These individual Cream Puff Wreaths are an ideal dessert for your holiday table. The festive dessert consists of a delicate cream puff filled with a sweetened whipped cream.
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What is a cream puff?
A cream puff is a popular pastry that originated in France. The pastry is made from choux dough, which is a light and airy dough created by combining water, butter, flour, salt and eggs. The dough has a high moisture content, which creates steam during baking, resulting in a airy and tender interior.
Cream puffs are baked until they are golden brown and have a crisp outer shell and an airy interior. Once cooled, they are often filled with various creamy fillings, most commonly pastry cream or sweetened whipped cream.
Ingredients
You need the following ingredients to create your Christmas cream puff wreaths:
- Water
- All-purpose flour
- Eggs
- Unsalted butter: cut into ½" cubes
- Salt
- Almonds: optional for sprinkling over the wreath before baking
- Pastry cream or sweetened whipped cream: for filling wreaths
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
The choux dough can be intimidating to make - but follow the guidelines below and you'll have great results.
In summary, the cream puff wreaths are created in three steps:
- Create the choux dough
- Bake the cream puffs
- Fill and decorate the wreaths.
Place the butter, water and salt in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat until the mixture begins to boil.
Remove saucepan from the heat and add the flour. Stir until all the flour is absorbed.
Return the saucepan to medium heat and stir vigorously. Continue to stir until the paste dries slightly and pulls away from the side of the pan.
Place the paste in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on medium-low speed for 30 seconds to cool the paste slightly.
Slowly begin adding the eggs one at a time while the mixer is running on low speed. Continue mixing until all the eggs are added.
Increase the mixer speed to medium and mix until eggs are fully absorbed and paste is fully cooled (approximately 3 minutes)
Transfer the choux dough to a piping bag fitted with a ¼" wide tip. Pipe 3" circles on a piece of parchment paper. Next, pipe another line around the outside of the first line. Finally, pipe a third line in between the two lines.
Bake at 425° F for 10 minutes then lower the temperature to 350° and bake an additional 8 - 10 minutes. Cool and slice the tops off the pastries. Add filling of choice (e.g. pastry cream, sweetened whipped cream, buttercream, etc...).
Decorate as desired. Consider fondant bows, holiday sprinkles, drizzle with chocolate, sprinkle with powdered sugar, etc...
Storage
These holiday cream puff wreaths are best served the day they are made. If not serving within an hour of making, place in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.
You may make the cream puffs in advance and freeze the unfilled pastry for up to one month.
Christmas dessert ideas
Looking for more recipes to sweeten up your Christmas dessert table? Check out the following:
📋 Recipe
Christmas Cream Puff Wreaths
Equipment
- 2 Parchment paper
- 2 Pastry bags
- 1 3-Quart Saucepan
- 1 Heat-Resistant Spatula
Ingredients
Pate a Choux
- 1 Cup Water
- 6 Tablespoons Unsalted butter
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 ⅛ Cups All-purpose flour
- 5 large Eggs room temperature
- 1 large Egg, lightly beaten for brushing on top of dough prior to baking optional if adding almonds
- 2 Tablespoons Almonds, chopped finely optional
Cream Filling (optional - use another filling of your choice)
- 1 Cup Heavy whipping cream
- 2 Tablespoons Powdered sugar (add more sugar for a sweeter whipped cream)
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
Instructions
Prepare Pans
- Prepare two sheets of parchment paper to fit on a sheet pans.
- Draw four 3" circles on each piece of parchment paper (leave at least 2 inches of space between each circle). Turn paper over and place on sheet pans.
Pate a Choux
- Preheat oven to 425℉ (220℃)
- Add the water, butter, and salt to a large saucepan. Set the pan over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture comes to a boil.1 Cup Water, 6 Tablespoons Unsalted butter, ¼ teaspoon Salt
- Once the mixture starts to boil, take the pan off the heat. Add the flour all at once and stir until the mixture is smooth.1 ⅛ Cups All-purpose flour
- Place the pan back over the heat. Stir constantly until the dough dries out a bit and starts pulling away from the sides of the pan.
- Transfer the dough into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on the lowest speed for about 30 seconds to help it cool down slightly.
- With the mixer running, add the eggs one at a time. Increase the speed to medium and continue mixing for 3 to 4 minutes, until the eggs are fully incorporated and the mixture has cooled.5 large Eggs
Pipe Circles
- Fit a pastry bag with a ¼" wide piping tip. Fill pastry bag with dough.
- Hold the pastry bag straight up, about 1 inch above the traced circle. Slowly pipe the dough along the marked circle to form the base ring. Then, pipe a second ring around the outside edge of the first. Finish by piping a third ring on top of and in between the two bottom rings.
- Optional: Brush pastry with a lightly whipped egg and sprinkle with chopped almonds.1 large Egg, lightly beaten for brushing on top of dough prior to baking, 2 Tablespoons Almonds, chopped finely
- Bake for 10 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350℉ (180℃) and bake an additional 8 - 10 minutes.
- Cool completely.
Assemble Cream Puffs
- Slice off the top third of each circle and set the top aside.
- Combine powdered sugar, vanilla and heavy cream in a mixing bowl. Whip until cream reaches stiff peaks (peaks will hold their shape when and not droop to the side). Transfer cream to a pastry bag. Alternatively, use a flavored pastry cream or buttercream filling.1 Cup Heavy whipping cream, 2 Tablespoons Powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- Pipe whipped cream rosettes around the bottom layer of each pastry.
- Place top of the circle over the filling to create a sandwich. Press very lightly to secure.
- Finish as desired (e.g. add fondant bows, sprinkle with powdered sugar, drizzle with melted chocolate, etc...)
Video
Nutrition
Food safety
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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