Cream Puffs
February 15th, 2007
Okay, so my mom was visiting last weekend and I was trying to make out my weekly grocery list. I’m thumbing through my latest issue of Taste of Home magazine and what catches my eye?
Not a healthy and nutritious dinner.
Instead, it was the page with the cream puffs and chocolate cake. And, hey, Valentine’s Day was approaching, so I decide to go ahead and make some treats this week.
With the encouragement of my mother — “Cream puffs are easy to make” — I decide on the cream puffs.
Well, she was right - the cream puff part of the cream puff was easy. It was the filling part that I had a hard time with. It turned out way too runny. I had to stick it in the freezer to get it thick enough to “fill” the puffs, then I had to keep them frozen so they wouldn’t drip everywhere. They are pretty yummy, but not as simple as they could have been. I should have listened to dear old Mom, she told me how she made her filling.
First I will give you the recipe for the puff part of the cream puffs, then if you keep scrolling down, you will see Mom’s suggestion for the cream filling. A little chocolate ice cream sauce on top will make it look even tastier.
Cream Puffs
makes about a dozen or so, can easily be doubled
1/2 c. water
1/4 c. butter, cut into pieces
1/8 t. salt
1/2 c. flour
2 eggs
In a saucepan, put the water, butter, and salt. Bring this to a boil. (So far, easy enough, eh?) Next add the flour all at once and stir until it forms a ball. This only takes a moment. Remove from the heat. Let this dough ball cool for 5 minutes. Now get your mixer out and add one egg. Mix well and add the other egg.
Pretty simple. Using two spoons, scoop plops of this mixture onto a greased cookie sheet, much like you are making chocolate chip cookies. Maybe a little bigger than a cookie-dough plop.
Bake these eggy plops for 30 minutes at 400 degrees. When they come out, they will be a light golden color and should easily slip off of the cookie sheet. Place them on cooling racks for a minute, then cut the tops off.
Your cream puffs will be mostly hollow inside, but use a spoon to remove anything that is in there. Replace the tops for now. The “puff” part of your cream puffs is done!
Cream Filling
2 T. softened butter
2 c. powdered sugar
2 T. milk, maybe more
1 t. vanilla
2 T. flour and 1/4 c. milk
I’m guessing a little bit here, but my filling didn’t turn out so well, so I think this would be better
Start by combining the softened butter, powdered sugar, and milk. This will make a glaze. Add the vanilla or other flavoring. In a shaker or in a bowl with a whisk, combine the flour and milk. Add this to your glaze mixture, a little at a time, until it is thickened.
This should make a nice filling for your puffs.
Possibilities for flavorings: almond extract, orange extract, instant coffee dissolved in water, cocoa, lemon extract.
Entry Filed under: Desserts, Old-Fashioned Foods, Recipes
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