Description
Delight in these Mango Pastry Cream Puffs featuring light and airy choux pastry shells filled with a luscious mango-flavored pastry cream. Perfectly golden and tender, these cream puffs combine the rich flavors of fresh mango puree and vanilla custard for a refreshing twist on a classic dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Choux Pastry Dough
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
Mango Pastry Cream
- 2/3 cup mango puree
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large egg yolks
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Finishing
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Prepare the Choux Pastry Dough: In a saucepan, combine the water, whole milk, cubed butter, granulated sugar, and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, add all the flour at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the dough forms a smooth ball and pulls away from the sides, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 3-4 minutes.
- Incorporate Eggs and Pipe Dough: Beat the four eggs into the cooled dough one at a time, ensuring each is fully mixed in before adding the next. The dough should become glossy and smooth. Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe twelve mounds about 1.5 inches wide onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them apart.
- Bake the Pastry Shells: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bake the piped dough for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and puffed, making sure not to open the oven door during baking. Then reduce the oven temperature to 325°F, prick each puff with a skewer to release steam, and bake for an additional 5 minutes to dry out the centers. Cool the pastry shells completely on a wire rack.
- Prepare Mango Pastry Cream Base: In a saucepan, heat the whole milk and mango puree over medium heat until just simmering. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, granulated sugar, and cornstarch until pale and smooth. Slowly pour half of the hot milk and mango mixture into the egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly to temper the eggs.
- Thicken the Pastry Cream: Return the tempered mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens and bubbles, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the unsalted butter and vanilla extract until smooth. Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap touching the surface to prevent a skin from forming, and chill for at least one hour until set and cold.
- Assemble Cream Puffs: Once the pastry shells and pastry cream are cooled, carefully cut each puff in half horizontally. Fill a piping bag with the chilled mango pastry cream and pipe a generous amount onto the bottom half of each puff. Replace the tops and dust each cream puff with powdered sugar before serving.
Notes
- Use room temperature eggs to ensure better incorporation into the dough.
- Do not open the oven door during the initial baking phase to prevent the puffs from collapsing.
- The skewer prick allows steam to escape preventing soggy centers.
- Pressing plastic wrap directly onto pastry cream prevents a skin from forming.
- Chilling the pastry cream thoroughly helps it set for easy piping.
- Use fresh ripe mangoes to make your own mango puree for the best flavor.
