Lemon-Lavender Cream Puffs

These lemon-lavender cream puffs feature golden, airy pastry shells filled with a luscious lemon-vanilla cream lightly infused with lavender. Topped with a subtle lavender glaze and garnished with dried lavender buds, they're a fragrant, elegant dessert that’s perfect for gatherings or afternoon tea.

Recipe Information

Total Time:

Yield:

18 puffs

Ingredients

Cream Puff Shells

1 cup water

½ cup unsalted butter

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

4 eggs

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Lemon-Lavender Filling

2 cups whipping cream

½ cup milk

1 (3.4-ounce) package instant lemon pudding mix

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

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Icing

½ cup water

1 tablespoon dried lavender blossoms

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Additional dried lavender buds

Directions

For cream puff shells, preheat oven to 400°F. In a medium saucepan, heat water, butter and salt over medium heat until mixture begins to boil. Add flour; stir vigorously with a wooden spoon for 1 minute. Remove from heat; with a mixer, stir in eggs, one at a time, until each is incorporated.
Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large open star decorating tip with cream puff dough. On a parchment-lined or ungreased baking sheet, pipe 18 (1½‑inch) circles of dough spaced 2 inches apart. Bake 22 to 23 minutes or until golden on bottom. Remove to wire rack to cool.
For filling, in a large bowl use whisk attachment of mixer to beat cream, milk, pudding mix and lemon zest on low speed to combine. Beat on medium 2 minutes or until thickened, scraping bowl as necessary to blend ingredients. Beat on high 30 to 60 seconds or until stiff peaks form. Cover and chill at least 20 minutes.
For icing, in a small saucepan bring water to boiling. Add lavender blossoms; remove from heat and steep 5 minutes. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve; discard lavender, reserving lavender water. In a medium bowl, whisk together confectioners’ sugar, 2 tablespoons lavender water and lemon juice to make a thin icing.
To fill puff shells, fill a decorating bag fitted with a slender round decorating tip with lemon-lavender filling. Poke a hole in the bottom of each cream puff; fill with filling. Chill up to 3 hours in a covered container. Dip filled cream puffs in icing, allowing excess to drip off. Place on parchment or a cooling rack; sprinkle with additional lavender buds. Let stand until icing is firm, about 30 minutes.