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    Home » Recipes » Dessert » Pastry

    Cream Puff Swans

    Published by Melissa on December 24, 2020 | Updated June 10, 2022 | 71 Comments

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    Golden cream puff swans filled with rich, delicious pastry cream are a must-try baking project for kids and adults. 

    two cream puff swans on a white plate

    If you haven’t made choux pastry before, it’s easier than you think. And homemade tastes so much better than store-bought. It’s fresher and won’t have that stale flavor, with dried-out or soggy shells you sometimes get from store-bought eclairs and other pastries. 

    Update: I’ve updated this post with new photos of my cream puff swans, templates, and step-by-step instructions so you can make this elegant dessert at home. 

    pinterest button for cream puff swans

    I first made these elegant pastry swans for a Daring Bakers challenge in 2012. Then, I adapted the recipe for my e-cookbook Simple Sweet Dream Puffs. This is one of those stunning pastry recipes that’s as fun to make and present as it is to eat. 

    Simply Sweet Dream Puffs Cookbook Swans

    There are dozens more delightful cream puff recipes in the Dream Puffs cookbook and on my site linked below! Start with this how-to post, with step-by-step instructions to make cream puffs. 

    How to Make Cream Puff Swans

    I recommend making the pastry swans in the following order:

    • First, make the pastry cream base (before the whipped cream) and chill in the refrigerator. 
    • Next, prepare your cookie sheets with parchment and templates for piping.
    • Prepare your piping bag and tip.
    • Then make, pipe, and bake the choux pastry. Let the baked pastries cool completely.
    • Once the pastry cream base is completely chilled, whip the cream and fold it into the base. 
    • Cut the cooled cream puffs into the swan bodies and wings. 
    • Finally, assemble by piping in the pastry cream and affixing the wings and bodies together. 
    ingredients for cream puff swans

    You can print pastry swan templates to help you pipe the perfect shapes. Lay the templates under a piece of parchment paper and trace them with a pencil.

    Or, I’ll usually just put the template under the parchment paper, pipe the shapes, and then remove the template before baking. 

    steps to make choux pastry for cream puffs

    Making Choux Pastry

    Here are a few tips to keep in mind when you’re mixing up the choux pastry for your swans:

    Start by bringing butter, water, salt, and sugar to a boil. It’s very important that this mixture is evenly combined before continuing with the recipe. Next, mix in all of the flour. Adjust your heat as necessary and stir constantly to avoid burning. The batter will thicken up quickly. 

    When adding the eggs, you want to be sure the eggs don’t cook from the heat. Let the dough cool a bit first and mix constantly as you add the eggs.

    adding eggs to a mixer for homemade choux pastry

    The finished dough should be thick. It should fall slowly and steadily from the beaters when you lift them out of the bowl. The batter should NOT be:

    • Slimy. This means the eggs are not fully incorporated––keep mixing.
    • So thick it doesn’t stick to the mixing paddle. This means not enough egg––add one more.
    • So runny that it oozes from the pastry bag or spreads out when you pipe it. This means too much egg, and you’ll need to make more of the dough. 
    piping swan bodies for cream puff swans

    How to Pipe Choux Batter for Cream Puff Swans

    Use a piping bag fitted with a ½-inch tip to pipe the swan heads. Apply even pressure for a steady stream and keep the piping bag moving as you go. Follow the stencil/template.

    To pipe the bodies, you can remove the tip. You will apply a little more pressure for the bodies. 

    piping bodies for cream puff swans on a paper lined baking sheet

    The bodies should have a slight taper to them. I like to start at the thinner end. To do so, squeeze the bag lightly at first to stay in the lines of the template.  As you move to the wider end of the body, press harder for a thicker stream.

    Tip: The great thing about choux dough is that it’s very forgiving. If you mess up a body or swan head, simply scrape the dough off of the parched and back into your pastry bag.

    Before baking, gently tap down any bumps with damp fingers.

    steps to make pastry cream to fill cream puffs

    Making Pastry Cream 

    You can fill the choux shells with your favorite filling or even lightly sweetened whipped heavy cream. I prefer to fill them with a simple, delicious vanilla pastry cream. 

    When mixing the pastry cream on the stove, be sure to whisk constantly to avoid burning. As the mixture thickens up, you want to avoid a thin layer that may stick to the bottom of the pan. If you feel this happening, just keep whisking. Do NOT scrape the bottom of the pan with your whisk. Doing so will cause brown bits (scalded/burned milk mixture) to float in your pastry cream.

    adding whipped cream to pastry cream

    When the cream is uniformly mixed, transfer it to a bowl to chill in the fridge. Place a layer of plastic directly on the surface of the cream to avoid a film.

    Make sure your pastry cream is completely chilled before folding in the whipped cream.

    assembling baked cream puffs for swans

    Assembling Cream Puff Swans

    Once your cream puffs and pastry cream elements are cooled, it’s time to assemble your cream puff swans. 

    I recommend using a sharp, serrated knife to cut the cream puffs. Start by cutting the top third of the pastry bodies off. Next, cut the top third in half to make the wings. 

    Arrange your pieces (body, two wings, and heads) in groups to build each swan.

    On the body pieces, pipe or spoon a dollop of pastry cream. You want enough to fill the length of the body but not too much that it spills over the sides.

    Next, slide the base of the swan neck into the pastry cream at the thick end of the body. If needed, add a bit more pastry cream on top of the swan neck base to secure it.

    Finally, firmly but gently affix the wings onto the sides of the swan. The pastry cream in the body will act as the glue to hold the wings in place. 

    There you have it: a stunning, elevated pastry dessert that’s ready to impress. 

    drizzled cream puff swans with dark chocolate

    Serving & Storing Cream Puff Swans

    Pate a choux is best the day it’s made, though you can freeze the pastry bodies in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Pastry cream does not freeze well, but you can store it in the fridge for up to three days and assemble the swans just before serving. 

    Refrigerate swans until ready to serve. Sprinkle on a dusting of powdered sugar just before serving. 

    two cream puff swans with pastry cream and choux pastry
    two cream puff swans on a white plate
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    4.72 from 7 votes

    Cream Puff Swans

    Elegant and adorable, homemade Cream Puff Swans with pate a choux paste, fluffy pastry cream, wings, peak and all are a must-try home baking project. 
    Cook Time25 mins
    Total Time25 mins
    Course: Pastry
    Cuisine: French
    Calories: 222kcal
    Author: Barbara Bakes LLC
    Prevent your screen from going to sleep

    Equipment

    • OXO Good Grips Cooling Rack
    • KitchenAid KP26M9XCOB 6-Quart Bowl-Lift Professional Stand Mixer, Onyx Black
    • OXO Good Grips Silicone Pastry Mat,Tan,One Size

    Ingredients

    CHOUX PASTRY

    • ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter
    • 1 cup water
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 1 ½ teaspoons sugar
    • 1 cup all-purpose flour
    • 4 large eggs

    EGG WASH

    • 1 large egg
    • 1 teaspoon water

    PASTRY CREAM

    • ¾ cup granulated sugar
    • ⅓ cup flour
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 2 cups milk
    • 3 egg yolks beaten
    • 2 tablespoons butter
    • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
    • ½ cup whipping cream

    Instructions

    • PASTRY
    • Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Place templates on baking sheets; line with parchment paper. Measure flour and set aside.
    • In a large saucepan, bring butter, water, salt, and sugar to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove the pan from the heat and add the flour all at once. Stir quickly until all the flour is incorporated, about a minute. Return to the heat and cook, stirring constantly, for another minute or two.
    • Transfer dough to the bowl of an electric mixer, and let cool for 5 minutes.
    • Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; beat until the dough loses its “slimy” look, and each egg is incorporated. (You may only need 3 eggs, depending on your climate.) The dough should be thick, but should fall slowly and steadily from the beaters when you lift them out of the bowl.
    • Spoon dough into a pastry bag fitted with a coupler. Attach a #10 tip (½-inch) to coupler. Pipe dough to make 12 swan necks on a baking sheet, using template as a guide. Smooth out peaks and round tops with a moistened finger; remove template. (You’re aiming for something between a numeral 2 and a question mark, with a little beak if you’re skilled and/or lucky.)
    • Remove the tip from the bag and pipe out 12 swan bodies on a second baking sheet, using template as a guide. These will be about 3” long, and about 2” wide. One end should be a bit narrower than the other. Smooth out peaks and round tops with a moistened finger; remove template.
    • Egg wash: Whisk together 1 egg and 1 teaspoon water. Brush tops of dough with egg mixture. Place swan necks on baking sheet in the freezer.
    • Bake swan bodies at 425° for 5 minutes; reduce oven temperature to 375°, and bake 30 minutes or until puffy and golden brown. Remove from the baking sheet to a wire rack, and cool completely.
    • Bake swan necks at 375° for 15 minutes or until puffy and golden brown. Remove from the baking sheet to a wire rack, and cool completely.
    • PASTRY CREAM
    • In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, flour, and salt. Gradually whisk in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture starts to boil. Cook for 2 minutes until thickened.
    • Remove from the stove. Slowly whisk ¼ cup of the hot mixture into the beaten egg yolks, and immediately add the egg yolk mixture to the hot mixture in the saucepan. Cook for 2 more minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl. Cover with plastic and refrigerate until well chilled, about 1 hour or overnight.
    • When pudding is chilled, whip cream to form soft peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the pudding until evenly mixed. Cover and chill until ready to use.
    • ASSEMBLY
    • Cut swan bodies in half horizontally.  Cut the top halves in half to create two wings.
    • Dollop or pipe a small amount of pastry cream onto the widest part of the bottom halves. Fix the swan necks in the cream. After you’ve put the neck in place, fill the bottom halves with additional pastry cream. Place wings on each side.
    • Chill until ready to serve. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving if desired.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1g | Calories: 222kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 144mg | Sodium: 164mg | Sugar: 14g
    [mv_create key=”679″ type=”list” title=”Cream Puff Recipes” thumbnail=”https://www.barbarabakes.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Churo-Cream-Puffs_SS_DreamPuffs.jpg” layout=”hero”]
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    About Melissa & Barbara

    As of June 2022 Melissa Griffiths now is the one adding recipes. So think of it as Barbara Bakes, and Melissa too! Melissa and Barbara have been blogging friends for over 10 years and when Barbara was ready to retire and spend more time with her family, Melissa took over the site. Read more...

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Yuser

      December 01, 2022 at 7:03 pm

      5 stars
      I made this recipe and my guests loved it , very good recipe and well detailed directions to follow.

      Reply
    2. Elda Poucher

      October 23, 2022 at 7:17 pm

      Just wondering how you can get crispy cream puffs. Is there a special way?

      Reply
      • Melissa Griffiths

        November 02, 2022 at 7:59 pm

        You can increase the cooking time by a few minutes and let them cook overnight at room temperature!

        Reply
    3. Alice

      April 23, 2020 at 9:10 am

      Beautiful! My batch did not come out good at all I don’t know where I went wrong

      Reply
      • Barbara Schieving

        April 23, 2020 at 10:16 am

        Hi Alice – I need more info to help you troubleshoot. Did they not rise up tall – you need to pipe them taller. Was the dough too thick – add more egg. There’s more information on my cream puff post https://www.barbarabakes.com/how-to-make-cream-puffs-video-and-easy-step-by-step-photos-and-instructions/ as well.

        Reply
    4. Ruth-Ann

      May 07, 2019 at 3:29 pm

      These are gorgeous! Good to know they can be frozen. How should they be packaged for freezing? How long should it be thawed before filling? Could I make tomorrow, fill on Saturday and refrigerate uncovered to eat on Sunday?

      I’ve never made pastry before but would like to do this tomorrow and have it for Mother’s Day. The recipe indicates that only 3 eggs may be needed. How would I know if the dough is thick enough? Is 4 more typical than 3? Is it temperature-dependent?

      Thank you!!

      Reply
      • Barbara Schieving

        May 07, 2019 at 4:33 pm

        Thanks Ruth-Ann! Watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44rbPtQXphA and you’ll see how thick the dough should be and tips on making them. You’ll just pipe them longer. It depends on the humidity where you live, you’ll probably only need 3 eggs, if the dough doesn’t fall from the beater, you can add an extra egg yolk or an extra egg white.

        You can make them tomorrow and fill them on Saturday to eat on Sunday. The more time between when you fill them and the time you eat them, the softer the shell will be, so filling them late Saturday or early Sunday would be best. I usually freeze them on the tray and then once they’re frozen, put them in a Ziploc freezer bag until I’m ready to use them. They thaw quickly, so just get them out of the freezer before you start making your filling. Add powdered sugar right before serving.

        Have fun!

        Reply
    5. Jean

      December 09, 2017 at 11:16 am

      My swan bodies didn’t rise very much, can you tell me what I did wrong.

      Reply
      • Barbara Schieving

        December 09, 2017 at 11:20 am

        Hi Jean – if you don’t pipe the dough tall enough, there’s not enough dough to create an air pocket.

        Reply
        • Ruth-Ann

          May 07, 2019 at 3:31 pm

          How high should they be piped? Thanks.

          Reply
          • Barbara Schieving

            May 07, 2019 at 4:25 pm

            Hi Ruth-Ann – at least 1 1/2 inches high.

            Reply
      • Edwin Sotomayor

        January 16, 2019 at 1:11 pm

        I practically invented those. Lol. I use a lg open star tip to pipe body as if piping large shells on edge of cake. When done slice as if your gonna fill them. Then slice top half down center length wise creating 2 defined feathered wings. Fill and insert wings on opposite side they came from. For the beak, dip the tip in chocolate. Wish i could show you a pic

        Reply
        • Barbara Schieving

          January 16, 2019 at 1:40 pm

          Hi Edwin – thanks for emailing me a picture. You can share a picture on my Barbara Bakes Facebook page or Instagram 🙂

          Reply
    6. anne

      December 28, 2016 at 7:57 pm

      my bodies puffed but then went flat when I took them out of the oven. What could have gone wrong?

      Reply
      • Barbara Schieving

        December 28, 2016 at 9:01 pm

        Hi Anne – sounds like they were undercooked. Try cooking them a little longer, or cooling them in the oven to dry them out. Do you live in a humid area of the country? If they have a pocket, you could still try filling them and the filling will puff them up.

        Reply
    7. sadie murray

      January 15, 2016 at 5:11 am

      I would like to know how long the swans will keep with out the filling, planning a party and would like to make them up ahead of time

      Reply
      • Barbara Schieving

        January 15, 2016 at 5:52 am

        Hi Sadie – ideally I like to serve them within a day of when I bake the shells. However, the shells freeze very well, so you can make them several weeks ahead and freeze them. You can freeze the unbaked shaped dough as well, which for a large party I like to do because it takes up less freezer space. Then you bake them from frozen just adding a couple minutes to the cook time. Have fun!

        Reply
    8. Roberta Harrison

      September 07, 2014 at 12:00 am

      Wonderful recipe!! Thank you sooo much, first time I made these, they turned out lovely, looking
      forward to trying more of your great looking recipes. Really like how simple and easy you make
      it all to follow! Thanks again, Roberta

      Reply
      • Barbara Schieving

        September 07, 2014 at 5:35 am

        Thanks Roberta! Such a great compliment. That really is my goal – to give everyone that I can do that feeling. I’m so glad your swans turned out lovely.

        Reply
    9. Sheri

      June 21, 2014 at 1:19 pm

      Thank you for a wonderful Mother Day’s recipe! They turned out great!

      Reply
      • Barbara Schieving

        June 22, 2014 at 5:45 pm

        They look great! So fun for Mother’s Day.

        Reply
    10. Vilma

      April 23, 2014 at 5:17 pm

      Thank you very much for an amazing recipe. I have done before this kind of pastry, but this recipe is the best. Next time I’ll have my friends over for dinner, for sure it will be on my menu. I tried and felt in love!

      Reply
    11. Maria Rosa

      April 15, 2014 at 1:59 pm

      Podia me mandar a receita em português muito obrigada

      Reply
      • Barbara Schieving

        April 15, 2014 at 3:21 pm

        Hi Maria – Desculpe, eu sou incapaz de traduzir a receita para você.

        Reply
    12. Lora

      March 02, 2014 at 12:38 pm

      These are gorgeous. You’ve inspired me to try them today!

      Reply
    13. moufida

      November 14, 2012 at 11:23 am

      tres delecieux tous les enfants adore

      Reply
      • Barbara Schieving

        November 15, 2012 at 5:44 pm

        merci!

        Reply
    14. nicky

      October 24, 2012 at 9:00 pm

      so …cute…maybe..one day..i want to try

      Reply
    15. Jenni

      September 01, 2012 at 12:24 pm

      Beautiful swans, Barbara!!

      Reply
    16. Elizabeth

      September 01, 2012 at 6:01 am

      How cute!

      I’ve always wondered how the swan shape was achieved. Thank you for showing it so well.

      I never thought about the fact that the filling could be sweet or savoury. Suddenly I have an urge for swans filled with creamy cashew chicken.

      Reply
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