Cream Puffs

Cream puffs are an incredibly easy dessert to make and they always turn out fantastic.  The puffs can be made in advance, and for the filling you can either make something fancy, or go the easy route and just use pudding (for that extra special touch, top them with whipped cream and chocolate syrup).

The trick is to mix the dough a lot.  The extra beating is what makes the puffs nice and airy.

Cream Puffs

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter

1 cup water

1/8 tsp salt

1 cup flour

4 eggs

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Bring butter, water, and salt to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat.  Remove from heat.  Add flour and mix well until a ball of dough forms.  Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well with each addition.

Drop by heaping teaspoons onto nonstick baking sheets.  Bake 45 minutes, until puffed and golden.  Remove from oven and with a small sharp knife, make a small slit (1/2 inch) in the side of each puff.  Back 10 to 15 minutes longer.  Let cool.

Carefully split each puff and fill them with preferred filling.

Pudding cream filling:

Combine 2 boxes of instant pudding mix with 3 cups milk and 3/4 cup whipping cream, until smooth and will blended.  Chill.