Cream Puffs:
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup stick butter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
- 1-2 drops red food coloring
- Heat oven to 400*
- Heat water and butter to rolling boil in 2 1/2 -quart saucepan. Stir in flour; reduce heat to low. Add 1-2 drops of red food coloring or until a light pink color appears; stir vigorously over low heat about 1 minute or until mixture forms a ball; remove from heat.
- Beat in eggs, all at once; continue beating until smooth. Drop dough by scant 1/4 cupfuls about 3 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
- Bake 35-40 minutes or until puffed and golden. Cool away from a draft. Cut off the top third of each puff and pull out any strands of soft dough.
- Fill puffs with cream filling; replace tops. Cover and refrigerate until serving.
Cream Filling:
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups milk
- 2 large egg yolks, slightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons stick butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1-2 drops red food coloring
- Mix sugar, cornstarch, and salt in 2-quart saucepan. Gradually stir in milk.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils.
- Boil and stir 1 minute. Gradually stir at least half of the hot mixture into egg yolks; stir back into hot mixture in saucepan. Boil and stir 1 minute; remove from heat. Stir in butter, vanilla, and red food coloring until light pink color shows; cool.
Buttercream:
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup stick butter, softened
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
- 3-4 drops red food coloring
- Mix powdered sugar and butter in a medium bowl. Stir in vanilla and milk.
- Beat until smooth and spreadable.
Assembly:
- Fill cream puffs with filling about 1-2 inches thick.
- Put the buttercream in a piping bag; cutting a medium tip.
- Frost cream puffs with buttercream, swirling around the outside until coming to the center.
- Place a cherry or bright red candy on top of the frosting (if desired).
Tune in next week for another nerdalicious treat!
