Go Back
There’s something magical about the first bite of a bigné. The thin, golden shell cracks ever so slightly, and then that creamy, cool center hits you. Sweet, smooth, and softly perfumed with vanilla and lemon, it’s the kind of dessert that makes you close your eyes for a moment.
These Italian cream puffs are light as air but full of character. They start from the humblest ingredients, butter, water, flour, and eggs yet somehow turn into little pastries that look like they came straight from a café in Rome. The secret is the crema pasticcera, a silky custard that Italians have perfected for generations.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings: 20 pastries
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pastry (pasta choux)
  • 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup (240 ml) water
  • ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter
  • A pinch of salt
  • 4 large eggs
Pastry cream (crema pasticcera)
  • 2 cups (480 ml) whole milk
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • ½ cup (100 g) sugar
  • ¼ cup (30 g) cornstarch
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Zest of one lemon (optional)

Equipment

  • Piping bag

Instructions
 

Pastry
  1. In a saucepan, combine water, butter, and salt. Bring to a gentle boil until the butter melts.
    Add the flour all at once, stirring quickly with a wooden spoon. It’ll form a soft dough that pulls away from the sides — that’s exactly what you want.
  2. Take it off the heat and let it cool for about 5–10 minutes. Then, beat in the eggs one at a time. At first it might look weird and clumpy but keep going, it’ll turn smooth and glossy.
  3. Spoon or pipe little mounds onto a parchment-lined baking sheet (about the size of a walnut).
  4. Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 25 minutes, until puffed and golden. Don’t open the oven early — they need that steam to stay fluffy inside.
  5. Let them cool completely before filling.
Cream
  1. Warm the milk with lemon zest until just steaming.
    In a bowl, whisk the yolks, sugar, and cornstarch until smooth.
  2. Slowly pour the warm milk over this mixture while whisking — go slow so you don’t scramble the eggs. Pour everything back into the pot and cook on medium, stirring constantly until it thickens.
  3. Remove from the heat, stir in vanilla, and cover with plastic wrap touching the surface. Chill until ready to use.
Fill and finish
  1. Slice the top or poke a small hole in each puff. Fill a piping bag with the cooled cream and gently pipe it in.
    You can dust them with powdered sugar for a simple finish or dip the tops in melted chocolate for an extra treat.
    Serve them as soon as you can… they don’t like to wait.

Notes

Patience is key: Don’t rush the pastry. let the dough cool a few minutes before adding the eggs, or it can turn runny. The right texture should be smooth, shiny, and thick enough to hold its shape.
Bake until deeply golden:  Lightly baked puffs tend to collapse as they cool. A good bigné should feel crisp and sound hollow when tapped underneath.
Hands off the oven door:  It’s tempting to peek, but opening the oven early can make the steam escape and that steam is what helps them puff.
Cool completely before filling: Even a little warmth can make the cream melt or turn soggy.