Meyer Lemon Cream Puffs

By vealam

Ingredients

• Whipped Meyer Lemon Curd:
• finely grated zest from 1-2 meyer lemons
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup fresh meyer lemon juice
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy whipping cream
• Puffs:
• 1 cup (240ml) water
• 1/2 cup (one stick or 113g) unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons (10ml) sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup flour
• 4 large eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• confectioner's sugar, for dusting the cream puffs

Details

Servings 16
Adapted from whiteonricecouple.com

Preparation

Step 1

Make the meyer lemon curd. Combine the meyer lemon zest and sugar in a blender or food processor. Blend until the zest is well ground into the sugar, 30 seconds-1 minute. Add the meyer lemon juice, eggs, butter pieces, and salt. Blend until well combined, about 30 seconds (the butter will look cottage cheese like).

Pour the mixture into a heat-proof bowl and place over a pot of simmering water (you can also just place it directly into a medium saucepan over medium heat, however the mixture can easily burn if not watched carefully and stirred meticulously). Cook the mixture, stirring constantly, until the curd thickens and reaches about 170° F, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool in the fridge until fully chilled.

Whip the cream until it is nearly stiff peaks. Fold the chilled meyer lemon curd into the whipped cream. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to pipe into the cream puffs.

Make the puffs. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a couple baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium saucepan, combine water, butter, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil and then reduce to medium heat. Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon. Stirring constantly, cook the mixture until it pulls away from the sides of the pan and is slightly shiny, about 3 minutes.

Transfer the paste to a stand mixer bowl fit with a beater blade (you can also continue mixing by hand, but it will take a bit of arm power). Beat the paste for a couple minutes or until slightly cooled. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing in each completely before adding the next. Beat until the eggs are fully incorporated into the dough. Place the dough in a pastry bag fit with a 1/2-inch plain tip.

On the prepared baking sheets, pipe the dough into 2-inch discs about 3/4-inch high. (Piping Tip: to make evenly sized puffs, count as you pipe, making sure to use even pressure each time. For these puffs I'll usually pipe to a count of 6 seconds). Make sure to give a bit of space between each puffs as they'll expand when they bake.

Bake at 425°F for 10 minutes. Rotate the tray and reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Continue baking for 15-20 minutes, or until golden and slightly crisp. Allow the puffs to cool.

Place the meyer lemon cream in a pastry bag fit with a small plain tip. Break through the outer shell of the puffs using the pastry bag tip and pipe the meyer lemon cream into the puffs.

Dust the cream puffs with confectioner's sugar. Best served same day (the second day the puff shells will soften and lose their slight crispness - still tasty but not quite the same texture. See headnote for tips on making a day ahead.)