Cream Puff Cake

Certainly! Here’s a recipe for Jean’s Cream Puff Cake:

Ingredients:

• For the cream puff shells:
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs
• For the cream filling:
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• For the chocolate glaze:
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the water, butter, and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.
3. Remove the saucepan from heat and quickly stir in the flour until a ball of dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the pan.
4. Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl and let it cool for a couple of minutes. Then, using an electric mixer or by hand, beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. The dough should be smooth and shiny.
5. Spoon or pipe the dough onto the prepared baking sheet in the desired shape and size for your cream puffs. Leave enough space between each puff as they will expand during baking.
6. Bake the cream puffs in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until they are golden brown and crisp. Avoid opening the oven door during baking, as it can cause them to collapse. Once done, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool completely.
7. In the meantime, prepare the cream filling. In a mixing bowl, whip the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract together until stiff peaks form.
8. Slice the cooled cream puffs in half horizontally. Fill the bottom halves with the whipped cream filling and replace the tops.
9. To make the chocolate glaze, heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to simmer. Remove from heat and add the chopped chocolate and butter to the saucepan. Let it sit for a minute, then stir until the chocolate and butter melt and the glaze is smooth.
10. Pour the chocolate glaze over the assembled cream puffs, allowing it to drip down the sides.
11. Refrigerate the cream puff cake for at least 1 hour before serving to allow the filling to set and the glaze to firm up.
12. Serve chilled and enjoy!

Note: You can also dust the cream puff cake with powdered sugar or decorate it with additional whipped cream or fresh fruit, if desired.