It's amazing just how many parties get squeezed into that three week period surrounding Christmas. People are intent to celebrate, catch up with old friends and blow off a little steam. No doubt you had your fair share of yuletide merry-making this past year. I know I did.
Instead of attending yet another party last night, I decided to end my 2011 on a sweeter note, by baking cream puffs. It seems like most people are accustomed to cupcakes or cheesecakes on New Year's Eve. Cream puffs, or profiteroles as they are also called, are tiny balls of dough, stuffed with a luxurious creme filling. They may be bite-size, but, they're incredibly sophisticated. A single batch can yield dozens but they're quite easy to put together. They make for the ideal party dessert.
Below, is a recipe that's been in my family for years. It was given to my grandmother by one of her closest friends, Gloria Nelson, who was a Home-Ec teacher. To put my own spin on this old classic, I decided to swap out the traditional pastry-creme filling for an almond mascarpone filling. It certainly requires less effort but it's still wonderfully creamy and the almond paste gives it such a lovely nutty flavor. If you have another New Year's party today or an office party later this week, it wouldn't hurt to keep this recipe in mind. I'm sure you'll impress more than just one or two co-workers. Who knows- you just might get that raise this year.
(Courtesy of my Nana's friend & neighbor, Gloria Nelson)
1 cup Water
1/2 cup Margarine
1/8 tsp Salt
1 cup Flour
4 room-temp Eggs
Optional filling-
16 oz. room-temp Mascarpone Cheese
3 tsp Vanilla
4 Tbsp Honey
5 oz. Almond paste
Before starting, make sure that all of your ingredients are room-temperature. The "warmer" your eggs are, the better your dough will rise.
Begin by melting the margarine in a large pot with the salt and water. Bring the mixture to a boil. Remove from the heat and pour in all of the flour. Stir vigorously. It should come together into a ball and not stick to the sides of the pan or spoon.
Add one egg at a time into the mixture. Beat well after each. Once all the eggs have been incorporated, the mixture should be smooth and shiny.
Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes, before reducing to 375 degrees. Continue to bake for 15-20 minutes. Allow the shells to cool completely before filling.
(Tip- You should fill your cream puffs no more than an hour before they're eaten, otherwise the shells will get soggy.)
To make the filling, begin by cutting up the almond paste. It's best if you break it apart with your fingers. Almond paste is VERY thick so to avoid having huge clumps in your filling, cut it up as little as you can.
In a large bowl with a hand mixer or a fairly large food processor, mix together the cheese, honey, paste and vanilla. Beat it until smooth; the more you beat it, the lighter it will become. Cover it and let it harden a bit in the fridge, about 30 minutes.
If you're looking for a pretty presentation, you can either pipe the filling or use your cookie scoop to fill the cream puffs. Make sure to coat the shell tops with either melted chocolate or powdered sugar.
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