These Eggnog Cream Puffs are perfect for you if you love seasonal flavors and fancy desserts that are easier to create than they look.
These small puffs are light and airy, filled with a thick, creamy eggnog custard, and coated with a little bit of powdered sugar.
They are great for holiday gatherings, family dinners, or simply as a fun baking activity with the kids.
Believe me, these are the kinds of goodies that will make everyone think you’re a pastry chef, but you can create them at home.
Let’s start baking!
Ingredients
For the dough (choux dough):
- 1 stick of unsalted butter, or 1/2 cup
- One cup of water
- 1/4 tsp of salt
- 1 tsp of sugar
- 1 cup of flour for all purposes
- Four big eggs
To make the Eggnog Cream Filling:
- Two cups of eggnog
- Half a cup of sugar
- 1/4 cup of cornstarch
- 4 big egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg ground
- 1 cup of heavy cream
To decorate:
- Sugar powder (for dusting)
Tools Needed:
- A medium-sized saucepan
- Whisk
- Spoon made of wood
- A piping bag (or a zip-top bag with the corner cut off)
- Baking pan
- Paper for parchment
- Bowls for mixing
- Optional: a fine mesh strainer for the custard
Instructions
- Set your oven to 400°F (200°C). Put the butter, water, salt, and sugar in a medium-sized pot. Put the butter in a pan over medium heat and let it melt. Then bring the mixture to a boil.
- Take it off the heat and add all of the flour at once. Use a wooden spoon to mix it hard until the dough comes together and pulls away from the pan’s sides.
- Let the dough sit for 5 minutes to cool. Then, add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one until the dough is smooth and shiny.
- Put the dough on a baking sheet coated with parchment paper using a spoon or a piping bag. Make little mounds that are about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Let it cool all the way on a wire rack.
- Over medium heat, whisk together the eggnog, sugar, cornstarch, and egg yolks in a saucepan. Stirring continually, cook for about 5 to 7 minutes, or until the mixture thickens. Take off the heat and mix in the nutmeg and vanilla. Let it cool down.
- Whip the heavy cream until it forms firm peaks, then gradually add it into the eggnog mixture that has cooled down.
- Cut the cooled pastry puffs in half and use a spoon or piping bag to fill them with eggnog cream. Put powdered sugar on top of them.
Tips for Success
- Use eggs that are at room temperature. This helps the dough come together better and makes excellent puffs.
- Don’t open the oven door while the puffs are baking. Let them puff up and dry out completely to keep them light and airy within.
- Put the custard in the fridge before filling it. This will make it thicker and simpler to pipe.
- Let the kids assist sprinkle the powdered sugar on top to make it more enjoyable!
- Serve fresh: These taste best the day they are made, so plan to fill and serve them right before you eat them.
Variations & Storage
- No eggnog? Add extra milk and a little more nutmeg to get that iconic festive taste.
- Add whipped cream: For a fluffier filling, stir some whipped cream into the custard.
- Add a splash of rum extract to give your eggnog a boozy flavor (but make sure it’s safe for kids).
- The puffs: You may make these up to a day ahead of time and keep them at room temperature in an airtight jar. Put it back in the oven at 350°F for 5 minutes before filling it.
- The custard: You may make it up to two days ahead of time and store it in the fridge.
- You may keep leftover cream puffs in the fridge for up to two days if you put them in a container that doesn’t let air in. Put the shells and filling in separate containers and put them together right before serving to preserve the pastry crisp.
Conclusion
These Eggnog Cream Puffs are the best way to add some extra charm to your holiday season. They are fun to prepare, beautiful to serve, and very tasty. Try them out and let me know how they turn out in the comments. Your feedback makes my day!