I’ve been playing with different ideas for a cream puff for a while.  Traditional, chocolate, butterscotch, and spring.  A big spring flavor is strawberry.  How many people have strawberry shortcake on Memorial Day weekend? The pastry is simple and once you master it, you can make eclairs too.

Cream puffs:

1 cup water

1 tablespoon milk

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup flour

4 eggs

Heat oven to 400

Heat water, butter and salt in sauce pan and bring to a boil

Add flour; mix until absorbed

Let cool for 30 minutes

Add eggs one at a time and mix until dough is smooth and creamy

Place dough into a plastic bag with a piping top

On a parchment lined baking sheet, pipe dough making each puff two inches wide and one inch high

Bake for 24- 30 minutes until light golden brown

Strawberry filling:

8 oz (1 cup) whipping cream

1/2 cup strawberries, mashed

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon strawberry extract (or add 1 teaspoon of vodka to the strawberries and let sit for one hour)

Place whipping cream in freezer for 15 minutes before whipping

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients until creamy

Cut cream puffs in half and fill with whipped cream mixture