Cream Puffs

I had egg yolks left over from yesterday's Macaroons, so I started looking up recipes that use egg yolks. One of the top rated recipes was for pastry cream. *sigh* If you make pastry cream you can't NOT make eclairs or cream puffs or something. I really was too tired to make a trip to the store or make some complicated puff pastry recipe. I decided to look up a cream puff recipe and bookmark it for later. I had no idea that cream puff dough is so ridiculously simple! It made the macaroons look like hard work. I was quite a bit nervous that they wouldn't turn out, but they are puffy and creamy and taste just like something bought in a bakery. You have GOT to try this.

I've always loved cream puffs. Either the frozen ones from Sam's or especially if I can get them fresh from a bakery. I've been known to make myself sick on them, but not this time! This time I'm going to share.

Ingredients: yield ~ 25 large puffs

1/2 cup butter
1 cup water
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

1 batch pastry cream


Equipment:

Mixer with beater attachment (you could use a bowl and whisk, but whipping in lots of air is key)
Cookie sheets
Piping bag and filling tip
Toothpick

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 425F
• Bring water & butter to a rolling boil
• Stir in flour & salt until it forms a ball

• Drop the dough ball into the mixer and start beating at medium speed
• Keep the mixer running while adding the eggs - beat until they are incorporated and the batter is smooth

• Drop tablespoonfuls onto the non-greased cookie sheets
• Bake for 20 minutes then use a toothpick to poke a hole in each one
• Turn off the oven and leave it cracked until the puffs are cool enough to handle

• Pipe pastry cream into the bottom of each puff
• Serve warm or chilled according to your preference 

Tips & Variations:

• If you don't have a piping bag/tip, you can slice each one in half and fill with the cream
• Try a different filling, such as whipped cream, chocolate pudding, etc.
• When piping the filling, hold the puff in your opposite hand upside-down - you'll be able to feel it start to expand as a guide to knowing when you've filled it enough
• Try adding fruit or dusting with sugar or topping with chocolate

Cost:

Pastry Cream	1.30
Butter	0.66
Flour	0.15
eggs	0.50
	2.61	10 c each