Cream Puffs

Cream puffs are simply the same puffs used for profiteroles but filled with pastry cream rather than ice cream. While a profiterole is a substantial dessert—puffs, ice cream, and chocolate sauce—cream puffs make for a simpler after-dinner sweet, if you want something that’s not quite a full-on dessert. Or make a lot of them to create an elaborate croquembouche, a sculpture of puffs “glued” to one another with caramel—a conical shape or other structure can make a festive centerpiece for a ho