Help with my cream puffs please!

[Patzee]

Help please!!  I'm trying to make these in the TMX for my mothers birthday. I have never had any success making cream puffs but I thought with the use of the TMX I might succeed.  No.  Still very soft and full of pastry inside.  They look good when they come out of the oven, nice and brown.  But then sink on cooling.  Have tried taking the inside out but still no good.  Has anyone had any success please?  Thanks....

[Thermomixer]

Sounds like they may be a bit under cooked - a little longer, a little higher temp?

If they puff then that is good - if they sink then they probably haven't had quite enough cooking.

[Patzee]

Thanks Thermomixer.  I left the 2nd tray in for a little longer and they appear to be ok.  A lot crisper.  I am still getting to know my oven temperature.  The middle is still full of pastry.  Would that be correct.  Should I still be having to scrape out the middle?  Going to try again tomorrow morning.

[brazen20au]

perhaps leave them in the oven for 5 mins or more after you've switched the oven off? even with the door open?

i've never made them myself, just guessing!

[judydawn]

Patzee I had the same problem as you when I made a batch - looked good but collapsed once filled. I have checked a Woman's Weekly cookbook recipe for the times etc and they suggest cooking in a hot oven for 10 mins (200o?) then reducing the heat to moderate (180o?) and cooking for 20 mins until golden brown and firm to touch. Remove from oven, make a small slit in side for steam to escape.  Return to oven for a few mins to dry out.  This time is for small puffs, they suggest 35-40 minutes overall cooking time for large ones.  Hope this helps.  My sister-in-law makes excellent cream puffs and she tells me she cooks them at 200o for 15-20 minutes then reduces the heat to 180o for the rest of the cooking time - she makes large puffs.  Like you, I was convinced if the machine could make the mixture, I would turn out a perfect batch of puffs and although the mixture looked perfect, the times in the book are obviously incorrect.

[Thermomixer]

Good work indeed JD - the size of the balls that you make have a lot to do with how much time they need.  But yes, I always started high and finished lower - the high temp allows the air inside to puff them up - like puff pastry.  Then extra time to dry them out.

Sometimes there will be goo inside.  You can do as JD suggests and put a hole in to allow excess steam to escape.  If making eclairs and going to ice - then you can make a hole in the top and then cover with icing.

Generally it is better to make small eclairs - less than 1 cm width of dough piped out.  Make sure that you allow the trays to cool between batches and pump the temp up to 200 or 220 to strat - the shock of hitting the heat is important - they don't have yeast or rising agent.