These are delicious I remember them when Janet (Bubbie) made them It is rich, flavorful *Bubbie’s Cream Puffs* ½ cup boiling water ¼ cup butter ½ cup all purpose flour 2 eggs Pour boiling water over butter in a saucepan, bring to a boil and stir until butter melts. Now add flour all at once, and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan and forms a ball. Remove from heat. Immediately add unbeaten eggs one at a time, beating to a smooth paste after each one. Then beat the mixture until smooth and velvety. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet, keeping mounds uniform in shape and height, about 3 inches apart. Bake in a hot oven (450 degrees) 15 minutes or until well puffed and delicately browned. Then reduce heat to slow (300 degrees) and bake 30 to 40 minutes longer; this will bake the centers thoroughly, but puffs should become no browner. Remove to a cake rack to cool. When cold, cut off tops with a sharp knife. Fill with Cream Filling, (below) thick Soft Custard (below) whipped cream, or ice cream. Replace tops. Makes 6 to 7 cream puffs. [Double this batch for a normal party. Quad the recipe for Fullers.] * * *Swan cream puffs:* To make the swan neck and head, pipe the chou paste (cream puff mixture) through a large pastry tube, using a large star tube, onto the greased baking sheet in the shape of an S. For the tail, pipe a comma-shaped piece. Make one for each cream puff and remove from the oven after the first 15 minutes of baking. After filling the cream puffs, insert a head and a tail in each swan, cutting holes if necessary. The tops cut off to put in filling may be cut in half and stuck into the cream filling at an angle to simulate lifted wings. * * * * *1st *Bake your puffs / eclairs.* * *2nd *While they cool, make your filling (and, no, boxed vanilla pudding is NOT an acceptable substitute…)** *Last step: *Bubbie would also make a thin chocolate (fudge) topping. You can do this with butter, cocoa, powdered (confectioner’s) sugar, vanilla, and a touch of cream. Consistency should be thick-but-pourable. Directions for real “pourable” chocolate icing: Melt a stick of butter over very low heat, add cocoa, stir. Add powdered sugar, stir, add in cream, remove from heat. Stir. Add vanilla, stir. Pour two tablespoons over each filled éclair. * * * * *Cream Filling for Cream Puffs* 1/2 cup sugar 1 egg, beaten ¼ cup flour 1 ½ tablespoons butter ½ teaspoon salt ¾ teaspoon vanilla or ½ teaspoon lemon extract 1 ½ cups milk, scalded Mix sugar, flour and salt in top of double boiler. Gradually stir in the hot milk and cook over direct heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Stir a little of the hot mixture into the beaten egg, return this to rest of mixture and place over boiling water, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in butter and flavoring and cool. Fill into cream puffs or éclairs. For best flavor and crispness, filled cream puffs or éclairs should be served the same day they are baked, and filled puffs should be kept in refrigerator. Enough filling for 5 good sized cream puffs.* * ** *Soft or “Boiled” Custard for Cream Puffs * 3 cups milk 3 eggs, beaten 1/3 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla ¼ teaspoon salt Scald milk with sugar and salt in top of double boiler. Beat eggs well and slowly stir in the hot milk. Return to double boiler and cook over simmering water, stirring constantly, until mixture just coats a metal spoon. Custard will thicken somewhat on cooling, so do not try to cook it until thick, for this will cause it to curdle. Remove immediately from heat and set pan of custard in cold water; add vanilla, and chill before serving. Serve in sherbet glasses or sauce dishes, or as a sauce for cake or pudding. 5 servings. *Note*: Custard which has begun to curdle can often be restored by placing it quickly over cold water (to stop cooking immediately) and beating vigorously with a rotary egg beater until smooth. Do not reheat. Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle. Live Simply, Laugh Often, Love Deeply. -- Some people weave burlap into the fabric of our lives and some weave gold thread. Both contribute to make the whole picture beautiful and unique. Anonymous Watch your thoughts: they become words. Watch your words: they become actions.Watch your actions: they become habits. Watch your habits: they become your character. Watch your character: it becomes your destiny.______Francis Outlaw