Cream Puffs - with Variations

Cream Puffs - with Variations
Vickie Allen

4 large eggs
1 cup water
½ cup butter or margarine
1 cup all-purpose flour

Vanilla Pastry Cream (recipe follows) or
Sweetened whipped Cream
Powdered sugar for sprinkling (optional)
Chocolate Frosting (optional, recipe follows)

1. Preheat oven to 400 F
2. Break open eggs into a small bowl and beat lightly, set aside.
3. Heat water and butter to a rolling boil in a large saucepan. Stir in flour, reduce heat. Stir vigorously over low heat about 1 minute or until mixture forms a ball, remove from heat.
4. Beat in egg, all at once and continue to beat vigorously until smooth.
5. Drop dough by scant ¼ cupfuls about 3-inches apart onto an ungreased baking sheet.
6. Bake 35-40 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Cool away from any drafts.
7. When completely cooled, cut off top 1/3 of each puff and pull out any filaments of soft dough.
8. Fill puffs with Vanilla Pastry Cream or sweetened whipped cream. Replace tops and lightly sprinkle with powdered sugar or frost with Chocolate Frosting. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Best served same day made.
Makes 12 cream puffs

Vanilla Pastry Cream

2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
½ cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
2 cups half and half
2 Tbsp butter, softened
2 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Whisk together first 4 ingredients in a 3-quart saucepan. Gradually whisk in half and half. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until mixture is thickened and bubbly.
2. Remove from heat, whisk in butter and vanilla. Cover and chill 4 hours before filling puffs.
Makes 3 cups.

Chocolate Frosting

1 ounce unsweetened chocolate
1 tsp. butter or margarine
1 cup powdered sugar
1 to 2 Tbsp HOT water
1. Heat chocolate and butter in a small saucepan over low heat until melted, remove from heat.
2. Stir in powdered sugar and hot water. Beat until smooth and of spreading consistency.

Variations:

Chocolate Cream Puffs: Decrease flour to ¾ cup plus 2 Tbsp unsweetened baking cocoa and 1 Tbsp granulated sugar with flour. Omit Vanilla Pastry filling. Fill puffs with chocolate custard or ice cream and frost with chocolate frosting.
Chocolate Éclairs: Drop dough by scant ¼ cupfuls onto ungreased baking sheet. Form each into an oblong finger-shape about 4 ½ -inches long and 1 ½-inches wide. Bake as directed, cool. Fill with Vanilla Pastry Cream or sweetened whipped cream. Frost with chocolate frosting.