As a teenager, I worked in a restaurant in my hometown. It was there that I learned many excellent baking “secrets” from a lady that loved to make delectable candies and desserts.
Here is a recipe that can be varied to make a number of delicious desserts and appetizers. We’ve actually created an entirely separate tutorial for Eclairs
Preheat Oven to 400F
Combine 1 C. Water & 1 stick of Butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring the water and butter to a rolling boil.
Add 1 C. Flour and stir until the mixture forms a ball. Remove from heat and transfer to a mixing bowl.
If using a Mixer, turn on medium and add 4 eggs, all at once. Otherwise, use a hand mixer to completely blend in the eggs.
The mix should be creamy as pictured below, rather than choppy looking. Drop dough by scant 1/4 c. cupfuls onto an UN-GREASED cookie sheet. Makes 12 large puffs
Bake 35-38 minutes or until puffed and golden brown.
As you can see from the picture above, these are nice round, plump cream puffs. A couple of hints for keeping them that way:
- Allow the cream puffs to Completely Cool before Touching them (even to remove them from the pan)
- Keep them away from cool drafts until they’ve cooled.
- Let them cool Completely before attempting to freeze.
Several Dessert Ideas:
Create Ice Cream Puffs-
Split the cream puff in half, fill with vanilla ice cream,
Top with the other half of the puff, add some hot fudge, a handful of chopped nuts
Add whipped cream around the sides
For Fast Desserts, mix up some Pudding (any flavor), place into a ziploc bag. Cut off the corner (a small piece!) and use the ziploc bag to “pipe” in the filling into the cream puff. Sprinkle Confectioners sugar over the top.
Flavor Ideas:
- Chocolate Pudding
- Vanilla Pudding – top with a small bit of Chocolate Frosting for “Mini Eclairs”
- Lemon Meringue Filling
- Spiced Pumpkin Mousse
The flavors are endless and this puff is so versatile & simple to make!
