A pate a choux shell the size of two fists, split and filled with sweetened whipped cream, dusted with powdered sugar. The Schmidt's Cream Puff is the German Village dessert finish at Sausage Haus and Fudge Haus.

The Schmidt's Cream Puff has been a feature at the Schmidt's Sausage Haus on Kossuth Street since the restaurant opened in 1967, sized to a fist as the German-Ohio family hall's dessert finish. The Fudge Haus next door pulls the same recipe at the counter for takeaway. The cream puff anchors the German Village dessert tradition.

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Make it at home

Serves 62 hrIntermediate

Ingredients

  • 1 cup water
  • 100g unsalted butter
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 150g all-purpose flour
  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 500ml heavy cream
  • 60g powdered sugar plus more for dusting
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 200C (400F). Line a baking sheet with parchment.
  2. Bring water, butter, salt and sugar to a boil. Add flour all at once and stir vigorously until the dough pulls from the sides into a smooth ball, about 2 minutes.
  3. Transfer to a stand mixer; beat on low to cool for 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating until each is fully incorporated. The dough should be glossy and ribbon-thick.
  4. Pipe 6 large mounds, about 10cm wide, on the prepared baking sheet. Smooth the tops with a wet finger.
  5. Bake 25 minutes at 200C, then reduce to 175C (350F) and bake 15 more minutes until deep golden and dry inside. Cool completely.
  6. Whip the cream with powdered sugar and vanilla to firm peaks. Slice each puff horizontally, pipe a generous mound of cream into the bottom half, replace the top. Dust heavily with powdered sugar.

Editor tip. Don't open the oven during the first 25 minutes; the steam expansion is what gives the puff its hollow shell.

Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy, Eggs.