Cream Filled Choux Pastry

Prepare the crisp pastry top by adding softened butter and powdered sugar to a bowl. Whisk until smooth, then sift the all-purpose flour into the bowl. Fold the ingredients together until well combined and a dough forms. Wrap the dough in plastic film and chill it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, add milk, caster sugar, and butter to a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the butter has melted. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low and add the flour all at once. Continue stirring until the flour is fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth.

Turn off the heat and transfer the mixture to a clean mixing bowl. Let it cool for 3 to 5 minutes, then slowly whisk in the beaten egg, a little at a time. Once the mixture becomes thick, shiny, and smooth, stop whisking and transfer it to a piping bag using a spatula.

Preheat the oven to 200°C (410°F). While the oven is preheating, remove the pastry dough from the refrigerator and roll it out to about 2 mm (1/16 inch) thick. Use a 2-inch (5 cm) round cookie cutter to cut out circles from the dough.

Line a baking pan with parchment paper. Pipe 2-inch (5 cm) mounds onto the paper, spacing them about 3 inches (7 cm) apart. Top each mound with a piece of the cookie-like pastry dough.

Bake the pastries at 200°C (410°F) for 10 minutes. Then, reduce the oven temperature to 160°C (320°F) and continue baking for an additional 20 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. Once baked, remove the pastries from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack.

Prepare the cream filling by beating the whipping cream and sugar in a large bowl until fluffy and creamy, using either a whisk or a stand mixer with a wire whip attachment. Transfer the whipped cream to a piping bag. Once the pastries are cooled, poke a small hole in the bottom of each one and pipe the cream into the pastries. Serve immediately, dusted with powdered sugar.