Cream Puffs

1 cup water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
⅓ cup butter
1 pinch of salt 4 large eggs

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Bring water to a boil in a heavy-bottom sauce pan. Add the butter, salt and sugar and boil slowly until the butter has melted. Measure the flour.

3. Remove from stove and pour in flour. Beat with a wooden spoon for several seconds. Return to stove and beat the paste over medium heat for about 2 minutes, until it forms a mass and leaves the sides of the pan.

4. Remove pan from stove. Make a well in the middle of the batter and quickly break an egg into the well. Beat the egg into the batter until it is absorbed. Add each of the remaining eggs, one at a time, beating them each as before. Be sure all are blended and the batter is smooth.

5. Fill a pastry bag, or plastic storage bag with a corner snipped off, with batter. Pipe a tablespoon-sized dollop of batter onto the cookie sheet. Or, drop the batter with a tablespoon. Place puffs about 2 inches apart.

6. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes on top ⅓ rack of the oven, until they are a light brown. Remove and cool completely on a rack.
Make small slits in puffs and fill, using a pastry bag, with Cream Filling. Or, cut through the top of each puff, leaving it connected, and fill with a spoon.

Cream Filling:

1 cup LDF Whipping Cream
3 tablespoons regular or powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Chill a medium glass or stainless steel bowl (do not use plastic) and beaters in the freezer. Beat cream, on high, until it begins to thicken.

Slowly add the sugar, about a teaspoon at a time, blending after each addition, so that all the sugar is evenly incorporated into the cream. Add the vanilla. Beat until cream holds peaks.