Remember that popular cream puff recipe in the 90s for Stella D’oro’s anginetti cookies filled with a mixture of whipped topping, cream cheese and pineapple? I loved those things. They were easy to make and even easier to eat.
Sadly, Stella D’oro stopped making those cookies several years ago. (Why, Stella D’oro, why???)
I don’t want to live the rest of my life without these cream puffs. So I decided to try and make my own version, sans the anginetti cookies.
The Stella D’oro anginetti cookies were light, sweet and dry. After much consideration, I decided that a pate a choux puff with an icing glaze would be the closest match to the Stella D’oro cookie. For those untrained in pastry arts, pâte à choux is the basic dough used to make good things like eclairs and cream puffs. The French term sounds intimidating, but don’t be frightened off…they’re really pretty easy to make. And everyone will think you’re a fancypants chef if you serve these up from your kitchen.
You can find lots of recipes with minor variations for pâte à choux. Here’s a basic recipe that will make about 3 dozen cream puffs, depending on their size.
You’ll need the following:
1 cup water
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
1 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar
Pinch of salt
1 cup eggs (this is about 4 extra large eggs or 4 large eggs and 1 egg white)
Start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees. The oven needs to be very hot for the puffs to puff.
Bring the water and butter to a simmer.
Add the flour all at once and quickly stir with the liquid. It won’t take long for the flour to absorb the liquid and for a steamy wet dough to form. Keep stirring and cooking for a few minutes until the dough comes together in a ball and there’s a thin film on the bottom of the pan.
Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl. Let it cool off for a few minutes.
You’ll need a standing mixer or hand mixer to incorporate the eggs. Add the sugar and salt to the dough.
Then add one egg and mix until the egg is fully combined. The dough will separate and become shiny and wet after you first add the egg. Once the dough comes back together into a paste, you can add another egg and mix it in. Continue this process of adding one egg at a time until all the eggs are combined into the dough. The resulting dough will be thick, wet and sticky.
Transfer the dough into a piping bag or plastic bag. Cut off the tip. Now you’re ready to make the cream puffs!
On baking sheets lined with parchment paper, squeeze a couple tablespoonfuls of dough for each cream puff. Keep the piping bag tip in one place and continuously squeeze; stop squeezing completely before pulling away the tip. This will give your cream puffs a uniform shape and less of a peak when you pull the piping bag away.
Time to bake these little guys! Put them in the oven for about 10 minutes. Then turn the heat back to 350 degrees and bake them an additional 25 minutes. If you want your cream puffs to be less crispy, bake them a few minutes less. If you want them to be more crispy and dry, bake them a few minutes longer.
They will be golden and airy puffs when they’re done. Cute, right?
Now we’re ready to make the filling. Here’s what you’ll need to make the cream puffs into creamy pineapple puffs.
1 container whipped topping, thawed (8 ounces)
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 can crushed pineapple, drained (20 ounces)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
Once the puffs have completely cooled, mix together the powdered sugar with about a tablespoon of water. You want it to be a thin glaze; add more water if it’s too thick. Spoon a little bit of the glaze over the top of each puff.
Let the glaze dry completely.
In the meantime, mix together the whipped topping, cream cheese, and sugar until it’s fully combined and fluffy. Then mix in the pineapple. Yum. I love this filling.
Once the glaze has dried on the cream puffs, slice each one in half. Spoon filling onto the bottom halves and add the tops to make delectable little sandwiches. Admire your work and then consume.
So good…I think they might be better than the Stella D’oro ones. These would be great to serve at a party or shower. Or you can keep them all for yourself. I won’t judge if you don’t share. 🙂
Making my mouth water. Years ago I regularly made cream puffs with the filling you made, but never thought to add pineapple! Have to try it for next family get-together.
Just bought all ingredients for pineapple cream puffs to make for a bake sale – was so disappointed not to find the anginettis – my old favorite. PLEASE put them back on the market! They were always a staple in my freezer. Went to the computer to search for a local market and saw you were no longer making them. NOT FAIR!!!
I know! I wish they would make them again. 🙁 Unfortunately, I have no connection with the company and no way of making this happen.
Thanks so much for this recipe — I had all but given up hope of resurrecting the yummy taste of these little puffs. One thing I changed as it seemed a more authentic taste — when glazing the puffs, I just used powdered sugar thinned with enough lemon juice to allow a pastry brush to lightly brush this flavor on. Dried thin, shiny and delicious, and more true to the flavor of what I remember from the original Stella D’Oro puffs. Otherwise, this recipe is “right on”! Thanks again!
–Milly M.
Thank you! I’ll use your tip next time I make them!
I can’t wait to try this recipe!! I miss Stella Doro anginetti cookies and the awesome little cream puffs we had at every single bridal or baby shower!
Can you freeze the puffs?
Yes, the puffs can definitely be frozen!
Thank you so much for this idea. The Pineapple puffs were one of my favorite treats and my daughter works magic with pâte à choux so the rest will be a breeze. Thanks again
Thank you so much for the recipe. I used to make those cream puffs for all the gatheringsame I was invited to. I just got a request to make them again and I was desperate to find an alternate cookie. This is a big help!
I can’t thank you enough for this recipe! My Grammy used to make the Stella dora ones. I’ve been wanting to make these for a little while and hadn’t been able to find the Stella dora puffs…. now I know why.
I’m so glad I can try your recipe now. Thank you thank you thank you!!! 😊
You’re welcome! I’m still sad they don’t make the puffs anymore, but this is a yummy alternative!
My grandma used to make these for me when I would come to visit for the summer. When I got older, I would crave them. Stella Doras were not available in any Kansas grocery store that I could find, so my grandma would ship me 4 or 5 bags of them. These were and will probably always be my favorite dessert!!!!
Thank you so much for this recipe!! I made these last night (I will fill them in the morning) to bring to my neighbors after Christmas dinner. I know everyone will love them….they came out perfect!!!
Thank you again and Merry Christmas to you and Family!!!!!!
Made this for a New Years Eve party, everyone remembered them and loved them. They were softer, harder in refrigerator.
Wish they would bring the back. Use to make them all the tim
Wish they would bring them back. Use to make them all time
Question…Can you still make these ahead of time and refrigerate overnight, just like with the Stella D’oro cookies? Or, is it better to wait and fill them right before serving? Just want to make sure they are not mushy!
These will soften if you fill them ahead of time the night before. If you bake them long enough so they are crispy, they probably won’t be mushy but they will lose some of their crispy-ness.
I made these and they are a big hit! I decided not to fill them the night before, but just right before serving. I will try and bake them a little longer next time so they are a little more crispy, but they were still delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe! 🙂
I cannot wait to make these cookies. I was reading the instructions, Where it says time to bake, you have put them in the oven for 10 minutes, them turn the heat bake to 350. What is the beginning oven temp. for the first 10 mins?
425! 🙂