October 9, 2016

Cream Puffs

And now for dessert. :)


This recipe came from my grandmother. If you have a copy of How To Bake Without Baking Powder, you'll find it on page 62. The puffs beautifully demonstrate the leavening power of eggs.

The eggs create huge air pockets in the puffs, perfect for favorite fillings.

That copy of recipe did not include the fudge sauce, so all you'll have to write that one down.

Cream Puffs
For the puffs:
  • 1 C boiling water 
  • ½ C butter 
  • 4 eggs 
  • 1 C flour 
  • ¼ tsp salt 
Place water and butter in saucepan on high heat. When it comes to a boil, add flour and salt and stir until the dough pulls away from the side of the pan and forms a ball. Add eggs one at a time, beating with a fork until smooth and fluffy. Drop onto greased baking sheet and bake at 425ºF (220ºC) for 15 minutes, then 30 minutes at 325ºF (165ºC). Let sit in oven until cool.

For the cream filling: 
  • 1 pint milk (2 C)
  • ¼ C sugar 
  • 2 heaping tbsp flour 
  • 2 eggs 
  • salt and vanilla 
Mix and cook over double boiler until thick and creamy.
Slice puffs and pour filling over bottom half. Replace the other half and top with chocolate sauce.

For the fudge sauce:
  • 2 squares ounces of bitter (bakers) chocolate 
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 C sugar
  • 1 small can evaporated milk (5 ounces, see Recipe Notes below.)
Cook in a double boiler until thick. Thin with water if it gets too stiff.

Recipe Notes:
  • Unsweetened baking chocolate used to come in fat 1-ounce squares individually wrapped in paper. They're in a bar now, and each square is half an ounce, so the recipe took four squares of bitter chocolate to make.
  • I don't keep canned evaporated milk around so I substituted whole goat milk (which is pretty rich).

This recipe uses half-a-dozen eggs, so it's one I use when the chickens are laying well. If you're like me, though, you're probably already thinking of other fillings and toppings for the puffs.

Cream Puffs © October 2016 by Leigh 
at http://www.5acresandadream.com/

19 comments:

Tricky Wolf said...

well that has left my mouth watering! perfect for using up a surplus of eggs once I get another flock in the new place :)

Leigh said...

That will be exciting! Of course, it sounds like you've got a lot to do to get your new place ready, which will make for some great adventures and blogging.

Thistle Cove Farm said...

It's been decades since I've made cream puffs. With the coming of cooler and colder weather, now is a good time to start the oven. Thanks for a lovely recipe.

Jason and Michelle said...

Those look so good!

hoosier girl said...

Something new to try! Thanks!

Leigh said...

I've had very few people tell me they've made cream puffs. Did you do something similar for filling and topping?

I've got all sorts of canning projects waiting on cooler weather! It's a great way to keep warm. :)

Leigh said...

And they were!

Leigh said...

Enjoy!

Farmer Barb said...

YUM!

Norene said...

They are so easy! Make them small and split and stuff them with chicken salad.....yum!

Mama Pea said...

I'm licking my screen!

Much of my baking is on hold at the moment since our "old girls" are molting and egg production is scarce! Our new chicks aren't due to start laying eggs until December. Why can't we ever coordinate things better??

Tina T-P said...

Those look delish! Hope you are safe from all the flooding from the hurricane. T.

Cozy Thyme Cottage said...

Oh yum! I haven't made cream puffs in years. Think I used the recipe out of my Betty Crocker cookbook I received when we were married! Nancy

Leigh said...

:)

Leigh said...

Norene, that's a great idea, thanks!

Leigh said...

LOL, I've figured out that I can coordinate nothing. I just have to take advantage of what we get, and not complain about what we don't. :)

Leigh said...

Tina, good to hear from you! We only got a quarter inch of rain from the hurricane. :( We've had so little rain this summer that I was hoping for more. But at least we didn't have anything disastrous happen. I'm thankful for that.

Leigh said...

Betty Crocker! Who else? I'll have to see if the recipe is in mine and compare. :)

M.K. said...

That looks delicious!!