Cream Puffs

This is a recipe I’ve had sitting in my box for quite some time.  It originally comes from my Great Aunt Violet.

Bring 1/2 cup of water to boiling point and add 1/4 cup shortening; stir until melted.  Bring back to boiling point and quickly add 1/2 cup flour and 1/4 tsp salt; cook, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes or until mixture forms small, smooth balls. 

Cool slightly.  Add 2 eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each.  Beat for 5 minutes until mix is thick.

Shape dough into balls and place 2” apart on a greased baking sheet (parchment paper would also work).  Bake at 450 for 10 minutes; reduce heat to 350 and bake another 20-25 minutes.

While baking (or cooling), prepare filling.

Mix 1/3 cup of sugar, 2 tbs. flour and a pinch of salt together.  Scald 1 cup of milk and add to mixture.  Cook over hot water, stirring constantly, for 15 minutes.

Beat 1 egg; pour hot mix over egg.  Cook over hot water for 3 minutes.

Cool; add 1 tsp. vanilla.

Here is where I deviate from the recipe.  My Aunt Violet says to make a slit into the side of the puff to fill with the filling.  I took a kabob skewer and poked a hole.  I then took my filling and put it into a piping bag to fill the puffs with.  Very easy.

My filling didn’t turn out well.  It was too soupy.  And there wasn’t nearly enough for the 12 puffs we got from the recipe. It tasted yummy, though!  So I only filled a few before attempt #2.

Attempt #2 involved a packet of vanilla instant pudding mixed into the rest of the original batch of filling (What?  Sometimes a girl’s got to do what a girl’s got to do!).  I used a piping bag to fill them. 

My Aunt Violet also left out a yummy extra.

I took 2 squares of bittersweet baking chocolate and a splash of milk.  Enter the double boiler set up again.

Melt the chocolate slowly so it doesn’t bind up.

Dunk your filled cream puffs in the melted goodness.

Mmmmm.  Cream puffs.

Enjoy!  We sure did!