National Cream Puff Day

Today is National Cream Puff Day! Cream puffs are rich desserts that made their debut in the United States in 1880. However, the first cream puff originated in Europe sometime during the 1540's when Catherine de Medici's pastry chef created the baked puffed shells for Catherine’s husband, Henry II of France.

Cream puffs are unusual pastries. Flour is added to a boiled mixture of butter and water, and then cooked at a high temperature until the mixture becomes a smooth ball of dough with a hollow center. After cream puffs are taken out of the oven, they must be cut in half or the pastry will deflate upon cooling.

To celebrate National Cream Puff Day, bake some of your own divine cream puffs to enjoy. Don't forget to top them off with powdered sugar!