Profiteroles or Cream Puffs
Cream Puffs or Profiteroles are another classic I learned up at West Branch Pond Camps. Each and every Sunday they would serve up a full "Thanksgiving" meal with turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy - the works - and they end with a cream puff the size of your fist for dessert. Profiteroles are their smaller cousins, and both use the same choux pastry recipe.
PROFITEROLES (CREAM PUFFS)
24 small (12 large)
1 Cup Water 1/2 Cup (1stick / 114 grams) Unsalted Butter 1 Cup Flour 4 Eggs
Pre-heat oven to 400F / 205C
In a small sauce pan on medium, heat the butter and water until boiling.
Remove from flame and add the flour
Mix until it is like a ball of play-dough
Add the eggs, and Beat, beat, beat until it looks satiny. *I use a potato masher... but a wooden spoon or a whisk will work as well.
Spoon or pipe onto cookie sheet.
Do not "rob Peter to pay Paul." Once you spoon them on to the tray that is the size they have to be or you get two puffs that are connected, instead of one large cream puff.
I typically make 12 large puffs, but your could easily make 24 smaller ones
Cook at 400F / 205 C for 50-55 min.
Do NOT open the oven before 50 min, or they will deflate and that is not pretty/tasty. *At about 40 min they will look and smell done... but they are NOT... the outside cooks a lot faster then the middle and the middle is what makes it fluffy
Cool completely before you fill or serve them.
Traditionally filled with whipped cream and topped with melted chocolate.