Recipe: Chocolate Lovers' Cream Puffs (with chocolate filling and glaze)

CHOCOLATE LOVERS' CREAM PUFFS

FOR THE CREAM PUFFS:
1 cup water
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cut into quarters
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs, at room temperature
FOR THE FILLING:
1 (4 serving size) package instant chocolate pudding and pie filling
1 cup cold milk
1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed
Chocolate Glaze (recipe follows)

TO MAKE THE CREAM PUFFS:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a medium saucepan, bring water, butter, and salt to a boil over medium-high heat. Add flour all at once and stir quickly with a wooden spoon until mixture forms a ball; remove pan from heat.

Add 1 egg and beat with the wooden spoon to blend. Add remaining eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. When dough is smooth, spoon 1/4-cup mounds of dough onto a cookie sheet, leaving 2 inches between each dough mound.

Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden and puffy. Transfer puffs to a wire rack and let cool completely. With a sharp knife, cut puffs in half horizontally.

TO MAKE THE FILLING:
In a medium bowl, combine chocolate pudding mix and milk; mix well. Add whipped topping and mix well. Spoon evenly into puffs.

Prepare Chocolate Glaze and drizzle over cream puffs.

Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

CHOCOLATE GLAZE
Yield: 1/2 cup

1/3 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 ounce (1/2 square) unsweetened chocolate
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a small saucepan, combine water, sugar, cornstarch, and chocolate. Cook over low heat until chocolate melts and mixture is thickened, bubbly, and smooth, stirring constantly.

Remove saucepan from heat and stir in vanilla. Use immediately.

Yield: 1 dozen
Adapted from source: Mr. Food's Easy Cooking May/June 2000