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1
Begin with the pastry cream. Heat the half-and-half, 6 tablespoons sugar and salt in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Simmer until the sugar is dissolved.
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2
While the sugar is dissolving combine the egg yolks and 2 tablespoons sugar in a bowl. Whisk until the sugar and egg yolks mixture is creamy. Add the cornstarch and mix until the mixture is pale yellow and thick.
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3
Once the half-and-half mixture has come to a simmer and the sugar is dissolved slowly begin adding it into the egg yolk mixture to temper the eggs. Make sure to whisk constantly. Once it's combined in the bowl, return the mixture to the saucepan. Simmer the mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly until a few bubbles burst on the surface and the mixture is thickened and glossy. This took me about a minute. Be sure not to overcook it because you will end up with scrambled eggs.
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4
Remove from heat and add in the butter and vanilla. Strain the pastry cream through a sieve set over a medium bowl. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. You can leave it in the refrigerator for a couple of days if you prefer.
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5
Once the pastry cream is set you can begin the pate a choux. Start by whisking the eggs and egg white in a liquid measuring cup. You will only need a 1/2 cup of the mixture. If you have more than that you can throw it away or use it for something else. Set aside the eggs.
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6
Combine the butter, milk, water, sugar and salt in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring once or twice. Once it comes to a full boil, and the butter is fully melted, remove from the heat and stir in the flour until incorporated and the mixture cleans the sides of the pan.
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7
Return the saucepan to low heat and continue to cook. Stir constantly by pressing the mixture against the side of the saucepan. The mixture should be slightly shiny. The recipe we followed said it should look like wet sand but we thought it looked like mashed potatoes!
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8
Transfer the mixture to a food processor and process for about 10 seconds with the feed tube open. This will allow the mixture to start to cool. While the machine is running, slowly add the eggs that you whisked earlier. Once they have been added, scrape the sides of the bowl and process 30 additional seconds.
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9
Preheat the oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pipe the paste in small mounds onto the baking sheet. The mounds should be about 1 1/2 inches high. Flatten each mound slightly with a spoon. We got about 22 mounds.
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10
Bake for about 13 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the puffs from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack. When they are cool enough to handle, slit one side of the puff with a paring knife. The puffs will be hollow so you really just need to pierce the puff. Place your pastry cream in a pastry bag or Ziploc bag with the corner cut off and begin filling the puffs with the cream. Set them on the cooling rack for a moment.
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11
Once the puffs are filled begin the chocolate glaze. Add the half-and- half and the chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 20 second increments until melted. Make sure to stir between increments. Add the powdered sugar into the melted mixture and whisk until smooth.
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12
Dip the top of each puff in chocolate and return to the cooling rack. They are best eaten the same day. If you do have leftovers freeze them right away. Ours were just as good 1 week later.
