Cream Puffs Choux Pastries Balls Or Ring Variety Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease and flour a cookie sheet, or use parchment paper. Using a dinner plate as a guide, trace a circle on the sheet.
• In 2 quart saucepan over medium heat, combine water, butter, and salt. Bring to a boil. With a wooden spoon, vigorously stir in flour all at once, until mixture forms a ball, and leaves the sides of the pan. Remove from heat, and beat in the eggs one at a time, until mixture is smooth. Drop batter into 10 mounds inside the circle traced on the cookie sheet, to form a ring.
• Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until golden brown. Turn off oven, leaving ring in for another 15 minutes. Remove from oven, and cool on wire rack. When cool, slice in half horizontally, and place bottom ring on serving plate. Spoon Almond Cream Filling on bottom ring, then replace top ring. Chill in refrigerator.
• To make Almond Cream Filling: Prepare pudding according to instructions on package, but use only 1 1/4 cups milk. Fold in whipped cream, and 1 teaspoon almond extract.
• To make Chocolate Glaze: In a double boiler over hot (not boiling) water, combine chocolate chips, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 1/2 teaspoons milk, and 1 1/2 teaspoons corn syrup. Heat until melted and smooth, stirring occasionally. Spoon over the top of chilled ring.

Steps:

• Heat the butter and water gently in a saucepan, bring to the boil and remove from the heat.
• Quickly tip in all the flour and beat to the smooth paste with a wooden spoon so that it forms a ball in the center of the pan.
• Leave to cool slightly for several minutes, (This is important!).
• Cover the baking sheet (cookie sheet) with baking paper, and then wet the paper slightly with cold water so that you have some little droplets still on the sheet--this will help the pastry not to catch on the bottom and stick at all.
• Add all the beaten eggs a little bit at a time until the paste gets a glossy sheen on it, if it's still a little "liquid-y" then you haven't beaten it in long enough, When it comes back to the thick paste it's ready to be put in spoonfuls into the baking sheets (cookie sheets).
• Spoon the paste onto baking sheets in the form of a the numbers of the clock-face, lifting the top of each mound into a peak and joining the balls together to create a circle.
• Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 45-50 minutes.
• Once cooked, carefully cut the "ring" in half horizontally and lift off the top half of the ring. (I use a wire cooling rack to hold it against so it doesn't break). Leave to cool on the wire rack.
• Fill with: Traditionally it would be filled with Confectioners' custard, but even quicker and easier (and one of my favourites) make a very basic custard, but use a little less custard powder than the packet recommends, and add lemon juice to taste, cover the bottom half of the cream puff ring with custard, layer on the peaches or apricots, add a little more custard to fill up spaces.
• Put the choux pastry "top" back on, drizzle melted chocolate in "zig-zag" style over the top.
• OR another favorite variation: Heap fresh strawberries into the bottom part of the ring, cover with whipped cream, put the "top" back on again and drizzle melted chocolate over the top of it all --.
• Alternatively: spoon the paste onto the baking sheet in little balls, and cut a small slit in them when they are cooked to release the steam and fill with anything you like: whipped cream, custard etc.
• The little balls can then be dipped into chocolate for WOW presentation and ultimate yumminess :).
• However you present the final result, enjoy!

Steps:

• Make the pastry cream: In a medium saucepan, whisk together the granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk in the egg yolks until combined, then whisk in the milk. Heat over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until it starts to thicken, 4 to 5 minutes. Immediately remove from the heat.
• Whisk in the butter and vanilla bean paste. Transfer to a bowl, then press a sheet of plastic wrap on the surface of the pastry cream. Let cool, then refrigerate until chilled through, at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
• Start the cream puff dough: In a medium saucepan, bring the milk, butter and salt to a simmer over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture comes together. Cook until the mixture starts to pull away from the sides of the pan into a ball and looks dry, 3 to 5 minutes more.
• Finish the cream puff dough: Using a wooden spoon, beat in the eggs, one at a time, waiting until they are fully incorporated before adding the next. Mix until the batter is shiny and stiff. Alternatively, you can use a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-low speed to incorporate the eggs. Transfer the batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round pastry tip.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Form and bake: On the prepared baking sheet, pipe rounds of dough that are 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide and about 1 inch high, allowing 1 inch between each. Alternatively, measure out a scant 1/4-cup dough for each puff. Wet your finger and press down any pointed tops on the cream puffs. Bake for 15 minutes. Lower the oven to 350 degrees F and bake until firm to the touch, another 15 to 20 minutes.
• Finish baking: Shut the oven off. Let the puffs dry inside the oven for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool.
• Assemble: Using a paring knife, hollow out a hole in the bottom of each of the puffs. Pipe the pastry cream into the hole. Alternatively, you can cut the top off each puff and remove any undercooked dough in the center, then fill with the pastry cream and top with the top again. Hold in the refrigerator until ready to garnish and serve.
• Make the chocolate sauce: In a small pot, heat the cream. In a small bowl that fits over the pot of cream (without the bottom of the bowl touching the cream), combine the chocolate with the cinnamon. Use the pot of cream as the bottom of the double boiler and melt the chocolate over the cream. When the chocolate is melted, add the heated cream to the bowl with the chocolate and whisk to combine. Keep warm.
• Top the cream puffs with a sprinkle of confectioners' sugar and some of the chocolate sauce.

Steps:

• Mix together vanilla instant pudding mix, cream and milk. Cover and refrigerate to set.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• In a large pot, bring water and butter to a rolling boil. Stir in flour and salt until the mixture forms a ball. Transfer the dough to a large mixing bowl. Using a wooden spoon or stand mixer, beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Centers should be dry.
• When the shells are cool, either split and fill them with the pudding mixture, or use a pastry bag to pipe the pudding into the shells.