These Japanese Custard Puffs (also known as Shu or Choux) are baked choux pastry with a sweet, crackly, crunchy cookies topping and filled with custard and whipped cream in the center. Choux pastry comes together in about 10-15 minutes. Most of the ingredients are cooked together on the stove; this initial cooking causes the starch in the flour to gelatinize, which will help the pastry hold onto steam and puff up. The pastry shell and the crackly top is actually created separated then laid on top of each other.
This recipe makes 24 pieces of light, sweet, crackly puffs, and enough coconut custard cream to fill the shells.
Looking for more Japanese treats to make? Try this simple Ichigo (strawberry) mochi recipe.