Swan Choux Cream: Cute, cute swan

It's not a simple thing to make or eat everyday, but I had a lot of fun making it ^^.

Swan Choux Cream, or a choux pastry in a swan form filled with pastry cream and Cream Chantilly (sweetened whipped cream). It's not hard to make because if you can make choux, you will be able to crate it at home. 
The most important thing for choux pastry is bake it until set and dry, and in this recipe, you have to pay a lot attention to the neck part, because if it's not dry and hard enough, you will have a sleepy swan, hehe (the neck will get sloppy). So, it's the part that takes so much time -*-, but when all the people you love smile after seeing this cute dessert I believe that you will think "it's worth all the time that you spend".

 Swan Choux Cream

Make 17-22 swans

Choux pastry
150ml ....................... Water
60g ......................... Unsalted butter
90g ......................... Bread flour, sifted
................................ Pinch of salt
10g ......................... Granulated sugar
150-170g ................ Eggs (about 3, you will need less or more ^^)

Pastry cream
375ml ...................... Milk
3 .............................. Egg yolks
95g .......................... Granulated sugar
15g ........................... Corn starch
15g .......................... All purpose flour
25g .......................... Unsalted butter
1tsp .......................... Vanilla bean paste 
................................. pinch of salt

Cream Chantilly 
300g ........................ Whipping cream
30g .......................... Icing sugar
1/2tsp ..................... Vanilla bean paste 

Preheat an oven to 200C.
Line baking sheet with baking paper or silpat.

 Make the choux pastry:
Put water, butter, sugar and salt into a pan.

  Place over medium heat, until boil.
 Pour the flour into the pan, and mix to combine.

  Place over low heat for 3 minutes.

Remove from the heat and let it cool slightly.

 Slowly add the eggs.

 Beat until smooth and glossy. 
 When the batter is ready, you can stretch it.

Put the pastry into a piping bag, fit with large star nozzle.
Pipe the choux pastry into teardrop shape.

Bake for 15 minutes
Lower the heat to 180C bake for 10 minutes
Lower the heat to 150C bake for 5-10 minutes
Let the pastry cool before using.

 Put 2-3 tbsp of the pastry into a small piping bag.
Pipe into long "2" shape.
Use a toothpick to create a mouth on each neck.

Bake in 170C  preheated oven for 15 minutes
Lower the heat to 150C bake for 10-15 minutes

 Let the pastry cool before using.

 Make the pastry cream:
Mix the flour, corn starch, sugar, salt, vanilla bean paste and egg yolks in a saucepan.

 Boil the milk and pour into the saucepan, whisking all the time.

 Place over low heat, heat until boil and thick (stirring all the time).

  Remove from the heat, pass through a sieve.

And mix in the butter.

 Place the plastic wrap directly on the pastry cream and let it cool before using.

 Whip the whipping cream with icing sugar and vanilla bean paste until firm peaks formed.

 Cut 1/3 from the top of each choux.
Then cut the top in half.

 Pipe the pastry cream into the body.
Pipe the Cream Chantilly over the pastry cream.

 Stick the wings and insert the neck.

Sprinkle with icing sugar before serving.

Swan Choux Cream: Cute, cute swan