Choux Pastry Wreaths: A Hot-Then-Lower Baking Trick Gives Crisp Rings Filled With Vanilla Cream

Instructions

1. Pour the water into a large saucepan, add the butter and salt, and bring to a boil until the butter has melted completely and the water is bubbling.

2. Lower the heat and add all the flour at once. Now be quick: stir hard with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together in a ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan. A white film forms on the bottom, which shows the dough is properly cooked. This takes about 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Transfer the dough to a bowl and let it cool slightly. It should be warm, not hot, so the eggs do not curdle.

4. Beat the eggs into the warm dough one at a time. Add the next egg only when the previous one is fully mixed in. The result should be a smooth, glossy, sticky dough.

5. Preheat the oven to 480°F (250°C) (conventional, top and bottom heat). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

6. Fill a piping bag fitted with a decorative tip with the dough. Pipe rings (wreaths) onto the sheet and leave the centers open. Do not pipe them too close together, because they grow in size.

7. Bake for 10 minutes at 480°F (250°C). The dough puffs up sharply. Then lower the temperature to 350°F (180°C) and bake for another 20 minutes, until golden. IMPORTANT: Do not open the oven during the entire bake, or the wreaths will collapse.

8. While the wreaths bake and cool, make the cream. Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, vanilla and pudding powder into a little of the milk. Bring the rest of the milk to a boil.

9. Pour the pudding mixture into the boiling milk and cook it into a very thick pudding. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface (so no skin forms) and let it cool completely.

10. Whip the cream to stiff peaks. Gradually whip the cooled pudding into it, a spoonful at a time, until the cream is smooth.

11. Cut the cooled wreaths in half horizontally with a serrated knife. Pipe the cream onto the bottom halves and put the tops on.

12. Dust generously with powdered sugar before serving.