Cream Puffs

I used to love these cream puffs when I was a little girl; my mother used to make them on holidays or when company came; Sometimes, on my way home from school, I couldn’t resist  making a detour, and going into the bakery on Broadway (I think the name was “Florence”s”, and it was somewhere on 82nd or 83rd street, if I remember correctly) – and I would buy a quarter or half pound  box of similar creampuffs. I usually finished the entire box by the time I came home.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 120 grams butter (1/4 lb.)
• 1 cup flour
• 4 eggs
• Some powdered sugar for sprinkling before serving.

Filling Ingredients:

• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 package of Osem Instant Vanilla pudding
• half a teaspoon of real vanilla extract

Preparation:

1. In medium size pot, boil the water and the butter, till the butter melts.
2. Quickly mix in the flour, mixing till the mixture leaves the side of the pot, and all the flour is incorporated. Turn off flame.
3. Add the eggs,  one egg at a time,  mixing with electric hand mixer or whisk, till all is incorporated. When all the eggs are incorporated, the dough is ready.
4. Prepare a baking tin with parchment paper (baking paper).
5. Place all the dough mixture into a pastry bag and form tiny puffs; if you don’t have a pastry bag, you can use two teaspoons to form the little puffs.
6. Bake at 375 F (180 C) till golden brown. This may take about half an hour or more.
7. Let cool in oven, with oven door partially open. Do not remove until they have cooled.
8. After cooled, slice off the top with a sharp knife. Remove any soft dough from the center.
9. Fill with Instant Vanilla Pudding (Osem is the best!), beaten with one cup of whipping cream and one cup of milk, till it is firm; while beating I also add a bit of real vanilla extract.
   • The easiest way to fill is to place the cream into a clean pastry bag, and fill the puffs.
   • Place the caps on the cream.
10. Keep covered in refrigerator till serving. At serving time, sprinkle powdered sugar on top of the cream puffs.