# What You'll Need:
→ Choux Pastry
01 - 1/2 cup water
02 - 1/4 cup (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, cubed
03 - 1/4 tsp salt
04 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
05 - 2 large eggs
→ Pastry Cream
06 - 1 cup whole milk
07 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
08 - 2 large egg yolks
09 - 2 tbsp cornstarch
10 - 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
11 - 1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
→ Decoration
12 - Powdered sugar, for dusting
# Cooking Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a saucepan, combine water, butter, and salt, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat, add flour all at once, and stir vigorously until dough forms and pulls away from sides. Return to low heat and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring to dry the dough slightly. Transfer dough to a bowl and let cool for 2 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until smooth and glossy. Transfer dough to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe 12 oval shapes about 3 inches long for swan bodies. Using a small piping tip, pipe 12 S-shaped necks about 2 inches long for swan necks and heads. Bake bodies for 25–28 minutes until golden and puffed, bake necks for 12–15 minutes until set and lightly golden. Cool completely.
02 - Heat milk in a saucepan until just simmering. In a bowl, whisk sugar, egg yolks, and cornstarch until pale. Gradually pour hot milk into yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking until thickened, about 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 piece in half lengthwise to form wings. Pipe or spoon pastry cream onto the bottom half. Insert the neck vertically at one end, then arrange the two wings on either side. Repeat for all swans.
04 - Lightly dust the assembled swans with powdered sugar before serving.
