Cream Puffs

1 cup boiling water

1/2 cup butter or shortening

1 cup flour

4 eggs

add the boiling water to the shortening

bring to a boil and stir in the flour thoroughly

remove from the fire, let mixture cool slightly & add the eggs one at the time, beating in each one before adding the next

drop by spoonfuls on a greased pan about 2 inches apart shaping into a circular form and having the batter a little higher in the center.

bake 1/2 hr in a moderate oven 350F

**if these are removed from the oven before they are thoroughly done they will fall **  take out one – if it does not fall the others may be removed

cool and split partly with a knife

fill with a cream filling, whipped cream, or a fruit mixture

i know…. i have never made them either but they look relatively easy to do….

they are on my "to do" list to try

I'm making homemade vanilla custard today  or making eclairs with this recipe.

What I like to do with this recipe is to drop them by a regular-sized spoon, making sure that I push it off with the back of another spoon. These will make mini cream puffs. Remember that they will double in size. When they are a light golden brown, you take them out. I don't remember the cooking time as I usually go by that.

When they are cool, I make the whipped cream (a note: our N.A. version is really called "Chantilly cream", pretty, isn't it?). Then I use a small, but not tiny icing tip and pipe it into side of the little puffs until they are full. You need to make sure that your whipped cream doesn't get too warm when you are doing this of it will not work well. You can flavour the whipping cream with any flavouring that you wish, or even color it if you so choose.

In some areas, they like to drizzle chocolate or a caramel sauce over them and then they have a fancy name…I can't remember it.

I freeze them when they are done. It is a really nice item to bring along to anywhere, and a tasty little treat. If you eat them frozen, it is hard to taste the sugar. I like them best partially thawed. If they are left too long frozen or not, they can get a bit soggy.

I would like to try making a French pastry cream to put in them. I think that it might stay firmer longer and add a nice twist. I haven't tried it yet, though. Someday when I have more time.