The Kentucky Derby is just two weeks away and I’m actually going home for it for the first time in years! I leave in a week and I’m already in complete vacation mode. All I want right now are LOADS of Mint Juleps. So to help cope with the fact that I’m still 2,000 miles away, I made these delectable little cream puffs that are filled with a bourbon and mint pastry cream. They feel like a Southern party for your mouth, and they also go great with hats and horse races.
They are little dollops of heaven and taste just as refreshing and as slightly sinful as a real Mint Julep, but with the added necessity of me being able to eat tons of these and still being able to work.
The bourbon mint pastry cream is so light and mint julepey (that’s not a word, I know, BUT THAT’S WHAT IT IS, IT’S JULEPEY. It’s mint julepey cream). And then that mint julepey cream (I’ve started and I just can’t stop now) is topped with whipped cream and piped into the perfect choux pastry. HEAVEN.
Mint Julep Cream Puffs
Ingredients
For the pastry cream:
- 1/3 cup bourbon
- 1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh mint
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups of milk
- 4 egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
For the choux pastry:
- 1 cup of water
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
For the whipped cream
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
For the pastry cream:
- First, separate your eggs and put the yolks in a medium bowl and give them a gentle whisk so that they combine. Set them aside to allow them to come to room temperature.
- In a medium saucepan, combine milk, bourbon, mint, vanilla, salt, and cornstarch. Heat mixture on medium heat, while stirring to make sure the cornstarch doesn’t clump, until it comes to a simmer and is bubbling.
- Add about 1/2 cup to your whisked eggs while stirring constantly, once combined add another 1/2 cup of the milk mixture. This is to give your eggs a gentle cook before adding them into the milk mixture.
- Add egg mixture into the saucepan and cook until thick and is 160 degrees. About 2 minutes.
- Transfer the mixture to a standing mixer and beat with the paddle attachment. Add in the butter and beat on medium speed until it cools. About 3 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap by pressing the plastic into the top of the mixture. This is so that the mixture doesn’t create a film on top. Refrigerate for 1 hour. The mixture will keep for 2 days in the fridge.
For the choux pastry:
- Preheat over to 375 and prepare two cooking sheets with wax paper and just a little bit of flour.
- Crack your eggs into a small bowl and allow them to come to room temperature.
- In a medium saucepan heat the water, butter, salt, and sugar until butter is melted and it starts to boil.
- Quickly add in the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until the flour is cooked and the mixture pulls away from the pan and leaves a film. About 3 minutes.
- Add mixture to a standing mixer with the paddle attachment and beat on low speed until it cools slightly. About a minute. Turn the mixer up to medium speed and add in the eggs one at a time, beating until each egg is totally combined into the mixture before adding another.
- Beat until all eggs are combined and soft peaks form.
- Put mixture into a piping bag and pipe mounds that are about 2 inches wide on the prepared baking sheet. The puffs will grow three times their size in the oven so leave enough space between them. Once pipped dip your finger in a little water and smooth down any pointed tops.
- Dip your whole hand in a bit of water and flick water droplets all over the baking sheet. This is so a bit of steam forms in the oven and gives the puffs a little bit of a crust.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until they reach a nice golden color.
For the whipped cream:
- Mix the cream, sugar, and vanilla with a mixer until stiff peaks form.
To assemble the cream puffs cut off the tops of the pastry with a perforated knife fill the hollow center with the bourbon mint pastry cream and then top that with the whipped cream, then place the top back on the pastry and enjoy!
