Cream Puffs
Makes about 15 servings This recipe is adapted from “Best of German Cooking” by Edda Meyer-Berkhout.
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon water
4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter
1 ¼ cups bread flour or all-purpose flour
4 eggs
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar, plus more for sprinkling
½ teaspoon vanilla extract Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or lightly dust with flour).
In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add butter and allow to melt, stirring to mix. Lower heat. Add flour, all at once, beating vigorously with a wooden spoon. Continue cooking over low heat, stirring constantly until dough pulls away cleanly from side of pan and forms a ball; do not overcook or dough will not puff when baked.
Remove from heat and add 1 egg, quickly working egg into mixture. Continue adding 1 egg at a time, working in each totally before adding another. If necessary, use a whisk to break up any lumps in the dough.
Using a tablespoon or a pastry bag, place small mounds of dough about 1 ½ to 2 inches high on prepared baking sheet (make them all the same size so they bake evenly). Bake in preheated oven 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown; do not open oven door during first 20 minutes of baking. Cool on a rack.
Whip cream in a medium bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold in powdered sugar and vanilla. Slice or cut the puffed buns in half, so there is a top and bottom. Spoon or pipe cream mixture into bottom of each bun and replace the bun tops. Dust lightly with powdered sugar.
Per serving: 143 calories, 10g carbohydrate, 3g protein, 10g fat (6g saturated), 79mg cholesterol, 26mg sodium, no fiber.