Cream Puffs Recipe from 1800

 

This Cream Puffs recipe appeared in ‘The Homemaker’s Comrade', complied by the Kingsmill-Mapleton Women’s Institute, believed to have been published in 1800* (though it may have been complied in the 1920s).

INGREDIENTS

Choux Pastry:

• ½ cup unsalted butter (113g)
• 1 cup boiling water (236ml)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (120g)
• 3 eggs

Filling:

• 2 cups heavy cream, cold (473ml)
• 3 tablespoons icing sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Note: All ingredients should be at room temperature unless otherwise stated.

Method:

• Preheat oven to 400°F/205°C
• Line baking sheet with parchment paper

Choux pastry:

1. Combine water and butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Melt butter and bring to a roiling boil.
2. Reduce heat to medium-low and add flour.
3. Stir constantly with a spatula or wooden spoon until mixture forms a ball. (1-2 minutes.)
4. Remove form heat. Transfer to a bowl and let cool 4-5 minutes. (Until about 145°F.)
5. Add eggs, one at a time. Stirring well after each addition until the mixture is smooth and has a drop consistency. It should be smooth and pipable. (if the mixture is not smooth and pipable, take a 4th egg and mix it well in a measuring cup. Add a little bit of egg at a time until the mixture has a drop consistency. You may not need use the whole egg.)
6. Transfer mixture to a piping bag and pipe onto prepared baking sheets. 
7. Wet your fingertips with cold water and gently press down any peaks on the pastry.
8. Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F/205°C for 25-30 minutes, or until light golden brown.
9. Fully cool on sheets.

Whipped Cream Filling:

1. Whip cold whipping cream with icing sugar and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form.

Assembly:

1. Once the pastry has fully cooled, use a serrated knife to remove the upper ⅓ of the pastry. 
2. Fill the bottom part of the puff with whipped cream and top with the removed piece. Repeat with all puffs.
3. Dust with icing sugar and enjoy. :)

Original recipe: