Cream Puff Pastry (Miguelitos)
Are you ready to impress your loved ones with a show-stopping dessert that looks as good as it tastes? Look no further than Spanish Cream Puff Pastry (Miguelitos). With its delicate layers of pastry and creamy filling, this dessert is a celebration of flavors and textures. Join me as we uncover the secrets of this remarkable recipe and create a dessert that will be remembered for years to come.
Equipment
- oven
- 1 bowl
- 1 saucepan
Ingredients
- 2 packages frozen puff pastry, thawed
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 cups whole milk, divided
- 1⁄3 cup white sugar
- 1⁄4 cup cornstarch
- 3 egg yolks
- 1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Zest of half a lemon
- Icing sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Roll out the pastry to 1⁄8-inch thickness, and cut it into 3” squares.
- Paint the squares with the beaten egg, and bake until they are golden brown. Set them aside to cool.
- Heat half the milk in a saucepan until it is almost boiling.
- In a bowl, combine the egg yolks with the sugar until smooth. Stir in the cornstarch (you can dissolve it in a splash of milk first to avoid lumps), cinnamon, vanilla, and lemon zest. Stir in the remaining milk.
- Slowly add the cold milk mixture to the hot milk, whisking constantly. Cook over medium-low heat until it is very thick. Set it aside to cool slightly.
- Gently separate the cooked puffed pastry sheets, top layer from bottom.
- Spread the custard filling on the bottom layer, and cover it with the top.
- Dust with icing sugar, and serve cool.
Video
Notes
To achieve perfectly puffed pastry shells, make sure not to open the oven door during the baking process. The sudden temperature change can cause the pastries to deflate. Trust the process and let them rise to their full potential. Once they're golden brown and beautifully puffed, remove them from the oven and let them cool before filling with the creamy goodness.