SunButter Milk Chocolate Cream Puffs
I wanted to thank SunButter® for working with me on this sponsored post! As always, all opinions and ideas are 100% my own.
Calling all cream puff lovers – these SunButter Milk Chocolate Cream Puffs will seriously knock your socks off! This recipe features 18 perfectly sized golden cream puffs that are covered in a sweet, chocolatey craquelin topping. Each of those cute little cream puffs is piped full of one of the most delicious fillings that I have ever tasted – a SunButter and Milk Chocolate whipped ganache! This ganache is sweet and chocolatey, which is perfectly complimented by the creamy SunButter – creating a filling that tastes like chocolate peanut butter – but without all those pesky allergens!
What is SunButter?
SunButter, for those who have never heard of it or had the pleasure of trying it, is a seed-butter spread that is made from sunflower seeds! SunButter is an excellent alternative to nut-butters for any one with allergies, sensitivities, or looking to incorporate a delicious, but healthier alternative to most nut-butters! It has 7g of protein per serving, is jam-packed with vitamins & minerals, and has absolutely no trans-fat and actually has less saturated fat than your typical almond butter! And guess what guys! This stuff is AMAZING! I’ve been a long-time fan of SunButter, as I have family members with nut allergies – meaning that I’ve long used it as a substitute for peanut butter in several recipes. I’ve actually found that most peanut butter lovers can’t tell the difference when this is added instead. When I developed this SunButter Milk Chocolate Cream Puffs recipe, I had a few people taste-test the SunButter whipped chocolate ganache and asked them what they tasted – every single person said chocolate peanut-butter!
Making Cream Puffs 101
HOW MANY EGGS?
The most finicky part of making these SunButter Milk Chocolate Cream Puffs is the amount of eggs you use! If you notice, my recipe says 4-5 eggs, which may seem weird – is it 4 or is it 5, how many do you add? Well the answer is, it depends. The amount of eggs you need is completely dependent upon the humidity, weather, and water content of the eggs. Too much moisture in your batter will lead to cream puffs that do not puff! This is why you have to add your eggs in one at a time, until completely incorporated. It is also why you need to check your batter after the addition of the 4th egg. For some, this 4th egg is all they need, while others may need a 5th. I typically always end up using 5 eggs, as I live in the cold, very dry prairies, however, I still check my batter after the 4th egg, every. single. time. What you’re looking for is a batter that comes off your paddle in a nice “V” shape. If it sticks to your paddle but does not form a V, it needs more eggs!
WHY TURN THE OVEN OFF MID-BAKING?
The initial high temperature of making the cream puffs is essential to creating the structure of the cream puffs and forming the steam that cream puffs up the cream puffs. If we did not turn off the oven/lower the temperature, the outside of the cream puffs would burn. It is super important to note that under no circumstance should you peak into the oven at all during the first 20 minutes of baking! Even the smallest breeze of cold air into the oven could cause the cream puffs to deflate.
HOW DO I KNOW WHEN THE SunButter Milk Chocolate Cream Puffs ARE DONE?
It can be hard to tell when cream puffs are done. Sure, they should look golden on top and puffed, but the cream puffs can look this way and still not be 100% finished on the inside. If you pull the cream puffs out even the slightest bit too early they will deflate. The best way I have found to test for doneness is actually to remove just one of the cream puffs from the oven, wait 45 seconds, and see if the cream puff has deflated. If deflated, they are obviously not done, but if the puff holds its structure, then you’re good to go!
ALLOWING THE SunButter Milk Chocolate Cream Puffs TO COOL IN THE OVEN
The point of allowing the SunButter Milk Chocolate Cream Puffs to cool in the oven is to reduce the likelihood of the cream puffs deflating. Sometimes the drastic temperature drop from the oven to room-temperature can cause the cream puffs to collapse. So allowing them to cool in a cracked oven ensures they will not collapse, and also dries them out a little bit more as well. As well, poking a small hole, after the cream puffs have been removed from the oven for good, also allows the cream puffs to dry out more, as it allows any residual steam to escape from the inside.
Making the SunButter Whipped Chocolate Ganache
1.Heat heavy cream: In a medium saucepan, heat the heavy cream over medium heat until it just begins to lightly boil.
2. Pour cream over chocolate: Place chopped chocolate into a heat proof bowl, then immediately remove the hot cream from the heat and pour over top of chopped white chocolate. Allow to sit for 1-2 minutes, then whisk together until the mixture is smooth and creamy looking!
3. Add SunButter: Add the SunButter into the hot ganache, and whisk again until smooth.
4. Cool overnight: Place a piece of plastic wrap over top of the surface of the ganache (to prevent a yucky skin from forming), then place into the fridge to cool for at least 8 hours or preferably overnight.
5. Whip the ganache: Place the cooled ganache into your stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment (alternatively, you can whip using a hand mixer as well). Whip the ganache until stiff peaks have formed and voila, you have SunButter whipped chocolate ganache!
How to Store Cream Puffs
A mentioned below in the recipe, the filled SunButter Milk Chocolate Cream Puffs should be kept in the fridge until they are ready to be enjoyed for up to 2 days, due to the presence of so much dairy in the filling. The unfilled cream puff shells, however, can be stored in the freezer until you are ready to use them. The filling does not freeze well though, so therefore should be made only when you are ready to consume it – but it easily downsizes, so you can easily just make a smaller batch!
Get the Recipe: SunButter Milk Chocolate Cream Puffs
Ingredients
SunButter Milk Chocolate Whipped Ganache
- 600 g Milk Chocolate,, finely chopped
- 3 cups Heavy Cream,, cold
- 3/4 cup Creamy SunButter®
Chocolate Craquelin Topping
- 1/2 cup Dark Brown Sugar
- 7 tbsp Unsalted Butter,, softened
- 14 tbsp (105g) All Purpose Flour
- 1 ½ tbsp (10g) Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder,, sifted (regular cocoa can be used as well)
Cream Puffs
- 1/2 cup Whole Milk
- 1/2 cup Water
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter,, cubed, at room temperature
- 1 tbsp White Sugar
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 cup (120g) All Purpose Flour
- 4-5 Large Eggs
Equipment
- Stand mixer
Instructions
SunButter Milk Chocolate Whipped Ganache
- Place chopped milk chocolate and SunButter into a medium size mixing bowl, then set aside.
- Place heavy cream into a medium pot over medium heat. Heat until the mixture just begins to come to a low boil. Remove from heat and pour over top of the chopped chocolate and SunButter. Allow the mixture to sit for 1 minute, then whisk together until all the chocolate has melted and the ganache is very smooth.
- Place a piece of plastic wrap over top of the surface of the ganache and place into the fridge to cool for at least 8 hours, or preferably overnight.
- While ganache is cooling, make and bake cream puff shells, then allow them to cool before whipping ganache and filling the cream puffs.
- When cooled, place the ganache into your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip the ganache until stiff peaks have formed.
- Using a serrate knife, cut off the top of each cream puff. Using a spoon or a piping bag fitted with a star tip, fill each cream puff with whipped chocolate ganache. Then place the top back on and enjoy immediately or keep in the fridge until ready to serve.
Chocolate Craquelin Topping
- Add all ingredients into a medium sized bowl, then mash together with a spatula until an uniform looking dough forms.
- Place the dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper, then roll the dough out to be about 1/8” thick and aim for a relatively even rectangle shape. Place into the freezer for at least 30 minutes, while you make the choux.
Cream Puffs: Making the Choux
- Preheat oven to 475°F. Prepare 2 baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper. Also prepare a pastry bag by adding a plain ½” tip.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add milk, water, butter, 1 tbsp sugar, and salt, and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add flour in the pot, all at once, and begin to stir very quickly. A ball of dough should form relatively quickly. Continue cooking, stirring vigorously, until a dry film begins to form on the bottom and sides of the saucepan. Remove from heat.
- Place dough into a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, and beat for about 30 seconds to a minute, to cool the dough down. Add one egg and beat until completely incorportated (the dough should look dry again). Continue adding eggs one at a time, ensuring that each is completely incorporated before adding the next, scraping at the sides of the bowl occasionally. After the 4th egg, place remove paddle from mechanism and place deep into the batter, if the batter forms a nice “V” shape off the paddle, it is ready. If the batter still looks thick and does not form a nice “V” then add another egg. Dough should be thick and very sticky, but also shiny and smooth.
Cream Puffs: Piping & Baking
- Add dough to the piping bag, and pipe directly onto parchment lined baking sheets. Pipe about nine 2” rounds per baking sheet (about 18 total).
- Cut out 18 rounds out of the cold craquelin topping, about the same diameter as the piped cream puffs. Place each round onto a piped cream puff, lightly pressing it down to secure it.
- Place into the 475°F oven, for exactly 1 minute then immediately turn the oven off. After 9 minutes, turn the oven back on to 350°F, and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Rotate pans and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the cream puffs are puffed (~ 30 minutes of total baking time). To ensure the cream puffs are finished, remove one of the oven and check if it deflates within 45 seconds – if it deflates they are not finished.
- When done, turn the oven off, and crack the oven 1/3 way open. Allow cream puffs to cool for 30-45 minutes in the cracked oven. Then, remove from oven and allow to cool completely before filling.
My son is allergic to peanuts so I am always looking for nut free treats for him.. these were definitely a hit! The entire family loved them
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