Cream Puffs: Tried Chilling Filling & Light Whipped Topping?

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Discussion Overview

This thread centers around participants sharing their experiences with making cream puffs, specifically discussing variations in filling, preparation methods, and transport challenges. Many contributors reflect on their personal successes and challenges while preparing these treats.

Discussion Character

  • Anecdotal
  • Opinion-based

Main Points Raised

  • One participant, identifying as a consultant, mentions that chilling the filling may help prevent it from squirting out when bitten into.
  • Another participant shares their experience of using light whipped topping and notes that they encountered similar issues with filling squirtage.
  • Several users mention that the filling can be messy, particularly when using the Easy Accent Decorator (EAD) for filling the puffs.
  • One participant describes using french vanilla instant pudding as a filling, noting that it holds up better than whipped cream.
  • Another participant discusses the ease of making cream puffs in a mini muffin pan compared to traditional methods.
  • One user shares their experience of transporting cream puffs in a Chillzanne server, highlighting its effectiveness.
  • Several participants express that the recipe is easy and yields impressive results, boosting their confidence in cooking.
  • One participant recounts a mishap during transport, where the cream puffs rolled around in their car, leading to some being eaten prematurely.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Views differ on the best filling methods and transport strategies, with no clear consensus on whether chilling the filling is beneficial. However, many participants agree on the overall ease and deliciousness of the cream puffs.

Contextual Notes

Participants share a variety of personal experiences and preferences regarding cream puff preparation, including different filling choices and transport methods. The discussion reflects a range of skill levels, from novice to more experienced cooks.

Who May Find This Useful

Consultants looking for tips on making cream puffs, as well as those interested in sharing their own experiences or seeking inspiration for variations in recipes.

P
pcjulie
Messages
276
I made these last week and they were SO GOOD! The only complaint I had was that if you bit into them the wrong way all of the filling squirted out! :eek: Has anyone tried chilling the filling before filling the puffs? Also, I used light whipped topping instead of regular. Do you think that had anything to do with it? TIA

Julie Myers
Denver, PA
 
They are good!I have made them twice now and both times they squirted out when bit wrong. I think it is just that there is no where for the filling to go but out when you bite into them. The first time I made them they were chilled over night and I used regular Cool Whip both times, too. That's how regular cream puffs are too (even when the top is cut off to fill them). They are great, though!! :p
 
I've done them twice too, once with light and once with french vanilla flavored whipped cream--yummy! I also chilled one and not the other. The one I didn't chill, I have alot of stuffing left over?? Not sure why, maybe didn't fill them as much, but they seemed full enough when I ate them!! hehehe.

They are sooooo easy to make too. About 5 minutes total to mix up, longest part is cooking the puffs, and that couldn't get any easier!

Only problem I had with them is when I transported them to my show this weekend, had to press the brakes really hard and they rolled everywhere in my car!! (had to eat those ones!) oh darn........ :)

ange
 
I made them to take to a meeting and put them in the Chillzane Rectangular Server for transport. Worked perfect!

I have always made my own cream puffs but never in a mini muffin pan before. It really is easier this way!
 
I've made these several times and I prefer to fill them with french vanilla instant pudding. They taste great and the pudding holds well (doesn't liquify as fast as the whipped cream)

Mike
 
We also put them in the Chillzanne...both the rectangle and the new one...they were perfect!
 
Cluster MeetingWe made them at our Cluster Meeting last night and they are definitely a keeper. So easy and yummy. I was initially intimidated by the recipe (just ended SS1) but when we did it last night I will never be intimidated by a recipe again. Cluster meetings are a must in my opinion.
 
Cream Puffs v/s Profiterole PuffsI made "Real" cream puffs about a week ago and I will NEVER do that again! I used every bowl in the house and had to cook the filling and the dough! Profiterole Puffs are much easier! The filling is so much easier than the regular version!
 
I made them the other day and since I don't have the mini-muffin pan right now, I put them in the 6 cup muffin stone. It just took longer to cook but other than that, they turned out awesome! Definitely a lot bigger! Since I knew my husband and I weren't going to eat them all right then and there, I only filled up two, and kept the rest of the 4 unfilled. That way the cream wouldn't get the pasty part soggy. I left the cream in the EAD and left it in the fridge until I was ready to fill another one up.
 
Did you put parchment paper in the chillzannes to absorb the condensation? Did these get soggy overnight (or did you just refrigerate the cream)? Vanilla pudding sounds awesome! I will try these soon!
 
The cream in mine didn't liquify, I just filled the puffs so full that they squished out when I bit into them. Yummy..... Anyways, I refrigerated mine overnite with the cream in them and I was so suprised because they didn't get soggy at all! They were awesome. I think the only problem I had when making them was that the EAD got really messy and I had to keep wiping the tip off so it wouldn't make a mess on the puffs :)
 
I made them with real cream - I whipped it with the new balloon whisk and did the ice between the two large stainless steel bowls. AWESOME!
 
Thought about putting paper down to avoid condensation....but didn't, no matter, they were fine, though they were eaten within the hour I believe!
 
:-)
Michael Serrano said:
I've made these several times and I prefer to fill them with french vanilla instant pudding. They taste great and the pudding holds well (doesn't liquify as fast as the whipped cream)

Mike
Click to expand...

GREAT IDEA!

Wondered what happened to you Mike, haven't seen you on the boards!!!
 
now a dumb ?
Michael Serrano said:
I've made these several times and I prefer to fill them with french vanilla instant pudding. They taste great and the pudding holds well (doesn't liquify as fast as the whipped cream)

Mike
Click to expand...


Do you use the little box or big box of instant pudding :)
 
I made them ahead, and froze them in the rectangle Chillzanne. I just put them out about 15 minutes before serving and they were perfect. What a great treat to have when unexpected guests arrive. :)
 
Pampered Amy said:
The cream in mine didn't liquify, I just filled the puffs so full that they squished out when I bit into them. Yummy..... Anyways, I refrigerated mine overnite with the cream in them and I was so suprised because they didn't get soggy at all! They were awesome. I think the only problem I had when making them was that the EAD got really messy and I had to keep wiping the tip off so it wouldn't make a mess on the puffs :)
Click to expand...

What will you do while making at a show?
 
its_me_susan said:
What will you do while making at a show?
Click to expand...
Do you mean about the cream being messy while filling? When I made them, I just wiped the tip of the EAD with a paper towel after every 3 or 4 puffs. It's really not that messy if you keep up with it. You actually look kind of chef-ish - I've seen them do just that on those TV chef shows. :p
 
Last edited:
BethCooks4U said:
Do you mean about the cream being messy while filling? When I made them, I just wiped the tip of the EAD with a paper towel after every 3 or 4 puffs. It's really not that messy if you keep up with it. You actually look kind of chef-ish - I've seen them do just that on those TV shef shows. :p
Click to expand...

Oh good! lol. Thanks for the clarification. I want to make these - but need to get used to the idea for a while first... Not sure why this one intimidates me a little ~ the demo tapes look easy.
 
PuffsSusan, that's what I did, too. I just kept having to wipe the tip off with a paper towel. The paper towel starts to get kind of messy, but maybe if you had a wet washcloth or something :confused: The only bad thing is that I really wanted to lick my fingers :p I think overall it is a REALLY easy recipe, though.
 
These are oooooooh so good, and ooooooooooooh so easy. I have made them quite a few times now. I do the same as someone else has said, about only filling what I think will be eaten right away. I have refrigerated the empty puffs, and then filled them cold, but I think they taste better at room temp.

Just a note though, you can double the recipie without any problems, but when I tried to triple it, the puffs did not puff when I baked them. But maybe I did something wrong on that batch. :confused:

Please try this for those who haven't. It will definetly give your esteem a boost, because they look so difficult, and people will be very impressed, and they are toooooooooooo easy.

Kim
 
Made these yesterday. Totally awesome and EASY. So impressive.

I used my Kitchen Aid stand mixer to mix the real cream with powdered sugar and vanilla (as described in the margin in the SB cookbook). I was in a time crunch and had to do it. I had intended to try the balloon whisk, but really didn't have the time to spare (unless I wanted to be late for my mom's birthday party!)

Filled them with the EAD, quite full in fact, and had left over filling.

I brought them to my sisters in a plastic container. Melted some frosting in her small microcooker, then dipped each puff in the frosting to cover the top. Was easy that way and less messy then drizzling it. Didn't bother with the nuts.

Everyone LOVED them and they tasted SO good.

Maybe I'll try pudding next time. Someone on another board used cheesecake flavor pudding. YUM!
 
DebbieJ said:
I used my Kitchen Aid stand mixer to mix the real cream with powdered sugar and vanilla (as described in the margin in the SB cookbook). I was in a time crunch and had to do it. I had intended to try the balloon whisk, but really didn't have the time to spare (unless I wanted to be late for my mom's birthday party!)YUM!
Click to expand...

That would have been my way to make the cream too - before the balloon whisk. I HAVE made the cream with the whisk and by the time I would have pulled the kitchen aid mixer from the counter corner and attached the whisk I was half way done whipping the cream. It still takes time to whip the cream with the mixer and clean up afterwards would have taken more time then doing the cream by hand.

Try it next time when you have a little extra time. You'll find that the clean up time saved will give you time to... make some customer care calls or... ;)
 
For those of us that don't keep a stock of chocolate frosting in the cupboard...I make them with melted chocoate chips. Easy and good, and almost everyone has a bag of choco chips in the cupboard.
 
  • Thread starter
  • #25
Has anyone tried the French Vanilla Cool Whip witht the recipe? I saw it at the store tonight and was wondering how that would taste! :rolleyes:

Julie Myers
Denver, PA
 
Oh my!!I made these over the weekend and they were so good. I made them mostly for me and my husband since they are low fat and we are on a diet. Made them with FF Cool Whip. Made some chocolate chip cookies for the kids. Well, kids didn't even care about the cookies and inhaled the puffs! I have a couple of shows coming up and I know there will be come diabetics in attendence. I think I will make these with either the SF pudding or Cool Whip now comes in SF, and use Splenda instead of powdered sugar.
 
If I were to do this at a show, what would you all reccommend? It would be difficult to allow the time to let them cool.
 
I think they cool pretty quick, the longest part is baking them. Maybe mix it up to start with, just to show how easy it is, put them in the oven while you are doing your other demo. By the time that is ready to go in the oven your puffs should be about done. Then you can mix up the filling while they are cooling.

I am pretty new at this, but I think I would feel way too stressed trying to get everything done without taking a whole lot of time.

Or, if you had them baked ahead of time, you could always let the guests fill them, that way they can get hands on using the EAD. :p Then have the frosting melted in a simple additions bowl, with a spoon that they can drizzle the chocolate on themselves, and another bowl with the nuts.

I would probably feel comfortable doing it this way.

HTH

Kim
 
Melody--It really doesn't take too long for them to cool. By the time you've finished poking all the holes in the puffs the first ones are cool. While they're cooking I would spotlight additional products, booking benefits, or a recruiting commercial (there is time for all three). Then poke the holes and whip up the filling. I might let the guests get involved in filling the puffs so they can use the easy accent decorator. Or play a game while filling them (as that part is a little time consuming and repetitive)---the tic-tac-toe is a good option because they need to find and write down their 9 products.

I've been thinking on how to demo this one as well. I haven't done it at a show yet, but I don't like alot of down time during my show. Which usually isn't a problem cause I talk ALOT!
 
I'm doing these for a St. Patrick's Day Themed Cooking Show, and I'm coloring the filling green. I had originally planned on getting a vanilla frosting and tinting that green as well, but since the green coloring shows through the puffs, I'm going to use the chocolate like the recipe calls for! I personnally use the gel coloring, and they were so pretty! :D
 

Frequently Asked Questions

What are cream puffs and how are they made?

Cream puffs are light, airy pastries made from choux pastry filled with a sweet filling, often whipped cream or pastry cream. To make them, you start by cooking butter, water, and flour on the stove, then adding eggs to create a dough. The dough is piped onto a baking sheet and baked until puffed and golden. Once cooled, they can be filled with your desired filling.

What is the best way to chill the filling for cream puffs?

To chill the filling for cream puffs, prepare your filling (such as pastry cream or whipped cream) and place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. This helps the filling firm up, making it easier to pipe into the cream puffs without making them soggy.

Can I use light whipped topping instead of homemade whipped cream?

Yes, you can use light whipped topping as a convenient alternative to homemade whipped cream. It provides a similar texture and sweetness, making it a great option for filling cream puffs. Just be sure to thaw it properly before using.

How do I prevent cream puffs from getting soggy?

To prevent cream puffs from getting soggy, ensure they are completely cooled before filling them. Additionally, fill them just before serving to keep the pastry crisp. If using a moist filling, consider chilling it to reduce moisture content before piping.

What are some variations for cream puff fillings?

There are many delicious variations for cream puff fillings! You can use flavored pastry creams, chocolate mousse, fruit curds, or even savory fillings like cheese or herb mixtures. Experimenting with different flavors can add a unique twist to your cream puffs.

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