How-To Make a Fancy French Pastry at Home (Gateau Saint Honore Recipe)

heavy cream

🥗Healthier: Greek yogurt

💰Cheaper: milk + cornstarch

Greek yogurt reduces calories while maintaining creaminess

butter

🥗Healthier: coconut oil

💰Cheaper: margarine

Coconut oil is a healthier fat alternative.

sugar

🥗Healthier: honey

💰Cheaper: brown sugar

Honey adds flavor and is a natural sweetener.

gelatin

🥗Healthier: agar-agar

💰Cheaper: none

Agar-agar is a plant-based alternative to gelatin.

Add 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon of plain white sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt into a bowl and whisk together.

Beat 2 eggs in a separate bowl until incorporated.

In a large saucepan, add 1/2 cup of water and 4 tablespoons of butter, and heat on medium-high until the butter melts and the water boils.

Add the flour mixture to the boiling water and butter, stirring until it forms a dough ball that pulls away from the sides of the pan.

Turn off the heat and whisk in the beaten eggs until the mixture is smooth and sticky.

Transfer the choux pastry into an 18-inch pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch round pastry tip.

Pipe small rounds of choux pastry onto a baking sheet, ensuring they are roughly the same size.

Dip a spoon in cold water and press down any peaks on the piped choux to smooth them out.

Bake the choux pastry at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for an additional 35 minutes.

Turn off the oven, open the door, and let the choux cool inside for 20 minutes to prevent deflation.

In a saucepan, heat 2 cups of whole milk and 1/3 cup of sugar until it simmers, adding a split vanilla bean pod for flavor.

In a bowl, whisk together 4 egg yolks and 1/3 cup of cornstarch until smooth.

Temper the egg mixture with the hot milk, then pour it back into the saucepan.

Cook the custard on medium-high heat, stirring constantly until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon, adding butter if it cooks too fast.

Cover the pastry cream with plastic wrap or a cut Ziploc bag and refrigerate.

Hollow out the cooled cream puffs using a smaller pastry tip and a skewer to create a hole.

Fill the cream puffs with the pastry cream until flush with the shell, then place them hole side down on a tray.

Refrigerate the filled cream puffs overnight to keep them fresh.

On the day of serving, cut out six circles from store-bought puff pastry using a round ramekin as a cookie cutter.

Prick the puff pastry circles with a fork to prevent buckling and keep them thin.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens