There is no better guide to gastronomic delights than Tokyo of the American chef Tim Anderson, owner of the Japanese restaurant Nanban of Brixton, London. In his new book Tokyo Stories (EDT Editore) collects anecdotes and recipes from the Japanese capital, such as these very nice-shaped puffs.

"When we talk about cream puffs, in Tokyo we immediately think of the Beard Papa chain, which, in my opinion, is not really worth visiting, I do not see disappointment, especially in a city that is literally crazy about these cupcakes. Go instead to the Shirohige's Cream Puff Factory, in the western part of Tokyo, not far from Shimokitazawa, a neighborhood known for its bizarre second-hand shops and trendy restaurants. Shirohige will not churn out the finest cream puffs in the capital, but certainly the nicer ones – or kawaii – in the shape of Totoro, the spirit of the forest of the classic animation by Studio Ghibli, My neighbor Totoro ("Shirohige", among other things, means "white beard" – perhaps a little arrow to the Beard Papa, or a tribute to the famous white beard of the director Hayao Miyazaki) ".

But if Japan is far away, you can try your hand at preparing these cream puffs. You won't believe it, but shaping the choux pastry is incredibly simple, so take your time and try to recreate your favorite characters!

Ingredients for 8 cream puffs

Prepare the chantilly cream with our recipe.

Prepare the choux pastry with our recipe. Divide it into two sac à poche. In one insert a metal nozzle with a 2 mm wide hole and put about one tenth of the compound, while in the other put the rest. Cut the tip of the pastry bag to obtain a 2 cm wide hole.

For decoration

White chocolate and milk chocolate decoration in the tube.
Zuccherini and other decorations to taste.

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 ° C. Line a baking sheet with a sheet of baking paper and with the pastry bag with the 2 cm wide hole formed many mounds of choux pastry with a diameter of about 4 cm. Using the sac à poche with the 2 mm nozzle, create two small "ears" on each mound. Bake for 25 minutes until the cream puffs are beautiful and golden. Let them cool completely, then fill them with custard.

To decorate them, create 16 very small white chocolate disks on a sheet of baking paper and let them cool. With the milk chocolate draw the pupils. Make the nose with milk chocolate on the baking paper and wait for it to dry.

Transfer the chantilly cream into a pastry bag (with a round-hole metal nozzle) and refrigerate. At the moment of serving fill the cream puffs and apply the decorations with a glaze ready in the tube or using the chocolate one.

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