Cream Puffs ( Choux Pastry)

Cream Puffs are one of my favorite deserts. They look fantastic but are not really that hard to make. The only hard part is getting them to not collapse after pulling them out of the oven. I typically fill my cream puffs with instant vanilla pudding and sliced strawberries. I went a little heavy on the powdered sugar in the photo bellow.

You can also use this recipe to make other pastries such as eclairs.



Ingredients
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs

Procedure
1. In a medium saucepan combine water, butter, and salt. Bring to boiling. Add flour all at once, stirring vigorously. Cook and stir until mixture forms a ball. Remove from heat. Cool 10 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well with a wooden spoon after each. Bake as directed below or use as directed in other recipes.

2. Drop Cream Puff Pastry dough by heaping tablespoon into 12 mounds 3 inches apart onto a greased baking sheet. Bake in a 400F oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden. Remove from baking sheet; cool on a wire rack. Cut off the tops of each puff; remove any soft dough from inside. Fill each with 1/4 cup whipped cream, pudding, ice cream, or as desired. Replace cream puff top. If desired, sift powdered sugar over tops of the filled puffs.

Tips

• Use large eggs; add them one at a time.


• Add the flour as soon as the butter is melted and the water boils so that the water doesn't boil away in the saucepan..


• Set a timer so the pastry dough cools for 10 mintues - then beat in the first egg..


• Be sure the puffs are golden brown, firm, and dry before you remove them from the oven..


• Fill the shells just before serving, or fill and chill the puffs up to 2 hours to keep the bottoms from getting soggy..