sugar cube stars ✦

Swan Choux Cream

click on the above image for the original recipe!

Ingredients (makes 12)

Choux Pastry

• 40g unsalted butter
• 100mL water
• A pinch of salt
• 60g flour (A)
• 2 medium-size eggs, beaten

Custard Cream

• 2 medium-size egg yolks
• 50g caster/white sugar (B)
• 20g flour (B)
• 200mL milk
• A little vanilla extract

Decoration

• 150mL fresh cream
• 2 teaspoons white sugar (C)
• 2 chocolate pens (one blue, one chocolate)

Preparation

Bring the choux pastry eggs to room temperature. Sift both (A) and (B) portions of flour. Preheat the oven to 200℃. Line baking sheets with non-stick baking parchment. See here for more information.

Steps

1. Cut the butter into 1cm cubes, then add to a saucepan with water and salt over medium heat.
   
   ★ Ichika's Advice ★
   Be sure to cut the butter into small pieces, because if the water evaporates before the butter has completely melted, the moisture content will change!
2. When (1) comes to a boil, add the flour (A) all at once and immediately turn off the heat. Mix using a rubber spatula, making sure you scrape the bottom of the pan.


3. When it's all combined, heat it over medium heat again and mix well. As soon as a thin film forms over the bottom of the pan, turn off the heat.
4. Transfer (3) to a bowl and add half of the beaten egg. Using a wooden spoon, make a cutting motion to combine everything together.
   
   
5. Continue to mix, adding the remaining egg a little at a time.
   
   ★ Ichika's Advice ★
   If you add too much egg, the dough will become runny. You can't remove egg if you've added too much, so be careful to add it little by little!


6. Scoop a generous amount of dough with the wooden spoon, and let it run off. The batter is OK when it forms a triangle of about 10cm, hanging from the spoon.


7. Transfer the dough to a pastry bag, then cut a small opening at the tip. Squeeze onto the baking sheet in an inverted S-shape. The start of the line will be the head, so it should have more dough.


8. Stick the tip of the piping bag into the head, then pull back to stretch the dough and create the beak.
9. Repeat steps 7-8 until you have about 14 pieces.
   
   ★ Ichika's Advice ★
   I'll use 12, but since they tend to break easily, I'll make some extras!


10. Transfer the remaining dough to another piping bag, with a 1cm diameter round tip. Squeeze out 12 pieces of dough in a drop shape on a different lined baking sheet.


11. Add a line of dough on top of (10).


12. Add texture to the top of the batter (11) using a wet fork.


13. Spray liberally with water from about 30cm away, then bake in a preheated oven at 200℃ for 20 minutes, then lower the temperature to 180℃ and bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Do not open the oven door until it is baked.
14. Bake the neck pieces (9) at 180℃ for 10 to 15 minutes.


15. Let the baked choux pastry cool on a cooling rack.
16. Make the custard cream. Add the egg yolks and sugar (B) to a bowl and whisk until the mixture becomes white.
17. Add flour (B) to (16) and mix briefly.
18. Add the milk to a saucepan and heat over medium heat until it starts to bubble.
19. While stirring, add (18) to (17) a little at a time.
    
    ★ Ichika's Advice ★
    Be careful not to add it all at once, or the yolk will scramble!


20. Strain the mixture with a mesh strainer and return it to the pan. Stir with a rubber spatula over medium heat.


21. When it thickens, reduce the heat to low and continue to stir until there are no lumps and the mixture is smooth. It's done when the whole mixture becomes glossy.


22. Turn off the heat, add vanilla extract, then transfer to a container and cover the surface with plastic wrap. Place the container in an ice bath to cool down, then refrigerate.
    
    ★ Ichika's Advice ★
    Be sure to stick the plastic wrap on tightly! Not only will it stop it from drying out, but it'll also keep moisture from building up!
23. Before using the chilled custard, transfer it to a bowl and stir to make it smooth, then transfer to a piping bag fitted with a star tip.
24. In a separate bowl, whisk the cream and sugar together until it forms stiff peaks. Then, transfer to a piping bag fitted with a star tip.


25. Cut the top 1/3 of the (15) choux pastry.


26. Squeeze the custard cream into the bottom part of the choux pastry, then layer the whipped cream on top.
27. Place the choux pastry on top.


28. Warm up the chocolate pen, cut the tip and draw the eyes on the neck part. Let it set, and then put it in (27).