Cream Puffs

Makes 12 regular or 24 mini puffs.

Ingredients:

Pastry:

• 1 cup water or 1/2 cup water & 1/2 cup of half and half (10% cream)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup all-purpose or bread flour
• 5 eggs

Filling:

• Sliced strawberries, fresh or canned raspberries, pitted cherries or other fruit, drained
• Powdered sugar
• 2 cups whipping cream (500ml)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or 1 tsp almond extract

Directions:

To make pastry:

1. Grease two baking sheets; set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine water (or water/half & half mixture), sugar, salt and butter. Stirring constantly over low heat, slowly bring to a rolling boil.
3. Remove pan from heat; add flour all at once, beating vigorously with a wooden spoon until dough comes away from the side of the pan and forms a ball, about 1 minute.
4. Let cool for 3 minutes.
5. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
6. Preheat oven to 375.
7. Spoon dough into a large pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch star tip. To make large puffs, pipe 12 large mounds with 3 inch diameters, 2-1/2 inches apart on greased baking sheets. To make miniature puffs, pipe 24 small mounds with 1-1/2 inch diameters, 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets.
8. Bake cream puffs for 45 minutes.
9. Cut a slit in the side of each cream puff and return to oven and bake for 10 more minutes or until golden brown.
10. Remove from baking sheets and cool on wire racks.
11. When cool, slice tops from puffs; set aside.

To make filling:

1. Sprinkle fruit with powdered sugar. Let stand for 20 minutes.
2. In a medium bowl, whip cream until soft peaks form.
3. Add 1/4 cup powdered sugar and vanilla (or almond extract) and beat until stiff peaks form.
4. Spoon whipped cream mixture into a pastry bag with a star tip.
5. Spoon 1 or 2 teaspoons of the sweetened fruit into the bottom of each cream puff.
6. Pipe the whipped cream mixture over the fruit, filling the bottom of the puff and mounding it high in the center.
7. Replace the tops and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
8. Refrigerate until ready to serve.