CREAM PUFFS

Cream puff shells can be made in advance, and frozen in resealable bags. When ready to use, defrost and warm in a 350; oven for three minutes until crisp. Makes about 30, small. I make huge ones and fill them with things like chicken salad or pimento cheese and so forth. Totally surprising, easy to handle and less messy for your guests.


¾ cup butter, cut into small pieces
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon water
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
9 egg yolks, plus three whole eggs
6 egg whites
Egg wash-2 egg whites plus 2 Tbsp. water beaten together.


1.Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
2.Remove from heat, add flour mixed with salt, and stir in rapidly. Return the pan to the heat, and cook mixture, stirring constantly, with a wooden spoon until it comes together and pulls away from the sides of the saucepan, about 5 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat, and put into the bowl of a stand mixer-beat until just warm-about 5 minutes.
3.Add eggs and yolks one at a time, beating until they are completely incorporated and the pastry is smooth. Beat in the egg whites. Result will be somewhat thin. Transfer the paste to a pastry bag. Pipe desired size of the pastry into a mound on the prepared baking sheet; continue piping until all the pastry is used, spacing pastry about 1 1/2 inches apart.
Gently brush the each mound with the egg wash. Bake until the puffs are golden all over, about 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325 . Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside. Combine butter, salt, and 1 1/2 cups water in a roomy saucepan, and place over medium heat. Cook until butter is melted and the water just comes to a boil. ̊ and cook 10 minutes longer. Reduce the heat to 200 degrees and cook for another 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, and let cool completely.