Betty Crocker's Cream Puff Pastry
(modified by Mikalyn Anderson)
Ingredients
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs
Equipment
cookie sheet (preferably heavy grade and shiny)
oven
saucepan without non-stick coating (The pan needs to be able to withstand wire whisk. I use a 3-quart)
stovetop or hot plate
large wooden mixing spoon
wire whisk
big spoon for dropping dough mixture
small bowl with room temperature water for dipping your fingers when shaping the pastry
Directions
1. Heat oven to 400ºF.
2. In saucepan, heat water and butter to rolling boil.
Caution: the next steps must be done in immediate succession in order for the pastry to puff properly. Make sure your oven is hot, there is no breeze in your kitchen and all your equipment is ready before you start the next step.
3. Using the wooden spoon stir in flour till the flour is all wet and the mixture forms a soft dough ball. It happens in less than a minute. Remove from heat.
4. Using wire whisk, beat in eggs, all at once. As you whisk, the mixture will go from lumpy to slushy to incorporated and smooth. Beat just until smooth and forming long elastic ribbon-sheets behind the spoon.
5. On ungreased cookie sheet, quickly drop dough by slightly less than 1/4 cupfuls about 3 inches apart. Don't be too fussy, plop and go. You can dip your fingers in the water bowl if you want to shape the dough to keep it from sticking to your fingers, but be quick. The dough should still be warm as it goes into the oven.
6. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until puffed and golden.
Caution: Avoid opening the oven until at least 30 minutes have passed. If you open the oven to early, the heat will escape and the puffs will collapse.
7. Cool away from draft, for about 30 minutes.
8. Cut or tear away the top third of each puff and pull out any overly doughy strands of dough.
9. Fill with ice cream or your favorite filling.
10. If you have ice cream filling, freeze until ready to serve. If you have a cream or crab filling refrigerate until you serve.
Mikalyn's Cheater Mock Cream Puff Filling
Ingredients
2 5.1 ounce packages of your favorite flavor instant pudding mix
2 cups milk
2 cups heavy whipping cream
Equipment
mixing bowl that can withstand electric mixer
electric hand mixer with beaters
gallon freezer bag with zip closure
a small and tall bowl or large glass that you can fit the gallon back into and then roll the zipper top from the inside to the outside of the sack and over the rim of the bowl or glass
rubber spatula
Directions
1. Combine all ingredients in the bowl.
2. Using the electric mixer in the bowl and scraping with the rubber spatula (make sure it doesn't get close the the beaters) beat until smooth and mixture is starting to thicken.
3. Pour the mixture into the gallon bag.
4. Place bag in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to allow to set.
5. When you are ready to fill the puffs snip off and throw away a 1/2" notch in one of the bottom corners of the bag and use like a pastry bag to squeeze into the puffs, or your mouth...or whatever.
Mikalyn's Cheater Mock Chocolate Drizzle
Ingredients
1 cup chocolate chips
1 tablespoon of vegetable shortening (or more if you like the chocolate texture softer)
Equipment
quart freezer bag with zip closure
microwave with adjustable power level
refrigerator
1. Put all ingredients in bag.
2. Squish as much excess air out of the bag as you can.
3. Set microwave to half power and 30 seconds.
4. Squish the bag to mix the melted chocolate with the non melted chocolate.
5. Repeat step 3 till mix is melted and smooth.
6. Snip off and throw away a very small notch in one of the bottom corners of the bag and drizzle lightly over the filled cream puffs.
