Coconut Cream Puffs and Vanilla-Coconut Pastry Cream

Preheat oven to 400°.

Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine water, butter, sugar, and salt.

Cook over medium heat until butter melts. Add flour all at once, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon.

Cook, and stir until dough pulls away from sides of pan, 1 to 2 minutes.

Remove pan from heat, and let stand for 2 minutes, stirring a few times to cool dough.

Add eggs one at a time, stirring constantly and vigorously with a wooden spoon until each egg is well incorporated.

(Dough should be smooth and shiny.)

Transfer dough to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip (Ateco #809).

Pipe dough onto prepared baking sheets in 1½-inch mounds 2 inches apart.

Using a damp finger, pat down dough peaks.

Bake until golden brown, approximately 20 minutes.

Transfer baking sheet to a wire cooling rack. Using a skewer or the tip of a pointed knife,

poke a small hole in side of each cream puff to allow steam to escape. Let cool completely.

Using the tip of a paring knife, cut a small slit in the side of each cream puff.

Place Vanilla-Coconut Pastry Cream in a piping bag fitted with a large round tip.

Pipe custard into cream puffs to fill, making sure not to overfill.

Garnish with confectioners’ sugar and toasted coconut before serving, if desired.

In a medium bowl, combine egg yolks and sugar, whisking well. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, heat milk over medium heat until very hot but not boiling.

Add hot milk, ¼ cup at a time, to egg mixture to temper, whisking constantly.

Add cornstarch and salt, whisking until incorporated.

Strain mixture though a fine-mesh sieve.

Return mixture to saucepan, and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until mixture thickens.

Remove from heat, and add butter and extracts, stirring until incorporated.

Transfer custard to a heatproof bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, letting plastic wrap touch surface of custard.

Refrigerate custard until very cold, 4 to 6 hours or overnight.

Add toasted coconut to cold custard, stirring well.