3 min read

Mango Cream Puffs

Updated: Sep 22, 2022

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I felt drawn to making my Mango Cream Puffs for Father’s Day this year, and I have been trying to pinpoint ‘why’. Perhaps the craquelin topping baking into a craggy exterior represents the men in my life, as the solid rocks that they are. The delicious cream filling representing their soft interiors, flavored with mangoes for their Filipino roots. Or perhaps my dad and Pa simply love mangoes and I wanted the chance to perfect my choux dough technique! Either way, I love this sweet recipe and I hope you do too!

When you hear ‘father’, what comes to mind? For me, I think back fondly of the memories I had growing up with my dad. Some of my favorites were our trips. We would take to the road, destined for Canada or Chicago much of the time, and I would sit in the front with my dad to ask him a million questions to keep him awake during the long drives. One year we spent much of our time together on fishing trips, where I would collect seashells and chat with him all day long. He is an excellent listener, and I was a daddy’s girl at heart! As I grew older we drifted and those chats became rare, but now that I have two boys of my own, it has been endearing watching him fill the role of Grandpa. It has drawn us closer in many ways, as I see him care for my oldest son, who is special needs. My own grandfather passed away when I was two years old, but I am told he was the smile of the family, and he shares many traits with my father.

My husband’s father, Pa, is another special man in my life. He retired from the Navy, and after that career came to a close, he began another as a corrections officer. He is no stranger to long deployments and time away from his family. As you can imagine, he can be described as industrious. However, he is also calm and steady. He is a workhorse, and in many ways, my own husband takes after him. Whenever you need him, he is there. He takes initiative and is a fixer. I remember once he took the time to rotate my tires without me mentioning anything about them, simply because he noticed the uneven treads, and took care of it. As he too has taken on the role of Grandpa to my two boys, it warms my heart to this hard-working man taking so much care for them.

Both my dad & Pa are Filipino. A staple of the Philippines, as well as their national fruit, is the mango. So this was the most fitting flavor for my cream puffs in celebration of the dad’s in my life! One of my favorite parts of this recipe is my diplomat creme. Sure you can whip up some cream, add mangoes and call it a day, but I opted for something more rich and hearty for my grandpas… diplomat creme! This delicious creme combines the rich buttery flavor of pastry cream but slightly lightened up with whipped cream. Just a little bit of gelatin stabilizes the filling and makes it perfect for cream puffs to sit through a Father’s Day picnic! The resulting texture is almost like a creamy pudding that will complement the mango chunks and bits of crumbly crust. So let’s get into it!

Below you will find a handful of photos of my process. I hope they can help you as you create this delicious cream puff!