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National Cream Puff Day

Food · January 2

A day for the cream puff, a light, hollow pastry made from choux dough and filled with whipped cream, custard or ice cream.

National Cream Puff Day falls on Saturday, January 2, 2027. That is 67 days away.

A cream puff is a small round pastry that is mostly air. It is made from choux dough, a cooked mixture of butter, water, flour and eggs that puffs up in the oven and leaves a hollow center. That empty space is the whole point. Bakers fill it with whipped cream, pastry cream or sometimes ice cream.

The dough is unusual because it is cooked on the stove before it ever reaches the oven. Steam from the eggs and water does the lifting, so there is no yeast or baking powder involved. A good puff has a crisp, golden shell and a soft, slightly eggy inside.

Most people meet cream puffs at bakeries, where they often come dusted with powdered sugar or topped with a glossy layer of chocolate. The same dough, piped long instead of round, becomes an eclair. Stacked into a tall cone and held together with caramel, small puffs turn into a croquembouche, a dessert that tends to show up at weddings.

Making them at home is less fussy than it sounds. The main rule is patience: opening the oven door too early can let the steam escape and the shells collapse. Once cooled, they can be filled shortly before serving so the shells stay crisp.

The first bite usually sends powdered sugar somewhere it was not meant to go, and a napkin nearby helps.

Ways to celebrate

• Try baking a small batch of choux pastry at home.
• Look for cream puffs at a local bakery.
• Fill puffs with ice cream for an easy frozen dessert.
• Share a box of cream puffs with coworkers or neighbors.
• Compare a cream puff and an eclair side by side.

Dates

All national days on January 2

Also on January 2

• Happy Mew Year for Cats Day
• Swiss Cheese Day
• National Science Fiction Day
• National Buffet Day

Categories: Food days