Cooking Lesson #908: State Fair Midway Foods—Cream Puffs

…from the Perspectives’ Kitchen

How you doin’? One of my favorite things to do this time of year is go to state fairs and eat, eat and EAT! Let’s be honest, isn’t that why you go to the fair? State Fairs just wouldn’t be the same without “fair food” and fair food is great food.
 
The Wisconsin State Fair kicked off on  August 1st. This is Joan’s hometown fair and that explains a lot. This year the Wisconsin State Fair celebrated 173 years (Joan is considerably younger than that but has great fair memories nevertheless), and Joan's cousins' -- The Lepeskas -- were honored for 150 years of family owned and operated farm in Stitzer, Wisconsin.

Cream puffs are a recent addition, only being around for the last 100 years. This year is the 100th Birthday for the Original Cream Puff at the Wisconsin State Fair. This treat has been sold at the Wisconsin State Fair since 1924. It’s the most popular food item for fairgoers every year. With all of the “cafeteria ladies” pitching in to get them to all the hungry fair goers. 
 
How good are they? Here's a tasty fact—the  Wisconsin State Fair sells approximately 30,000 Original Cream Puffs each day during the fair—count ‘em—30,000 a day!
 
This year, the Wisconsin State Fair released brand new, limited-edition flavors throughout the fair including Root Beer Float Cream Puffs, Raspberry Cheesecake Cream Puffs, English Toffee Cream Puffs and Chocolate Birthday Cake Cream Puff. The Original Cream Puff was also available. You can find the original fair cream puff recipe further down in this blog.
 
But you can’t live on cream puffs alone. At the fair this year you could have found hundreds of locations offering over a thousand food and beverage menu choices, it’s little wonder that food is one of the top reasons people visit the State Fair.
 
A few of the newer items were Alligator Tacos--A taco shell filled with alligator meat that is smoked, chopped and seasoned with taco seasoning served with Cajun sour cream, cheese, salsa and jalapeños. Then there were the Asian Sweet & Sticky Tots slathered in a sauce that has hoisin, Asian chili, rice vinegar, sesame oil and ginger, and topped with scallions and sesame seeds.
 
And my favorite savory food from this fair was the Beer Cheese and Brat Spud Muffin. With a nod  to Wisconsin tradition, it combines beer, cheese and brats to create a fun take on a potato pancake—a spud muffin! The Beer Cheese and Brat Spud Muffin features a cheesy hashbrown mixture, infused with beer cheese and bratwurst, baked in muffin pans to form this delicious snack.

Then there was the Cool Ranch Doritos Pickle! This large dill pickle was spiral-cut on-a-stick, rolled into crushed up Cool Ranch Doritos, and you guessed it, deep-fried. Served up with ranch dressing for dipping.

Unfortunately, we missed this year's fair by a day (it ended yesterday), but be sure to mark your calendars for 2025... 7/31/25-8/10/25 West Allis, Wisconsin. 

                                      Wisconsin State Fair Cream Puffs
Here is the basic state fair cream puff recipe you can use as the base for your creative rendition.
 
Prep time:  15 minutes
Bake time:  35 minutes
Cool time:  45 minutes
Fill time:  10 minutes
Yield:  12 cream puffs
 
Ingredients
For the puffs
1 cup water
4 tablespoons (1/2-stick) unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup sifted flour
4 large eggs
1 lightly beaten large egg yolk
2 tablespoons milk
2 cups whipped cream filling
 
For the whipped cream
1 cup whipping cream (see ChefSecret)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon confectioners’ (or sweetened to taste)
 
Directions
To make the puffs

1. Put the water into heavy saucepan. Add the butter that has been cut into small pieces. Add the salt.
2. Heat over medium-low heat so butter melts before water boils. Bring water just to a boil.
3. Remove the pan from heat and add the flour all at once, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon until dough forms into a ball at the bottom of pan. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
4. Preheat an oven to 375⁰ F.
5. Add the whole eggs to the dough, beating in one egg at a time. Dough should be stiff but smooth.
6. Immediately drop 1/4-cupfuls of dough 3 inches apart on parchment lined sheet pans.

Note: For a neater appearance, use a pastry bag with a 3/4-inch plain tip and pipe dough onto baking sheet.

1. In small bowl, combine the egg yolk and milk.
2. Brush each puff with the glazing mixture, taking care not to let liquid drop onto pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes until puffed, golden brown and firm.
4. Cool puffs on wire racks, pricking each with a cake tester or toothpick to allow steam to escape; or leave them in turned-off oven with door dropped open for about an hour until firm.

Note: If baked pastry is filled before it is cool and firm, it will be soggy and may collapse. Baked puffs should have hollow, moist interiors and crisp outer shells that are lightly browned.

1. Cut off the tops and fill with whipped cream (use a pastry bag with star tip or scoop with a large spoon). Replace tops of puffs and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

To make the whipped cream filling

1. Chill a bowl and the beaters.
2. Add the whipping cream and beat on high.
3. When the cream begins to hold shape add the vanilla extract and sugar.  
4. Stop beating just before cream gets stiff.
5. Chill until ready to use.

ChefSecret:  I use the same puff recipe for making baked French-style eclairs and fried New Orleans beignets.

Quip of the Day:  Why did the pastry chef get angry at the dough? It was acting like a puff pastry.
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