Cream Puffs

(Few people realize how easily cream puffs may be made at home. Follow the directions carefully and you are sure to succeed.)

One-half cup butter
One cup boiling water
One-fourth level teaspoon salt
One cup flour
Four eggs

Place the butter, water and salt in a small pan over the fire. When the mixture boils, remove the pan from the stove. Add the flour all at once. Beat vigorously for three minutes. Add the eggs one at a time and unbeaten, and beat for three minutes after each egg is added.

Drop from the end of a spoon onto a greased baking pan. Space three inches. Bake in a moderately hot oven for thirty minutes.

Make a slit in the side of each puff and fill with Cream Filling.

Cream Filling for Eclairs or Cream Puffs

Two-thirds cup sugar
One-third cup flour
One-eighth level teaspoon salt
Two cups milk
Two eggs
One teaspoon vanilla
One teaspoon lemon extract

Mix the sugar, flour and salt in the upper part of a double boiler. Add the milk and cook for fifteen minutes, or until the filling is creamy.

Add the eggs, well beaten, and cook for two minutes. Add the extracts and beat well. Cool and fill eclairs or cream puffs with the filling.

Mocha Cream Puffs

(A delicious variation of this Cream Puff recipe.)

For the shells, follow the recipe for plain Cream Puffs. Use with Mocha Filling.

Mocha Filling

One-half cup sugar
One-third cup flour
One-eighth level teaspoon salt
One and three-fourths cups strong coffee
Two eggs, well-beaten
One teaspoon vanilla

Mix the sugar, flour and salt in the upper part of a double boiler. Add the coffee and cook until the mixture is thick and creamy. (About fifteen minutes.) Add the eggs and cook for two minutes. Add the vanilla. Cool and use as filling for Eclairs or Cream Puffs.

Cream Puffs With Cocoanut Cream Filling

(If properly made, this dessert will “melt in your mouth.”)

For shells, use the recipe for plain Cream Puffs. Add the Cocoanut Cream Filling.

Cocoanut Cream Filling

One-half cup sugar
One-third cup flour
One-eighth level teaspoon salt
One and three-fourths cups milk
Two egg yolks
One-third cup cocoanut
One teaspoon vanilla
One-half teaspoon lemon extract

Mix the sugar, flour and salt in the upper part of a double boiler. Add the milk and cook slowly for fifteen minutes. Add the egg yolks and cocoanut and cook for three minutes. Add the extracts and when cool fill the cream puffs. Sprinkle powdered sugar over the tops.

Chocolate Eclairs

(A universal favorite.)

Cream Puff Mixture. (See Cream Puff recipe)
Chocolate Filling. (See Custard Cream recipe under Chocolate Torte)
Three tablespoons boiling water
One teaspoon vanilla
One-eighth level teaspoon salt
Three-fourths cup sifted powdered sugar

Shape the cream puff mixture into long eclairs, four inches by one inch wide. Place four inches apart in a greased pan. Bake in a hot oven for thirty minutes. Make small incisions in the sides and insert the Chocolate Filling.

Mix the boiling water, vanilla and salt, add the powdered sugar slowly until a soft creamy icing is formed. Spread over the top of the eclairs.