Rilakkuma Custard Cream Puffs

I made these Rilakkuma custard cream puffs along with my turtle Matcha cream puffs :)

I am posting this after I have tried another recipe for the Choux pastry case which I prefer as it's puffier. But I will still share the recipe I used here, which is still good. The pastry cream recipe will be one I am sticking with as it's smooth, yummy and I get to use up my excess egg yolks from making macarons or chiffon cakes. Both pastry cream and Choux pastry case recipes are adapted from Little Miss Bento.

Recipe for pastry cream (custard)
Ingredients:
200ml milk
35g caster sugar
18g cornflour, sifted
2 egg yolks
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
10g softened unsalted butter

Steps:
1. Whisk together egg yolks, cornflour and sygar in a bowl. Set aside.

2. Heat milk in saucepan until boiling. Remove and pour into egg yolk mixture in a slow and steady stream while whisking the egg yolk mixture continuously.

3. Pour the mixture back into saucepan and heat over medium-low heat while stirring continuously. Keep an eye on the mixture as it will start to thicken suddenly. Take it off the heat to continue stirring if necessary to prevent the custard from becoming lumpy, then put it back on the heat again. Keep heating and stirring until consistency is like smooth curd.

4. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Transfer into another bowl and place a cling wrap over the surface, touching the custard. This is to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until ready to fill the Choux pastry cases.

I made Matcha and plain pastry cream. I love the smoothness of the cream!

Recipe for Choux pastry cases

Similar to the recipe I used previously but this one has more butter, salt and sugar.

Ingredients (makes about 15 Rilakkuma heads):
75g water
50g milk
62g unsalted butter
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
35g bread flour*
40g plain flour*
2 eggs, lightly beaten (may not use all)

* You may use either bread or plain flour only. Bread flour makes the pastry more crispy and stronger in structure but plain flour gives it a more delicate bite.

Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 180℃. Prepare the Choux pastry case. Place water, milk, salt and sugar in saucepan. Bring to a boil while stirring constantly. Once it reaches a roiling boil, pour mixture into the flour.

2. Use wooden spoon or spatula to mix well until a ball of dough forms. Return to saucepan and continue to stir over low heat for 2-3 minutes to cook the dough. Do not brown the dough. Remove from heat and let it cool for about 10 minutes.

3. Add egg a little at a time and mix well with each addition. Towards the end, test the consistency. It should fall off the spatula slowly and leave a streak that doesn't collapse on itself in the batter.

4. Transfer batter into piping bag with a hole cut at the end. Pipe circles according to the template drawn. Pipe the head, legs and tail. Use a finger wet with water to tap down any peaks, especially the small piped parts.

I used my macaron template for piping the rilakkuma heads

5. Bake at 180℃ for 20 min followed by 160℃ for another 20min. Turn off the oven and leave it in there for another 10 min. Do not open the oven door during baking as it may cause the pastry to deflate.

6. Use a knife or toothpick to pierce the side of the Choux cases while hot to release any steam.

Cool completely before decorating with melted compound chocolate. I melted the chocolate with a little vegetable shortening.

You may store baked cases in airtight container until you are ready to fill and serve. Undecorated cases can be toasted to make them crispy again. But if you have already added chocolate decoration, please don't reheat the cases.

Fill piping bag that has been fitted with a small piping tip with pastry cream. Make sure the hole at the side of the cases is large enough to insert the piping tip in before filling with pastry cream.

Best served immediately if possible. The contrast in texture between the crisp shell and cold, smooth pastry cream is the best when the cases have not turned soggy yet. You may store filled Choux pastries overnight in the fridge.

With love,
Phay Shing