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Berry Cream Pastry Puffs

Light, airy choux pastry shells filled with silky berry cream and juicy fresh berries — a show-stopping dessert that’s surprisingly approachable. Below is a unique, step-by-step recipe (with tips and variations) so your puffs come out golden, hollow, and perfectly filled every time.

Yield & timing

Makes: 12–16 medium pastry puffs (about 6–8 cm / 2½–3″ diameter)
Active time: ~1 hour 10 minutes
Passive/cooling time: ~1 hour (includes pastry resting, chilling pastry cream)
Total time: ~2 hours 10 minutes (mostly hands-off during chilling)

Ingredients

For the choux pastry (shells)

125 ml (½ cup) water
125 ml (½ cup) whole milk
113 g (1 stick / 8 tbsp) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
140 g (1 cup + 2 tbsp) all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled
4 large eggs, room temperature (you may need a little less/more — see notes)

For the berry pastry cream (crème pâtissière → crème diplomate)

480 ml (2 cups) whole milk
1 vanilla bean split (or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract)
4 large egg yolks
100 g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
30 g (3 tbsp) cornstarch
25 g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter, room temperature
120 ml (1/2 cup) heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks and folded in (to make it a lighter “diplomate”)

For the berry mix & finish

200–250 g (1–1¼ cups) mixed berries (strawberries diced, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries) — reserve a few pretty berries for garnish
1–2 tbsp powdered sugar (to sweeten berries if desired)
Optional glaze: 120 g (1 cup) powdered sugar + 1–2 tbsp lemon juice or milk for simple icing
Optional: powdered sugar for dusting

Equipment

Medium saucepan, mixing bowls, whisk, wooden spoon or spatula
Baking sheet(s), parchment paper or silicone mat
Piping bag fitted with a plain round tip (≈8–12 mm) or use a zip-top bag with corner snipped
Fine-mesh sieve (for custard, optional)
Stand mixer or hand whisk for whipping cream
Small offset spatula or knife for glazing/filling

Step-by-step method

1. Make the choux pastry dough

Preheat oven to 200°C / 400°F (some ovens run hot—see tips). Line baking sheets with parchment.
In a medium saucepan, combine water, milk, butter, sugar, and salt. Heat over medium until butter is fully melted and mixture just comes to a boil (bubbles appear at edge).
Remove pan from heat and immediately add all the flour at once. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a rough ball and pulls away from the pan (about 20–30 seconds). Return to medium-low heat and stir 1–2 minutes to dry the dough slightly — you’ll see a thin film form on the bottom. This helps the pastry hold shape.
Transfer dough to a bowl (or stand mixer bowl). Let cool about 3–4 minutes so it isn’t piping-hot (you don’t want to scramble eggs). Beat in eggs one at a time — using a wooden spoon or mixer — fully incorporating each before adding the next. The final dough should be glossy, smooth, and fall slowly from the spoon in a thick ribbon. If too stiff, add a tiny splash of beaten egg (or an extra egg, beaten) until you reach the right consistency; if too loose, add a teaspoon of flour.

2. Pipe & bake the choux

Fit a piping bag with a round tip and fill with dough, or use a zip-top bag and snip a corner. Pipe 12–16 mounds (about 1½–2 tbsp dough each) spaced at least 5 cm / 2″ apart (they rise!). For a smooth top, hold the tip vertically and lift straight up at the end.
Lightly wet your fingertip and smooth any peaks. Optional: brush each puff very lightly with beaten egg for extra shine and color.
Bake at 200°C / 400°F for 10 minutes, then reduce oven to 180°C / 350°F and bake another 15–20 minutes until deeply golden and puffed. Do not open the oven during baking.
To dry the insides (prevent sogginess), turn oven off, crack the door slightly with a wooden spoon, and leave puffs inside for 8–10 minutes. Remove to a rack and cool completely. Once cool, gently pierce each puff’s side with a skewer to let steam escape if they seem slightly soft inside.