A twist on an English dessert - bananas, toffee, and whipped cream, taken out of the pie crust and nestled in a light, fluffy homemade cream puff!
Course Dessert
Cuisine British, French
Keyword cream puffs
Prep Time 3 hourshours
Cook Time 45 minutesminutes
Total Time 3 hourshours45 minutesminutes
Servings 4cream puffs
Calories 1015kcal
Author Erica
Ingredients
Toffee
1can sweetened condensed milkor dulce de leche
Cream Puffs (pate a choux)
½cupunsalted butterchopped
1cupwaterplus 1 Tablespoon water, separated
1teaspoongranulated sugar
½teaspoonkosher salt
1cupall-purpose flour
5eggs
Vanilla Pastry Cream
½cupgranulated sugar
¼cupcornstarch
½teaspoonkosher salt
3cupswhole milk
2eggsbeaten
2tablespoonsunsalted butter
2teaspoonsvanilla bean paste
Sweet Whipped Cream
1cupheavy whipping cream
3tablespoonspowdered sugar
1teaspoonvanilla extract
2large bananassliced
Instructions
Toffee
In a sauce pan, boil an unopened can of sweetened condensed milk for 3 hours. Monitor the water closely, making sure there is always water in the pan. Remove can from heat and let cool for 10 to 15 minutes before use. (Or skip all this and just warm up a can of dulce de leche before assembly - saves time and is just as tasty!)
Cream Puffs (pate a choux)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine butter, 1 cup water, sugar, and salt Bring to a boil, then stir in the flour quickly with a wooden spoon. The mixture will thicken to a ball of soft dough. Continue to stir until a film forms on the bottom of the pan.
Remove the dough from the heat, transfer to a bowl, and to cool 3-4 minutes. Add 4 eggs, one at a time, stirring vigorously to incorporate each addition.
Whisk together the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon water. Set aside.
Transfer the pate a choux to a pastry bag, then cut it open about ½-inch . Pipe 3-inch rounds onto each prepared pan, smoothing any pointed peaks with a moistened finger. Brush tops with egg wash, then bake 35-40 minutes until puffs rise and are golden brown.
Vanilla Pastry Cream
Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in milk and bring to a simmer. Continue to cook until it thickens and comes to a boil; boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat.
Add 4-5 Tablespoons of hot milk to a bowl with beaten eggs, whisking quickly to keep from scrambling. Once evenly mixed, add egg mixture to milk mixture and return to heat. Bring it to a low boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, then stir in butter and vanilla.
Strain pastry cream through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and allow to cool. Cover with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface, then refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.
Sweetened Whipped Cream
In a chilled bowl, whip heavy cream until it thickens. Add powdered sugar and vanilla, and whip to soft peaks. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Assembly
Cut each cream puff in half horizontally. Fill the bottom with a generous amount of pastry cream. Top with sliced bananas, a big drizzle of cooled toffee, and a large dollop of fresh whipped cream. Place the top half of the cream puff on the whipped cream, dust with powdered sugar, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
Cream puffs can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days, or frozen for longer storage. Crisped up in the oven before filling and serving by baking them uncovered in a 300 degree oven for about 5 to 8 minutes. Cool completely before filling.