Cream Puffs

1/2 c. water
1/4 c. butter
1/2 c. flour
2 eggs

Heat water and butter until it comes to a boil and butter is melted.  Add flour and stir quickly until well mixed.  Remove from heat and add eggs and beat with hand mixer until well mixed.  Drop on on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 400 for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.  Remove from oven, cool for a couple of minutes and slice open and remove filaments of soft dough.  Below are a couple of toppings options for your cream puffs.


Raspberry Dark Chocolate Cream Puff

1/3 c. sugar
2 T. cornstarch
1/8 t. salt
2 c. milk
2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
2 T. butter-softened
2 t. vanilla

Mix sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium-sized heavy saucepan.  Stir in milk gradually.  Cook over medium heat stirring constantly with a metal spoon until mixture comes to a boil.  Boil and stir for one minute.  Pour at least half of the mixture into the egg yolks stirring quickly and mix well.  Pour back into the saucepan and bring back to boil.  Boil and stir for one more minute.  Remove from heat.  Add softened butter and vanilla.  Let cool and add a generous scoop to each cream puff.  Top with cooled chocolate ganache and add a raspberry.



Salted Caramel Cream Puff

2/3 c. packed brown sugar
2 T. cornstarch
1/8 t. salt
2 c. milk
2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
2 T. butter-softened
1 t. vanilla

Mix brown sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium-sized heavy saucepan.  Stir in milk gradually.  Cook over medium heat stirring constantly with a metal spoon until mixture comes to a boil.  Boil and stir for one minute.  Pour at least half of the mixture into the egg yolks stirring quickly and mix well.  Pour back into the saucepan and bring back to boil.  Boil and stir for one more minute.  Remove from heat.  Add softened butter and vanilla.  Let cool and add a generous scoop to each cream puff.  Top with caramel sauce and and sprinkle with coarse sea salt.

Caramel Sauce

1 cup sugar
4 T. butter
3⁄4 cup chilled heavy whipping cream pinch of salt

Heat cream in microwave for 40 seconds. Heat a heavy saucepan over medium heat for 3 minutes. Pour in sugar and stir until completely melted and amber in color, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add butter all at once. Stir to combine, mixture will bubble up.  Add the heated cream a little at a time to the sugar and butter stirring constantly, keeping a steady boil.  Mix until smooth and remove from heat and pour immediately into a heat safe container--do not scrape sugar from the sides of the pan.  Let cool completely before adding to top of cream puffs.