It Can’t Hurt To Try This Dream Dessert: Grandma’s Cream Puffs

By FAITH HEAPHY
July 25, 2011

Published: October 21, 2010

My grandmother is a superb chef.  I think most grandmothers are supposed to be. For as long as I can remember, one of her most popular dishes, according to my siblings and I, were her cream puffs. As children, we bombarded her the second she walked in our door, hoping to snag one before dinner. Okay, so maybe we did that as teenagers too. Soon, she had to hide them when she came over. I always found them.

Is it the creamy filling or the fact that I can taste two unique textures in one bite? Is it because I will always associate it with my grandma’s Irish stories and box of dress-up clothes? Maybe it’s the mystery of how in the world my grandmother got the sweet filling inside the puff without seeming to break the outer dough. She must have whisked together a bunch of secret ingredients. She must have studied countless cookbooks. My younger self marveled at my grandmother, master cook, who managed to create the most delectable dessert imaginable. I was sure it took hours and hours to prepare.

As it turns out, cream puffs are actually super easy to make. What’s great about them is that they give the appearance of laborious work, yet are, in fact, easy enough for even the most hesitant chefs to try.

Cream Puff Recipe

Materials:

  • Mixer
  • Sauce Pan
  • Cookie Sheet

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of water
  • 1/2 cup of salted butter
  • 1 cup of flour
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 cups of chilled heavy cream
  • 1 package of instant vanilla pudding
  • 1/3 cup of powdered sugar

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Heat water and butter to a rolling boil.
  3. Stir in the flour slowly.
  4. Remove from heat and beat the eggs into the mixture until smooth.
  5. Using a teaspoon, drop batter onto a slightly greased cookie sheet.
  6. Bake in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes.
  7. Slowly add one cup of milk and two cups of chilled heavy cream into one package of instant vanilla pudding. Beat mixture until stiff.
  8. After the baked puffs have cooled, slice them in half and fill with the pudding mixture.
  9. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
  10. Enjoy!