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Lemon Cream Puffs

Elegant choux pastry puffs filled with tart lemon curd, vanilla whipped cream, and topped with a silky lemon mousseline swirl.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 12 puffs
Course: Dessert, Pastry
Cuisine: American, French
Calories: 310
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Choux Pastry
  • 0.5 cup water
  • 0.5 cup whole milk
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour sifted
  • 4 large eggs room temperature
Lemon Curd Filling
  • 0.5 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp lemon zest
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 4 tbsp butter cubed
Mousseline & Cream
  • 1 cup heavy cream whipped
  • 1 cup pastry cream prepared vanilla custard
  • 0.5 cup butter softened
  • 1 drop yellow food coloring optional

Equipment

  • Stand Mixer
  • Piping bags and tips
  • Saucepan
  • Baking sheets

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) and line baking sheets with parchment.
  2. For the curd: Whisk lemon juice, zest, sugar, and yolks over a double boiler until thickened. Whisk in butter off heat. Chill.
  3. For pastry: Boil water, milk, butter, sugar, and salt. Add flour all at once and stir vigorously until dough forms a ball.
  4. Cool dough slightly, then beat in eggs one at a time until smooth and glossy.
  5. Pipe rounds onto baking sheets. Bake 15 mins at 400°F, then 20-25 mins at 350°F. Cool completely.
  6. For mousseline: Whip pastry cream with softened butter until fluffy. Tint yellow if desired.
  7. Slice puffs open. Pipe a ring of whipped cream inside, fill center with lemon curd.
  8. Replace top and pipe a tall swirl of lemon mousseline over the puff.

Notes

Make the curd and pastry cream the day before to save time on assembly day.