Sinfully Simple Cream Puff

Years ago, whilst working in my first real job in a restaurant, I first learned how to make these wonderful cream puffs. Light, fluffy, yet full of flavor, this simple pastry takes only a few minutes to prepare and costs as little as .03¢ per serving.

Ingredients:

• · 1 Stick of Butter
  (Not Margarine!)
• · 1 cup of water
• · 1 c. All purpose Flour
• · 4 eggs

Preheat the oven to 400F

Combine the water and the butter in a 1 quart size saucepan over medium heat until it comes to a rapid boil. Add all of the flour, stirring constantly until the mixture forms a ball, (about 1 full minute).
Remove from heat and transfer the hot dough into a mixing bowl.
If using an electric Mixer (like a kitchenaid) turn on medium and add 4 eggs, all at once. Otherwise, use a hand mixer to completely blend in the eggs until the dough is creamy smooth, not choppy in appearance. It is important that you do this process as quickly as possible as the dough needs to remain HOT the entire time.
Drop the dough by scant 1/4 c. cupfuls or by cookie dough scoopfuls (depending on how many you’d like to make!) onto an UN-GREASED cookie sheet about 2-3 inches apart. They will puff up considerably during baking.
Bake 35-38 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. This recipe makes 12 large puffs or 36 bite size puffs, Remove from the oven and cool completely in a draft free area before attempting to remove them from the cookie sheet.

Chef’s Notes: While the puffs are baking, Avoid under all circumstances, opening the oven before the time is up. This cold burst of air from opening the oven with collapse them, giving them a flattened appearance. They’ll still taste fine, but they’ll look like choppy pancakes.


For Delicious Desserts or Snacks:

• Cream Puffs Fill the puffs with any flavor pudding you desire, top with whipped cream or sprinkle with powdered sugar
• Chocolate Cream Puff: Break the puff in half, add a scoop of ice cream, cover with the other half, drizzle liberally with hot fudge or chocolate sauce, top with whipped cream
• Strawberry Cream Puff: These puffs make a wonderful alternative to strawberry shortcake as well. Pull a cream puff in half fill with a scoop of ice cream, top with the other half. Add ½ c. of sliced (slightly sweetened strawberries), top with whipped cream

To Freeze:
Place fully cooled puffs in a ziploc bag, seal and toss into the freezer. Avoid freezing Filled puffs as they will become quite mushy in texture when they thaw.

To thaw a puff individually, place it in the microwave up to 10 seconds, or thaw in fridge.

GroceryBudget101 Breakdown:

• 1 Stick Butter = .75¢
• Flour = .11¢
• 4 eggs = .24¢
• Water- free

Total expense to make 12 Cream Puffs is $1.10, or roughly .09¢ cents each. If you prefer to make appetizers, 1 cream puff recipe will make 36 mini puffs, or roughly .03¢ per hors d'oervre.