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Cream Puffs

Photo Credit
Becky Luigart-Stayner
Written By: The Old Farmer’s Almanac Editors The Almanac Editors and Staff
Yield
Makes 8 large cream puffs or 36 mini cream puffs.
Category
Cakes and Frostings
Cookies and Bars
Course
Desserts
Credit
Lynne Kuhne, Sonora, California
Sources
The Old Farmer's Almanac Readers' Best Recipes

Filled with a vanilla pastry cream and covered in chocolate, these cream puffs are absolutely delicious!

This recipe can also be used to make éclairs. Simply form the dough into logs rather than balls before baking.

Find more family favorite recipes, and the stories behind them, in The Old Farmer’s Almanac Reader’s Best Recipes.

Puffs

Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a saucepan, heat butter and 1 cup water to a boil. Add flour and stir vigorously over low heat, until mixture forms a ball. Remove from heat. Beat in eggs all at once and continue beating until smooth.

Drop dough in balls (or logs, for éclairs) onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until puffy and golden brown. Cool.

Pastry Cream Filling

Ingredients
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 cups whole milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

In a bowl, combine sugar, flour, and salt.

In another bowl, beat eggs. Add to flour mixture and stir until well combined.

In a saucepan, heat milk to almost boiling (until milk forms bubbles at edge of pan.) Add milk, a small ladleful at a time, to flour mixture and whisk vigorously. Repeat, using about half of milk. Combine flour mixture and remaining milk in saucepan and whisk to blend. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. When mixture is thick, like pudding, it should also be just starting to boil. Remove from heat. Add vanilla and whisk to blend. Let cool.

Slice cooled puffs (horizontally or vertically) and add filling.

Chocolate Topping

Ingredients
1 ounce unsweetened baking chocolate
1 teaspoon butter
2 tablespoons hot water
1 cup confectioners’ sugar

Instructions

In a saucepan, melt chocolate and butter over low heat. Remove from heat and stir in hot water. Mix until smooth. Add confectioners’ sugar and mix until smooth. Drizzle over filled cream puffs. Refrigerate.

About The Author
The Old Farmer’s Almanac Editors

The Old Farmer’s Almanac Editors

The Almanac Editors and Staff

Under the guiding hand of its first editor, Robert B. Thomas, the premiere issue of The Old Farmer’s Almanac was published in 1792 during George Washington’s first term as president.Today, the Almanac...
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Comments

<span>Diane Laliberte</span> Thu, 03/05/2020 - 10:34
Thin with a little more water until you reach a consistency you like. Or you could use 1/2 the confectioners' sugar adding more until you reach a smooth sauce. Keep over pan of hot water to prevent hardening.
<span>Maureen Mann</span> Wed, 03/13/2019 - 11:49
Easy to make puffs and cream. Had problems with the frosting. It was thick...no way could I drizzle. Followed recipe to the letter! Any thoughts?