Vanilla pastry cream
½ vanilla bean
2 cups homogenized (whole) milk
2/3 cup sugar, divided
¼ cup cornstarch
2 eggs plus 2 egg yolks
¼ cup butter, cold, cut into small cubes

Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and place them with milk and half of the sugar in a medium-sized sauce-pan. Bring the milk mixture to the boil and reduce the heat to a simmer.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining sugar with the cornstarch and add the eggs until smooth. Set aside.

Temper the egg mixture by whisking a small amount of the hot milk into it. Pour the egg mixture into the hot milk and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. When the mixture is thick, and lump-free, remove it from the heat and add the butter, while continuing to stir, until all of the butter is incorporated and the mixture is smooth.

Pour the finished pastry cream into a sealable container and set it over a bowl of ice water to cool. Before you close the container, press some plastic wrap onto the surface of the cream. This will prevent a “skin” from forming. With a knife, make a few slits in the surface of the plastic wrap. Close the container and chill in the fridge until you are ready to assemble the puffs.

Rhubarb filling
4 cups rhubarb, chopped into ¼-inch pieces
6 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated (1 thumb-sized piece)
¾ tablespoon sugar
1½ cups water
1 vanilla bean, halved, seeds scraped out

Place all ingredients in a medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. The filling is done when the temperature reaches 215 F or when you drag a spatula through the mixture and it leaves a trail that fills in slowly.

Pour the filling into a jar, seal and allow to cool before transferring to the fridge to chill some more.

Choux pastry 
Makes about 18 to 20 puffs

1 cup water
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
½ cup butter
1 cup flour
3-4 eggs

Preheat oven to 375 F.

In a medium-sized saucepan, add water, salt, sugar and butter over medium heat and bring to a boil. Remove the pot from the heat and pour in the flour, all at once. Stir quickly with a wooden spoon to incorporate all the flour. Return the pan to low heat and stir constantly. Once the dough is lump free, pulls away from the sides of the pan and a film appears on the base of the pan, remove the dough to the cold bowl of a stand mixer (or other bowl if you are using a hand mixer). If you pinch the dough together with your fingers, it should not stick to your skin. Allow the dough to cool for 5 to 10 minutes.

Add the eggs, one by one, while mixing on high speed, making sure each egg is thoroughly incorporated before adding another. The number of eggs you will re- quire may vary based on the moisture content of your dough. Aim for a glossy mixture that when lifted with a spatula, will hang down off the spatula in a “V” shape.

When you are happy with the dough, transfer it to a piping bag. Line two baking sheets with parchment (it’s important that they fit side by side on one rack of the oven). Pipe spheres of dough, about 1½ inches in diametre, onto the baking sheets. Moisten your fingertips with a bit of water and gently press point on each bun to flatten it, to make a smooth top. Place the trays in the middle of the preheated rack of the oven and bake without opening the door for 30 to 35 minutes until the puffs are golden, puffed up and completely dry. Turn off the oven, leave the door ajar and allow the buns to cool for approximately 1 hour.

To assemble, place the rhubarb filling and pastry cream into individual piping bags with a sharp round tip. Pierce the bottom of the puffs with the tip and pipe in a bit of pastry cream. Repeat with the rhubarb filling. Alternatively, slice the puffs in half and pipe a layer of each filling onto the base. Top with the remaining half of the pastry.