Cream Puffs

Kitchen of Kathy Thomander
Kirsten requested this recipe, so here it is! There is a Danish shop in Colorado that sells the best, and I just try to copy. I have made these several times trying to perfect them. I'm still working on it. I have fun trying new fillings. I hope you do too!

-1 cup water
-½ cup butter
-1/8 tsp. salt
-1 cup all-purpose flour
-4 eggs

*Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium saucepan combine water, butter, and salt. Bring to boiling. Add flour all at once, stirring vigorously. Cook and stir until mixture forms a ball. Remove from heat. Cool for 10 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well with a wooden spoon after each egg.
*Drop dough by 12 heaping tablespoons onto a greased baking sheet. (Use a second spoon to scrape off dough.) Swirl into a ball. Bake at 400 for 30-35 minutes, or until golden. Use your nose and keep an eye on them near end of time.
*For smaller ones, use a small cookie scoop and spoon to make mini balls. It makes 24. Cook for only 20 minutes, and be sure to watch them! They cook faster. Cool on a rack.
*When cooled you can cut the tops off, and remove the dough inside for the filling. (I have an Easy Accent Decorator from Pampered Chef now, so I don’t cut the tops off. I just make a little hole and pipe in the filling. If you don’t have one you could try using a pastry piping bag, or use a Ziploc bag with the filling and cut a small corner off.)
*Makes 12 cream puffs, store in bags and refrigerate leftovers once they have been filled.

Filling:
My filling is always different! This is the base I use. (You can use anything though, ice cream, whipped cream, pudding, flavored syrups, cream cheese, and any combination, be creative!)

-1 brick cream cheese, softened(I prefer the less fat kind, then I feel better.)
-¾ cups granulated sugar, or to desired sweetness
(powdered sugar, or Splenda, whatever you use to sweeten)
-1 pint heavy whipping cream or Tub of Whipped Topping
**Reserve 1/4 -1/2 cup of heavy cream for chocolate topping.
-1 Tbsp vanilla extract (or 1/4 cup Torani Vanilla syrup is good too.)
Optional: I tried using Torani Raspberry Syrup, ¼ -½ cup? It was yummy. Mix in desired amount according to taste. Or try extracts like mint, or orange might be good too!

Directions:
Leave cream cheese out of fridge to soften. Beat the whipping cream and sweeten to taste. Set aside. Then beat the cream cheese in mixer until very creamy and smooth. Add sugar, a little at a time. Add whipped topping, a little at a time, (otherwise it gets lumpy!) scraping sides of bowl often with spatula. Add vanilla and syrup. Add things according to your taste.

Topping:
-3/4 bag milk chocolate chips
-Heavy whipping cream

Directions:
Over LOW heat (high heat scorches chocolate) melt chips in saucepan with about a ¼ cup of cream, just eye it. Cook and stir until combined, being careful not to burn chocolate. Add more cream to thin it.
Spread chocolate over cream puff tops. Enjoy!