This post is sponsored by Conestoga Farms Eggs. All opinions are my own.

Making cream puffs at home is like discovering your inner pastry chef! Yes, they’re that easy to make. And, you can have fun with the sizes and fillings you choose to make and use. Cream puffs are also perfect for bringing to a summer gathering because they’re a finger-food dessert.

Eggs are the key ingredients in cream puffs, and recently I made a batch using Conestoga Farms’ Free-Run Omega-3 brown eggs. I love that local Southwestern Ontario farmers produce these eggs because buying food raised close to home makes me feel good about what my family eats.

The Conestoga Farms’ Free Run Omega-3 brown eggs are laid by hens living in weather-sheltered barns where they can run freely to forage for food. The hens are grain-fed and their diet includes flax seeds, a high source of Omega-3 polyunsaturates. Omega-3 fatty acids can benefit heart and brain health.

Growing up, I remember my mom making cream puffs. I thought they were the most elegant dessert to come out of such a small amount of dough.  I remember her making something on the stove and whipping the batter hard and fast. As I made a few batches of cream puffs this past week, I realized exactly what she was doing: beating in the flour and eggs.

The ingredients for cream puffs are simple: butter, water, flour, sugar, salt, lemon zest, and eggs. There’s no rising agent. And, the process is quite simple, too. For something so easy to make, the result is a spectacular-looking dessert!

The most beautiful part of the Conestoga Farms Free Run Omega-3 brown eggs is the colour of the yolk. The hens are fed a lutein-rich marigold extract. Lutein is an anti-oxidant that contributes to good eye health.

Using these marigold-coloured yolks gives the dough and cream puffs a distinct golden yellow hue!

Here’s a photo with cream puffs made with regular eggs versus Conestoga Farms Free Run Omega-3 brown eggs. Look at how yellow the puffs are in the top row versus the second row.

To make these cream puffs, it’s best to have all of the ingredients and equipment set up in advance so you can work fast. Crack the eggs and place them in a bowl or measuring cup so you can add them one at a time. Have the mixer and bowl ready to receive the cooked batter from the pot. Have any piping bags set up in a tall glass so you can easily fill it (if using). And, have your pans lined and ready to go.

Now, let’s talk about the filling for these cream puffs. The sky’s the limit! Cream puffs are mainly hollow and will take any filling you like. I filled some with a lemon-flavoured pastry cream and some with whipped cream. You can also fill them with pudding or ice cream.

The most popular ones I made were filled with whipped cream and dusted with icing sugar. Simple, sweet, and highly presentable!

Here’s the recipe and how I made the cream puffs.

Cream Puffs
(makes about 30)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp sugar
• pinch salt
• zest of half a lemon
• 1 cup flour
• 4 Conestoga Farms Free Run Omega-3 brown eggs
• Whipping Cream or filling of your choice
• Icing sugar for dusting

Method:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
• Line baking sheets with parchment paper
• Prepare a bowl and mixer and set aside
• Place the butter, water, sugar, salt, and zest into a medium-sized pot over medium heat and bring to a boil
• As soon as the mixture boils for about 30 seconds, add the flour. Quickly whisk for about a minute until the dough comes together and you see a thin film on the bottom of the pot. That’s when the dough is ready
• Place the batter into the ready mixing bowl and let cool for a minute or two
• Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix thoroughly after each addition. When you add each egg, the dough will look wet and dumpling-like. The dough should come together evenly and nicely 10-15 seconds after each egg addition
• Use heaping teaspoonfuls to drop batter on the parchment-lined sheets, a couple of inches apart. You can also pipe the dough onto the sheets. Aim for drops that are about 1 1/2 inches wide and 1 1/2 inches high
• Bake for 8 minutes at 400 degrees, then drop the temperature to 325 and bake for another 8 minutes. Turn off the oven and rotate the pans, top to bottom, and side to side, and leave the cream puffs in the oven for another 10 minutes. Cool completely
• Using a piping bag filled with whipped cream, poke the cream puffs on the side and fill until you feel pressure from the cream puff. That’s how you know the cream puff is full. You can also cut the cream puffs in half and fill with icing that way
• Dust with icing sugar. Store in fridge and enjoy!

Notes:

• You can make the cream puffs as small or as large as you would like. For larger puffs, I had the oven at 425 and then dropped it to 325. For the smaller ones, I started at 400 and dropped it to 325
• To fill with whipped cream, beat 2 cups of 35% whipping cream and 1/4 c sugar until you get the desired consistency
• To cover or drizzle with chocolate, melt chocolate chips in the microwave and dip, or drizzle the chocolate on top

Have you ever made cream puffs at home? What fillings have you used?