Step 1

Warm the cream and milk in the saucepan until you start to see wisps of steam. It should not be boiling

Step 2

In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, cornstarch, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Add the egg yolks and pumpkin puree, and whisk into the dry ingredients to form a thick paste

Step 3

Pour a little of the hot milk mixture into the eggs and whisk to combine. Continue pouring the milk slowly into the eggs, whisking continuously. Do this step carefully as to not scramble the eggs

Step 4

When all the milk has been added to the eggs, pour everything back into the saucepan. Set a strainer over a bowl

Step 5

Set the pan back over medium heat. Whisk constantly. Cream will start to thicken after a few minutes. When it has thickened to a pudding-like consistency, stop whisking every few seconds to see if the cream has come to a boil. If you see large bubbles popping on the surface, whisk for a few more seconds and then remove the pan from heat

Step 6

Stir the vanilla into the pastry cream until combined and then pour the cream into the strainer set over the bowl. Stir to push it through the strainer. This will catch any bits of cooked egg that may be in your pastry cream. The pastry cream will be thick, so it may take a little extra time and effort to push through the strainer

Step 7

Cover pastry cream with a piece of plastic wrap pressed right up against the surface of the cream to prevent a film and chill completely

Step 8

Preheat oven 425 Fahrenheit

Step 9

In a medium pot, bring the water, sugar, butter, and salt to a simmer on medium heat

Step 10

Add the flour all at once. With a wooden spoon or spatula, stir quickly in one direction until the dough forms itself into a ball and a film begins to form on the bottom of the pot. (this will be quick)

Step 11

Transfer the dough to the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed. Add in the eggs, one at a time while continuing to beat. Let the egg become fully incorporated before adding the next. The pate a choux will look sticky as the egg mixes in. This is okay

Step 12

Spoon the dough into a piping bag, or simply spoon onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone baking sheets. Pipe or spoon into puffs, keeping the puffs 2 to 3 inches apart. Lightly dip your finger in water and press down on the peaks, flattening them out

Step 13

Bake at 425F for 10 minutes, then 350F for 18-30 minutes, depending on the size of your puffs. (Bake time can depend on the size of the puffs)

Step 14

When puffs are cooled, pipe in pumpkin pastry cream. I like to simply make a hole in the bottom of the puff, place the pastry cream in a plastic bag, snip off a corner, and pipe into the puff