag fitted with a 1/2 inch tip.
    11. Pipe into 1 1/2 to 2 inch rounds about 3 inches apart.
    12. Bake at 400 for 5 minutes.
    13. Reduce the heat to 375 and cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until puffy.
    14. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
    15. Bake one pan at a time making sure to return the oven temperature to 400 before baking another pan.

For the mascarpone mocha filling:

    1. While the cream puffs are cooling, make the coffee mascarpone whipped cream.
    2. Place the mascarpone and powdered sugar in a large mixing bowl.
    3. Using a hand mixer (or your stand mixer) beat until creamy.
    4. Pour the coffee granules into the whipping cream and set aside for 5 minutes to allow the coffee to dissolve. Use 1 1/2 teaspoons if you want a stronger coffee flavor, or 1 teaspoon for a more mellow coffee flavor.
    5. Once the coffee has dissolved, pour the whipping cream mixture into the mascarpone mixture. Beat with the whisk attachment until smooth and creamy.
    6. Check for sweetness and flavor. Add more powdered sugar and coffee granules as needed.
    7. Once the filling is ready, use a rubber spatula to fill a piping bag fitted with 1/2 inch star tip.
    8. You can either use a serrated knife to slice the cream puffs open or insert the piping tip into the bottom of the cream puff to fill it. If you insert the tip into the bottom, carefully fill the cream puff until they feel heavy, and you can see them swell up with the filling.
    9. Store the filled cream puffs in the fridge for up to 3 days. If they last that long.

Notes

You can make the batter 3 days ahead and store in the fridge.

You can make the shells `1 day ahead and store in an airtight container for 1 day.

If you want crispier cream puffs, use all butter instead of butter and water.

Nutrition Information

Yield

30

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 149Total Fat 13gSaturated Fat 8gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 71mgSodium 93mgCarbohydrates 7gFiber 0gSugar 4gProtein 2g

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22 Comments

  1. OMG! Stunning flavors! The description makes me drool and wouldn’t mind having a few of these delicious mocha cream puffs. Amazing recipe!

    1. Thanks. OMG that filling was crack. I couldn’t stop eating it. It was SO GOOD! I’ll have to find an excuse I mean reason to make it again.

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