Cute Totoro Cream Puffs with Earl Grey Cream

Step 1

Set butter out at room temperature to soften.

Step 2

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together sugar and room temperature butter.

Step 3

Sift in cake flour and continue beating to fully incorporate.

Step 4

Once fully incorporated, form dough into a round and flat shape and wrap with plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator.

Step 5

Chill for 30 min. so it can be easier to roll out.

Step 6

Dust rolling surface (preferably a portable one that can be put into the fridge) with cake flour, roll out dough to a 3mm thickness. Cover lightly with plastic wrap. Place back in fridge until ready to use.

Step 7

In a medium sized pot, bring water, butter, sugar and salt to a boil on medium heat. Ensure butter is melted before liquid comes to a full boil to prevent loss of liquid.

Step 8

Once it comes to a rolling boil, quickly add flour into the liquid and blend it vigorously with a spatula.

Step 9

Continue blending to let the steam out of the dough. Once a light film thoroughly coats the pan, stop blending. The dough will look like smooth mashed potatoes but more pliable and springy. It should not have any lumps inside.

Step 10

Remove from heat. Break open the dough mass and spread it out on a flat surface to let the steam out. Flip over to cool the other side too.

Step 11

Pre-heat oven 425F. Every oven is different, adjust your own accordingly.*

Step 12

Once the dough has cooled, place it back into the pot. Add one egg/egg whites at a time to the dough and incorporate well with a spatula. It won't incorporate at first but keep blending. It will all come together.

Step 13

Stop blending when it's fully incorporated and the dough turns from glossy to matte.

Step 14

Add the vanilla extract and blend until incorporated.

Step 15

Transfer to two piping bags, one cut with a 1.5" opening (for piping the body) and the other fitted with round piping tip #10 (for the ears). The majority of the batter should be transferred into the one fitted with the bigger tip.

Step 16

On parchment paper or silicone mats, using the bigger tip, pipe a 2" round blob for Totoro's body.

Step 17

Using the smaller tip, pipe two smaller blobs for his ears.

Step 18

Wet fingers with water and smooth out the ridges of the piped dough to prevent ridging or odd shapes once baked.

Step 19

Take cookie crust out of the fridge, cut out circles with a 1.5" round cookie cutter.

Step 20

Add cookie crust onto the belly area for Totoro's stomach.

Step 21

Bake at 425F for 13-15 minutes. The cream puff will have risen at this point and starting to turn a light golden color.

Step 22

Open oven door a bit and turn down oven to 330 F and bake for 18-20 minutes more until all the sides are a deep golden color that's even on all sides.

Step 23

Take out of oven and let cool on a cooling rack.

Step 24

Once completely cooled, drill a hole with a skewer large enough to fit a #5 round piping tip into the cream puff from the bottom end of Totoro's body.

Step 25

In a small sauce pan, heat the cream and tea bags on medium heat. Once the cream begins to steam and a few bubbles appear, turn off the heat. It does not need to come to a boil.

Step 26

Let the tea steep for 5 minutes.

Step 27

Remove tea from cream, cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill completely before whipping.

Step 28

Place beaters and mixing bowl in the freezer to chill.

Step 29

In a small bowl, take 1/3 of the cream and combine with sugar, egg yolk and corn starch.

Step 30

In a medium pot, bring the rest of the cream to a boil on medium heat.

Step 31

Pour some of the hot cream onto the egg yolk/corn starch mixture while whisking vigorously. This will temper the eggs.

Step 32

Pour this mixture back into the pot and return to cook on medium heat. Stir constantly until mixture has thickened and starts to bubble. Take off heat.

Step 33

Add butter and blend to incorporate.

Step 34

Let pastry cream cool and then place in the fridge covered with plastic wrap directly onto the cream.

Step 35

Take chilled Earl Grey cream out of the fridge, and the beaters and mixing bowl out of the freezer.

Step 36

Whip cream on low speed until the cream has increased in volume.

Step 37

Increase speed to medium and stop beating once stiff peaks is reached.

Step 38

Take the pastry cream (part out of the fridge and fold it into the Earl Grey whipped cream (part 1).

Step 39

Transfer the diplomat cream into a piping bag fitted with a #5 round piping tip.

Step 40

Pipe the diplomat cream into the Totoros from the hole drilled in the bottom of the cream puff. Spin the puff around as you pipe for an even distribution of cream. The cream puff will start to become heavier. Stop when the cream starts to come back out of the hole.

Step 41

Draw in nose and whiskers with edible pen.

Step 42

Draw pupils into round white confetti sprinkles for the eyes.

Step 43

Glue on eyes with some edible glue or royal icing. Edible Glue can be found in this tutorial here.

Step 44

Glue on any desired decorations like sprinkles, sugar or fondant flours and leaves. Instructions for the flowers can be found here: Royal Sugar Roses