These heavenly Earl Grey Cream Puffs are made with Earl Grey tea-infused pate a choux and filled with light and airy Earl Grey Cream filling!
Here's another one from the Earl Grey dessert chronicles. This time, it's Earl Grey cream puffs, or profiteroles, as they are sometimes known. These cream puffs are loaded with Earl Grey tea flavours throughout. The speckled pastry (pate a choux) is made with ground Earl Grey tea leaves whilst the filling contains a delicate, light, and airy Earl Grey infused cream.
Profiteroles or cream puffs are a perfect holiday dessert. They may seem sophisticated but choux pastry is really not that difficult to make. If you're a fan of French pastries, eclairs, or profiteroles and love Earl Grey, then these Earl Grey Cream Puffs should really make your baking to-do list!
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What is Choux?
Choux pastry (or pate a choux as it's better known in France) is a type of French pastry. This type of pastry is the base of desserts such as eclairs or cream puffs (which are also known as profiteroles).
Choux pastry is easy to do. It only requires a few basic pantry ingredients and around an hour of your time.
In terms of kitchen equipment, you will need:
- a saucepan
- stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or handheld mixer
- baking tray and parchment paper
- piping bag and large round tip (Wilton 1A tip)
Ingredients and Variations
For the choux pastry, you will need:
Butter - This will be melted in a saucepan. Use unsalted butter if possible.
Sugar - two teaspoons of granulated sugar
Eggs - you will need 3 lightly beaten eggs but you won't need to use all of them. For this reason, I suggest you mix two eggs in one bowl, and place the remaining egg in a separate bowl. You will need the two eggs and around ¼ of the other egg. The remaining egg can be beaten with a teaspoon of milk for egg wash, which will be used to brush the choux before baking.
Milk and Water - Use room-temperature water and semi-skimmed or whole milk.
Flour - All purpose flour works best. If AP flour is not available, you can substitute this with cake flour.
Salt - just a pinch
Earl Grey - For the choux, I prefer using the contents of an Earl Grey teabag, because it's typically very finely ground, and you should avoid using large leaves in the pastry. Alternatively, you can also use finely ground Earl Grey tea leaves. You will only need around ½ a teaspoon of ground Earl Grey tea.
For the filling, you will need:
Heavy cream - or fresh cream/whipping cream. Some of the cream will be simmered and used to steep tea.
Powdered Sugar - you will need powdered or icing sugar for the filling and some for sprinkling on top
Vanilla Extract - for flavoring
Earl Grey - You will need 2 teabags but you can also use tea leaves (in a strainer) here.
How to Make Earl Grey Cream Puffs (Step by Step + Tips)
How to Make Choux Pastry
- Beat 2 eggs in a medium-sized bowl. Beat the other egg in another bowl and set aside.
- Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan. Add milk, water, salt, and sugar and bring to a simmer. Then, turn down heat to low.
- Add sifted flour and ground Earl Grey leaves/ teabag contents.
- Stir using a spatula to form a ball of dough. Then, smash the dough around (so that it covers the surface and sides of the saucepan) and cook on low heat for 1 minute.
- Transfer dough to a large mixing bowl and allow to cool (10-15 minutes).
- Whilst the dough is cooling, preheat oven to 200°C (400F) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a pastry brush, a spray bottle, or your fingers to lightly brush, spray, or sprinkle the parchment paper with some water. This will help choux expand and rise during baking.
- When the dough has cooled, add the mixture containing the 2 beaten eggs. Mix on medium speed using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a handheld mixer.
Note: The mixture may seem to curdle at first but it will come together in less than a minute. - Add a tablespoon of the remaining egg mixture. Continue mixing on medium low speed. You may need to add some more egg, although one tablespoon is usually enough if using the right amount of ingredients.
- Once the choux mixture appears thick and has a slightly shiny and smooth surface, but with a pipeable consistency that holds its shape, your choux is complete.
Note: When you pull out your paddle attachment from the batter, the batter will start to fall from it after a few seconds (but not immediately). At this point, you can either use or chill the batter for up to 2 days. - Do not discard any remaining egg. Stir in 1 tsp. milk to use this as egg wash later on.
- Transfer the choux mixture into a large piping bag fitted with a 1A round tip.
- Holding the piping bag and tip upright, pipe circles, approximately 1½" in size straight down, leaving approximately 1 inche between each circle. Create a small bun-like shape and use a sharp, circular movement to stop to create a stiff peak.
- Dip your finger in some water and smooth down the peaks. Lightly brush each cream puff with egg wash using a pastry brush.
- Bake in a 200°C (400F) oven for 17-18 minutes, then, without opening the oven, decrease the oven temperature to 175°C (350F) and bake for another 7-8 minutes. Do not open the oven whilst the choux is baking.
The choux should puff up and should be deep golden brown in color. - Once baked, transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely before filling.
How to Make Earl Grey Cream Filling
To make the filling, start by heating ¼ cup of your heavy cream in a small saucepan. Once simmering, remove from heat and add 2 Earl Grey teabags and allow to steep for 15-20 minutes. Alternatively, you can use Earl Grey leaves in a strainer. Squeeze teabags before discarding and chill Earl Grey cream mixture for 5-10 minutes.
Place Earl Grey cream, the remaining heavy cream, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar in a large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk until stiff peaks form.
If not using the filling immediately, store in a refrigerator until ready to use.
How to Assemble Earl Grey Cream Puffs
There are two methods for filling the cream puffs.
- You can either slice off the tops of the profiteroles, pipe the cream using a star or flower tip, and cover with the top part of the pastry.
- Or, you can use a small round frosting tip to pierce the bottom of each profiterole and then pipe the earl grey cream into the puffs.
Sprinkle Earl Grey cream puffs with powdered sugar and serve!
FAQs
You can use Earl Grey tea leaves if you prefer however these should be finely ground for the choux pastry. Using whole tea leaves may cause the choux to break apart.
You can also use Earl Grey tea leaves for the cream filling. Steep the leaves in a tea strainer to avoid any leaves falling into the filling.
Choux pastry dough (unbaked) can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Unfilled baked profiterole shells can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, but be warned, the pastry may soften over time and is best served freshly baked.
Store Earl Grey Cream Puffs in an airtight container in a refrigerator until ready to serve. Cream puffs keep well for up to 2 days but the shells may lose their crispiness after day 1. Choux is always best when freshly baked 🙂
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Earl Grey Cream Puffs
Ingredients
Profiteroles (Choux)
- 85 g unsalted butter (6 tbsp)
- 90 mL water (6 tbsp) + extra for brushing baking sheet and flattening choux tips
- 90 mL milk semi-skimmed (6 tbsp) + 1 tsp. extra for egg wash
- 2 tsp granulated sugar
- 95 g all purpose flour (approx. 12 ⅛ tbsp)
- 3 eggs medium-sized, divided 2 + 1 egg
- ½ tsp. Earl grey tea from teabag or ground tea leaves
- pinch salt
Earl Grey Cream Filling
- 250 mL heavy cream (1 cup)
- ½ tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp. powdered sugar sifted (+ extra for sprinkling)
- 2 teabags Earl Grey or tea leaves
Instructions
Choux Pastry and Earl Grey Cream Puffs
- Divide eggs into two medium-sized bowls: place 2 eggs in one bowl and 1 egg in another bowl. Lightly beat all eggs.
- Place butter in a small saucepan on medium heat. Once melted, add milk, water, earl grey, sugar, and salt. Mix to combine and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, turn down heat to low.
- Add sifted flour and mix, using a spatula, until a small dough ball is formed. Smash dough so that it covers the bottom and sides of saucepan and heat (low heat) for 1 minute (to cook the mixture).
- Transfer dough to a mixing bowl of a stand mixer fixed with the paddle attachment. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before proceeding to the next step.
- In the meantime, preheat the oven to 200°C (400F) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a pastry brush (or your fingers) to lightly brush (or sprinkle) parchment paper with water.
- Start by adding the 2 beaten eggs to the dough and mix on medium-low speed until combined (the mixture may curdle at first but will come together after 30-40 seconds).
- Note: You will not need to use the whole remaining egg:Slowly add remaining mixture containing 1 egg, one tablespoon at a time whilst mixing on medium-low speed. One tablespoon is usually enough. Once the choux mixture appears thick and has a slightly shiny and smooth surface, but with a pipeable consistency that holds its shape, your choux is complete. When you pull out your paddle attachment from the batter, the batter will start to fall from it after a few seconds (not immediately). At this point, you can chill the batter for up to 2 days.
- Use the remaining egg as egg wash by adding 1 tsp. of milk.
- Transfer choux mixture into a large piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1A round tip. Pipe approx 1½" size circles straight down, leaving approx 1 inches between each circle. (Create a small bun-like shape and use a sharp, circular movement to stop). Dip your finger in water and smooth down the peaks. Lightly brush each cream puff with egg wash using a pastry brush.
- Bake in a 200°C (400F) oven for 17-18 minutes, then, without opening the oven, decrease the oven temperature to 175°C (350F) and bake for another 7-8 minutes. The choux should puff up and is deep golden brown in color. Transfer to a cooling rack until cooled completely before filling.
Earl Grey Cream Filling
- Place around ¼ cup of the cream into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, add earl grey teabags and allow to steep for 15-20 minutes. Squeeze teabags before discarding. Chill for 10 minutes before using.Note: if using tea leaves, steep through tea strainer.
- Place earl grey cream, remaining heavy cream, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar in a large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk until stiff peaks form.
- To fill cream puffs:Method 1: Slice cream puffs horizonally from the center. Transfer whipped cream mixture to a piping bag fitted with the star or flower tip and pipe cream on the bottom half of the pastry. Cover with the top pastry.Method 2: Transfer whipped cream mixture to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Use the tip to pierce a small hole at the bottom of each cream puff and pipe the earl grey cream into the puffs.
- Dust with powdered sugar and store in a refrigerator until serving.
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