Italian Cream Puffs Recipe (Bignè)
Find more recipes at marcellinaincucina.com
These light and airy Italian Cream Puffs are baked using choux pastry and then filled with a lemon pastry cream.
Servings: 24 puffs
Ingredients
Choux Pastry Puffs
- 1 cup (240ml) water
- 3 ounces (¾ stick/85grams) unsalted butter
- pinch salt
- 1 cup (125 grams) all purpose (plain) flour
- 4 eggs (at room temperature)
Filling for Puffs
- 2 quantities pastry cream
- 2 teaspoons limoncello (or other liqueur of your choice)
To serve Cream Puffs
- powdered sugar for dusting ((icing sugar))
Instructions
Choux Pastry Puffs
- Preheat oven 430°F/220ºC. Line two large baking sheets with non-stick parchment paper.
- Sift flour into bowl.
- Place water, butter and salt into saucepan over low heat until butter is melted. Raise heat and bring to a boil. It is important that the water boils.
- While the water is boiling add the flour all at once and stir well over the heat until the mixture comes away from the sides of the saucepan.
- Remove from heat and scrape the mixture into bowl of an electric stand mixer. Allow to cool for a few minutes.
- Start the mixer and allow the steam to escape from the mixture for a minute or two.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing until incorporated before adding the next egg. Mixture should be smooth, shiny and thick.
- Place a large well heaped teaspoonful of choux paste onto lined baking trays using two spoons – one to scoop and one to push paste off onto the tray.
- Bake for 10 minutes then turn oven down to 350°F/180ºC and bake for a further 40 minutes.
- Cool in the oven with the door held ajar with a wooden spoon.
- When cool, store in airtight container for 1 or 2 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Filling
- Stir pastry cream and limoncello together.
To assemble
- EITHER split puffs in half and either spoon or pipe filling into base heaping up to fill the top when it is replaced.
- OR make a small hole in the side of a puff then using a piping bag with small tip attached, fill puffs until they feel heavy.
To serve Cream Puffs
- Sieve powdered sugar over Italian Cream Puffs (bignè) serve immediately or refrigerate for an hour or two before serving.
Notes
Tips for Success
- Salted butter can be used. Just omit the salt.
- Use margarine instead of butter.
- For a softer and richer pastry, substitute milk for the water.
- If pressed for time, fill the puffs with instant vanilla pudding instead of pastry cream
- Use this sweet ricotta filling to fill the puffs.
- Stored unfilled puffs in airtight container for 1 or 2 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Italian pastry cream keeps for 5 days in the fridge.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 61kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 14mg | Potassium: 19mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 141IU | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg
