These adorable sweet little lemon cream puffs are not hard to make - I'll walk you through the steps! Make sure to read the whole recipe through, as well as the notes at the bottom, before you get started.
2cupsheavy whipping creamstraight from the fridge and cold (aka double cream)
Instructions
Start with the lemon filling:
In a medium saucepan over a med-low heat, stir together 3 eggs, 1 cup sugar, ⅓ cup lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon lemon zest, using a wooden spoon until the mixture is creamy and smooth. Turn the heat to low and continue stirring until mixture thickens and coats the back of the spoon.
Add ½ cup butter and stir well until the butter melts and is fully mixed in. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely, then refrigerate. See notes for tips to cool this faster.
Make the cream puffs while the lemon filling cools:
Preheat the oven to 400° Fahrenheit. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or use a silicone baking mat.
Combine the ½ cup butter, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1 cup water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring mixture to a boil, then quickly stir in the 1 cup flour, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon. Continue to heat and stir until mixture appears dry on the bottom of the pan. There should be a light film formed on the bottom of the pan.
Remove from the heat. Stir in 4 eggs, one at a time. Stir vigorously between egg additions - it is important to incorporate each egg before adding the next one, don't rush it!! You can use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or do it by hand with a wooden spoon. The dough will be stiff and thick.
After thoroughly mixing, transfer the mixture to a piping bag with a large plain tip attached. Pipe the dough in approximately 2-inch circles.
In a small bowl, whisk 1 teaspoon of water with the remaining egg. Brush the egg wash on top of each puff.
Bake for 15 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 350° Fahrenheit and continue to bake for about 20 minutes, or until nicely browned and hollow when tapped.
Turn the oven off and leave the oven door slightly open with the puffs still in oven (insert a wooden spoon between the door and oven). Allow puffs to sit in oven until oven is just slightly warm, then remove to a cooling rack and cool completely. Slice each puff in half and remove any excess dough from center.
Make the cream cheese filling:
Use a hand mixer or a stand mixer to beat the 8 oz cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, and ½ teaspoon vanilla until smooth and thick.
Slowly add the heavy cream while mixing on a medium setting. Continue whipping until the filling forms stiff peaks. It will resemble whipped cream, but thicker.
Assemble the cream puffs:
Grab your halved cream puffs. Grab a piping bag with a large plain tip attached and fill it with the lemon filling. Pipe the bottom of the puff full.
Get another piping bag with a large plain tip or a large open star tip and fill it with the whipped cream cheese filling. Pipe on top of the lemon filling. Be sure to pipe nice and full.
Place 4-5 blueberries on top of the cream filling. Place the top of the puff on top of the blueberries and filling. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled. Optional: sprinkle powdered sugar on top if any cream puffs get squished or are uneven.
Notes
Buy extra lemons just in case yours aren't very juice. I highly recommend FRESHLY SQUEEZED LEMONS for this recipe instead of bottled lemon juice. You can use fresh limes instead, if you prefer.
I recommend making the lemon filling first, since it takes longer to cool than baked cream puffs.
To cool the lemon curd mixture faster, CAREFULLY transfer it to a gallon-size heat-safe zip lock bag (careful! It's hot to the touch!) and laying it flat. Allow to cool to room temperature (option to place it in a bowl of cold water), then transfer to the fridge to cool fully.
Do NOT open the oven while the puffs are baking, especially during the first 20 minutes of baking. Use the light if you really need to peak at them.
The cream puffs will keep well in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 24-48 hours. After that, they may get soggy or slight separation of filling may occur.