Cream puffs with custard and cocoa cream

In a small saucepan, melt the butter, water, and salt. As soon as the first bubbles appear, pour in the flour all at once and stir.

In a few seconds it will compact, keep it on the heat and continue stirring until you see a film appear on the bottom of the pan.

At this point, transfer the mixture to a bowl and let it cool. Once cooled, we're ready to incorporate the eggs: ONE AT A TIME! We need a soft, creamy mixture, similar to cake batter.

Transfer the mixture into a piping bag with a smooth nozzle.

On a baking tray lined with baking paper (I recommend you spread the dough on the corners of the tray to keep the baking paper in place), form little piles by squeezing the piping bag a few times on the base, spacing them 3/4 cm apart.

Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C (400°F) for 25 minutes without opening the oven (otherwise they will deflate!) Then lower the temperature to 190°C (370°F) and continue baking for another 5-7 minutes. It's important not to open the oven during the entire baking process!

Once ready, we let them cool completely on a rack before filling them.

For the custard: Using an electric whisk, beat the egg yolks with the sugar, vanilla, and grated lemon zest until light and fluffy. The more air they incorporate, the better!

At this point, add the sifted flour and starch and mix gently with a spatula.

Pour the milk and cream into a saucepan and heat.

As soon as the first bubbles form (it must not boil!), pour in the egg mixture. It will initially float, then the milk will boil and "pierce" the surface. At this point, remove from the heat and stir quickly with a whisk.

Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Once completely cool, whisk.

FOR THE COCOA VERSION, follow the same procedure, but without adding the grated lemon zest. Once the cream is ready (still hot), add the cocoa and mix well with a whisk.

We make holes in the cream puffs and fill them with the help of a piping bag. We dust the cream puffs with icing sugar and the cocoa cream puffs with cocoa powder.