Lemon Cream Puffs Recipe

Introduction

Lemon Cream Puffs combine light, airy choux pastry with a luscious lemon-flavored cream filling. This delightful dessert offers a perfect balance of tangy citrus and sweet cream, sure to impress your family and guests.

Ingredients

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 4 whole eggs (room temperature)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
• 1/2 cup lemon curd
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• zest of 1 lemon
• Optional: powdered sugar for dusting over the tops

Instructions

1. Step 1: Preheat your oven to 400°F. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk, water, sugar, salt, and butter. Bring the mixture to a boil.
2. Step 2: Remove from heat, add the flour, and stir until fully absorbed. Return to medium heat and stir continuously for 2 minutes to cook off the raw flour taste.
3. Step 3: Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl and let it cool for 2 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and fit a piping bag with a large round tip.
4. Step 4: Using a hand mixer, beat the dough for 1-2 minutes to cool it down further. Then, add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition until the dough is smooth, thick, and elastic.
5. Step 5: Pipe small mounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each. Wet your finger and gently flatten the tip of each mound to prevent burning.
6. Step 6: Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden and puffed. Avoid opening the oven during the first 20 minutes; use the oven light to monitor.
7. Step 7: Transfer the baked puffs to a cooling rack. Cut a small slit on the upper side of each puff, about one-third down, to release steam and help them cool faster.
8. Step 8: While the puffs cool, chill your mixing bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes. Then, whip the cold heavy cream to soft peaks. Gradually add powdered sugar while whipping until stiff peaks form.
9. Step 9: Mix in vanilla extract just until combined. Gently fold in lemon curd in three additions, finishing with the lemon zest, to keep the whipped cream light and airy.
10. Step 10: Transfer the lemon cream mixture into a piping bag fitted with a star tip.
11. Step 11: Once cream puffs are cool, slice off their tops and set aside. Pipe lemon cream into the hollow of each puff and replace the tops.
12. Step 12: Alternatively, fill the puffs by inserting the piping tip into the slit you made earlier, if you prefer not to cut off the tops.
13. Step 13: Just before serving, dust the tops with powdered sugar if desired.

Tips & Variations

• Use room temperature eggs for easier mixing and better puff rise.
• If you don’t have a piping bag, a large resealable plastic bag with a corner cut off works well.
• For a stronger lemon flavor, add a teaspoon of lemon juice to the cream filling along with the zest.
• Try substituting lemon curd with other fruit curds for different flavors, like raspberry or passion fruit.

Storage

Store filled cream puffs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. To keep the puffs crispy longer, store unfilled shells separately in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days and fill just before serving. Reheat unfilled puffs in a 300°F oven for 5 minutes if you want them crisp again.

How to Serve

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I make the pâte à choux dough ahead of time?

Yes, you can prepare and bake the choux pastry shells a day ahead. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature and fill them just before serving.

How do I prevent the cream puffs from collapsing?

Make sure to bake them until golden and fully puffed without opening the oven early. Cutting a small slit after baking to release steam also helps maintain structure as they cool.

Lemon Cream Puffs Recipe

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★★★★★

4.6 from 111 reviews

Delight in these airy Lemon Cream Puffs, featuring delicate choux pastry filled with a luscious whipped lemon cream. Perfectly golden and crisp on the outside, with a zesty, creamy filling infused with fresh lemon zest and curd. An elegant dessert ideal for gatherings or a special treat.

• Author: Mila
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 12 cream puffs 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: French

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Choux Pastry

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 4 whole eggs (room temperature)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• Pinch of salt

Lemon Cream Filling

• 1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
• 1/2 cup lemon curd
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Zest of 1 lemon

Optional

• Powdered sugar for dusting over the tops

Instructions

1. Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 400°F (205°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and prepare a piping bag fitted with a large round tip for the choux pastry dough.
2. Make the Pâte à Choux Base: In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk, water, sugar, salt, and unsalted butter. Bring the mixture to a boil.
3. Add Flour and Cook Dough: Remove the pan from heat and quickly add all the flour at once. Stir vigorously until the flour is fully absorbed and the dough forms a ball. Return the pan to the heat and stir for 2 more minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.
4. Cool Dough: Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl. Let it cool for about 2 minutes while you get ready for the next step.
5. Mix Dough and Incorporate Eggs: Using a hand mixer, beat the dough for 1-2 minutes to cool it further. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition until the dough is smooth, thick, and elastic.
6. Pipe and Bake: Fill your piping bag with the dough and pipe small mounds onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Wet your fingertip and smooth down the tips to prevent burning. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden and puffed. Avoid opening the oven during the first 20 minutes; use the oven light to monitor.
7. Cool and Vent Cream Puffs: Remove the baked puffs to a cooling rack. Make a small slit on the side of each puff about one-third of the way down to allow steam to escape so they dry and cool faster.
8. Chill Mixing Bowl for Whipping Cream: Place your mixing bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes to help the cream whip better.
9. Prepare Lemon Cream Filling: Pour the cold heavy cream into the chilled bowl and whip to soft peaks. Gradually add powdered sugar, then whip to stiff peaks. Fold in vanilla extract gently. In three additions, fold in the lemon curd carefully to preserve the whipped texture, adding the lemon zest in the last addition.
10. Fill Cream Puffs: Transfer lemon cream to a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Once the cream puffs are completely cooled, slice off their tops and pipe the cream into each puff’s cavity. Replace the tops.
11. Alternative Filling Method: If you prefer not to cut the tops off, insert the piping tip into the vent slits and fill the puff through them.
12. Serving: Just before serving, dust the cream puffs lightly with powdered sugar if desired.

Notes

• Use room temperature eggs for better emulsification when adding to the dough.
• Do not open the oven door during the first 20 minutes of baking to prevent the puffs from collapsing.
• Chilling the mixing bowl before whipping cream ensures better volume and stability.
• Folding the lemon curd gently prevents the whipped cream from deflating, keeping the filling light and airy.
• These cream puffs are best enjoyed the same day they are made for optimal texture.

Keywords: Lemon Cream Puffs, Choux Pastry, French Dessert, Lemon Cream Filling, Pastry Recipe, Cream Puff Recipe