Cream Puff
This cream puff pairs a crisp, hollow pastry shell with a thick homemade vanilla custard. The dough comes together in one saucepan, with the flour beaten in all at once and the eggs added one by one. Shortening gives the shells a tender bite. The cornstarch custard is cooked gently in a double boiler, so it thickens without scorching and stays smooth.
Instructions
Sift the flour and the ⅛ teaspoon of salt together. Bring the water and shortening to a boil in a saucepan, then tip in all the flour at once and stir hard until the mixture pulls together into a dough. Take the pan off the heat.
Let the dough cool, then beat in the 3 eggs one at a time, leaving each unbeaten when it goes in. Mix in the baking powder.
Drop spoonfuls of dough onto a greased baking sheet, about 1½ inches (4 cm) apart. Use the spoon to shape each into a round, keeping the middle mounded.
Bake in a hot oven for about 30 minutes, then let the puffs cool completely. Cut each one open with a sharp knife near the base so it can be filled.
For the filling, mix the sugar, cornstarch and the ⅓ teaspoon of salt in a bowl. Stir in the slightly beaten egg, then gradually stir in the scalded milk.
Cook the mixture in a double boiler for about 15 minutes, stirring constantly, until it thickens. Let it cool slightly, add the vanilla, and whisk hard until smooth and creamy.
Cool the filling completely, then spoon it into the puffs. Sweetened whipped cream can replace the filling, or you can pipe the filling in from the bottom with a pastry bag instead of cutting the puffs open. Dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with semi-sweet chocolate if you like.
Make it personal.
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