Betty's Cream Puffs
Dance classmate Betty's cream puff recipe will have your taste buds tap-dancing with delight.
4 eggs (at room temperature)
1 stick (1/4 lb) unsalted butter
1 cup milk
1 cup flour plus a pinch of a salt
2 pints of whipped cream
3 tablespoons of powdered sugar
Optional: Instant vanilla custard mix
(You'll need extra milk if making custard)
Optional: A bag of chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons of butter
Place your whipping cream bowl and beaters into the freezer. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Heat the milk, butter, and salt until scalded (just below boiling point). When all the butter has melted, add the flour all at once and beat with a wooden spoon until mixture comes together and forms dough. Cook, stirring constantly, over low heat for 2 minutes until dough begins to coat the bottom of the pan. Put the hot mixture into a food processor. Add the 4 eggs and pulse until the eggs are incorporated into the dough and the mixture is thick. Pipe dough into mounds onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (The Ninja Baker uses a mini ice cream scoop.)
Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn off oven and allow puffs to sit for another 10 minutes. Make small slits in the side of each puff to allow steam to escape. Set aside to cool.
Cut in half crosswise, fill with cream custard, whipped cream or a combination and replace tops. Beat your whipping cream in the pre-frozen bowl. Betty adds 1 1/2 tablespoons of powdered sugar plus a teaspoon of vanilla to every pint of whipping cream.
Another option is to make instant custard for your filling. Betty sometimes uses a combination of both whipped cream and custard.
Dust tops with powdered sugar or chocolate sauce or melted chocolate. For the extra-decadent treat, dip the tops of the cream puff shells into melted chocolate. (Melt a bag of chocolate chips in a double boiler with 2 tablespoons of butter. Be sure to switch off the flame as soon as the chocolate is melted.)