Recipe for Rita O'Donnell Fries' Cream Puffs

The Puffs

1 cup water
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/8 tsp. salt
1 cup sifted all purpose flour
4 eggs

Combine water, margarine and salt; bring to boiling. Add flour all at once, stir rapidly over heat until mixture forms ball and follows spoon around pan. Cool slightly. Beat in eggs, one at a time; beat well until mixture is smooth and each egg is blended in. (Meanwhile pre-heat oven to 400 degrees). Spoon 8 even mounds about 3 " apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 45 to 50 minutes. Cool and slice in half (creating a top half and a bottom half).

The French Custard Filling

1/3 cup sugar
1 TBLS. flour
1 TBLS. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
1 and 1/2 cups milk (I used whole milk)
1 slightly beaten egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup whipping cream, whipped

In saucepan, combine sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt. Gradually stir in milk. Cook and stir until mixture thickens and boils; cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes longer. Stir a little hot mixture into the egg yolk and then return it to the hot mixture. Cook and stir till mixture just boils. Add vanilla; cool. Beat smooth; fold in the whipped cream. Put approximately equal amounts of the french custard into the bottom halves of each puff and then cover each puff with the top half of the puff. Lick the bowl!

The Chocolate Icing

1 ounce of unsweetened chocolate (or semi-sweet chocolate chips). I used the unsweetened squares.
1 tsp butter
1 cup confectioners' sugar and
about 2 TBLS hot water

Melt 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate square and 1 tsp butter over low heat. Remove from heat; stir in 1 cup confectioners' sugar and "about" 2 TBLS hot water. Beat until smooth. Put some of this delicious chocolate on top of each cream puff and refrigerate the puffs until serving time. Make only for special people whom you really, really love. Eat cream puffs with a big smile on your face and absolutely no guilt in your heart.
Mary Beth