# What You Need:
→ Choux Pastry
01 - 1/2 cup water (120 ml)
02 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cubed (60 g)
03 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
04 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (75 g)
05 - 2 large eggs
→ Pastry Cream
06 - 1 cup whole milk (250 ml)
07 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar (60 g)
08 - 2 large egg yolks
09 - 2 tablespoons cornstarch (20 g)
10 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
11 - 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter (20 g)
→ Decoration
12 - Powdered sugar, for dusting
# Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a saucepan, combine water, butter, and salt; bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat, add flour all at once and stir vigorously until dough forms and pulls from the sides. Return to low heat and stir for 1–2 minutes to dry the dough slightly. Transfer to a bowl; cool for 2 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time until smooth and glossy. Pipe 12 oval shapes, about 3 inches (7 cm) long, for the bodies using a large round tip. Using a small tip, pipe 12 S-shaped necks about 2 inches (5 cm) long. Bake bodies for 25–28 minutes until golden and puffed; bake necks for 12–15 minutes until set and light golden. Cool completely.
02 - Heat milk in a saucepan until just simmering. In a bowl, whisk sugar, egg yolks, and cornstarch until pale. Gradually whisk hot milk into yolk mixture, then return to saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened (2–3 minutes). Remove from heat; whisk in vanilla extract and butter. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap touching the surface, and chill until cool.
03 - Slice each choux body horizontally; cut the top half in half lengthwise to create wings. Pipe or spoon pastry cream onto the bottom half. Insert the neck vertically at one end and arrange wings on either side. Repeat for all pastries.
04 - Lightly dust the swan pastries with powdered sugar before serving.
