I first tried this recipe 20 years ago in high school.  My French class partner, “Celia” and I made them together for a class party.  She tasked me with bringing them to class the following day.  Boy was that a mistake – I couldn’t stop eating them!  Out of 24 cream puffs, I think only 8 of them made it to class.  And now I offer the delicious recipe to you.  May you enjoy them as much as I do!

Cream Puffs

1 cup water
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
pinch of salt
1 cup flour
4 eggs
Powdered sugar (for dusting)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cover a baking sheet in parchment paper.

In a medium saucepan on high heat, combine butter, water, and salt.  Bring to a boil.  Add flour all at once, stirring vigorously.  Cook and stir until mixture forms a ball that doesn’t separate.

Remove pan from heat and let cool 10 minutes.  Transfer dough ball to a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.  (If you don’t have a stand mixer, proceed to mix eggs into dough ball with a wooden spoon.  This takes a little muscle.)  With mixer on low speed, add eggs, one at a time, mixing until each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next.  Mix until smooth.  The dough will be sticky.

Spoon dough by tablespoon full, two inches apart, on to prepared baking sheet.  Bake until golden and puffed – around 30 minutes.  Cool puffs on a wire rack and put a small slit in each one to let any steam escape.

Once cooled, split puffs in half and fill with fresh whipped cream, pastry cream, pudding, ice cream sherbet or fruit.  Today I’m using a long piping tip to fill the puffs with whipping cream.  Sprinkle cream puffs with a little powdered sugar or drizzle with chocolate.

Pour mon amie, Celia.  Grose bise, Patricia.

Eat Well!

~Trish