Special Italian Cream Puffs with Custard Filling

Ohhh yes 😍—Special Italian Cream Puffs with Custard Filling (often called Bignè alla Crema) are light, airy choux pastry filled with silky vanilla custard. Classic Italian pastry-shop perfection, and totally doable at home.

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🇮🇹 Special Italian Cream Puffs with Custard Filling

Ingredients

Choux Pastry (Cream Puffs)

• ½ cup (120 ml) water

• ½ cup (120 ml) milk

• ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter

• 1 Tbsp sugar

• ¼ tsp salt

• 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour

• 4 large eggs (room temperature)

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Vanilla Custard Filling (Crema Pasticcera)

• 2 cups (480 ml) whole milk

• ½ cup (100 g) sugar

• 4 large egg yolks

• ¼ cup (30 g) cornstarch

• 1 tsp vanilla extract or seeds from 1 vanilla bean

• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter

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Instructions

1️⃣ Make the custard (first)

1. Heat milk until just steaming (not boiling).

2. In a bowl, whisk egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch until smooth.

3. Slowly pour hot milk into egg mixture while whisking.

4. Return to saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until thick.

5. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and butter.

6. Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface and chill completely.

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2️⃣ Make the choux pastry

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment.

2. In a saucepan, combine water, milk, butter, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil.

3. Add flour all at once, stirring vigorously until dough pulls away from sides and forms a ball.

4. Cook 1 more minute to dry dough slightly.

5. Transfer dough to a bowl; cool 5 minutes.

6. Beat in eggs one at a time until smooth and glossy.

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3️⃣ Pipe & bake

1. Pipe or spoon 2-inch mounds onto baking sheet.

2. Bake 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°F (175°C) and bake 10–15 minutes more until golden and hollow.

3. Turn oven off, crack door slightly, and let puffs dry 10 minutes.

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4️⃣ Fill the puffs

1. Poke a small hole in the bottom or side of each puff.

2. Pipe chilled custard inside until full.

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5️⃣ Finish

• Dust generously with powdered sugar, or

• Dip tops in chocolate ganache for extra indulgence 🍫

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Pro Tips for Perfect Italian Cream Puffs

• Do not open the oven early—they’ll collapse

• Eggs must be room temperature

• Custard must be fully chilled before filling

• Best filled the same day for crisp shells

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Delicious Variations

• 🍫 Chocolate custard filling

• 🍊 Orange-zest custard

• ☕ Espresso cream

• 🍓 Fill with custard + fresh berries

These cream puffs are light, elegant, creamy, and irresistible—exactly like an Italian pasticceria.