Almond Cream Puffs

In a large saucepan, combine the milk, water, butter, sugar and salt. Bring to a slow simmer over medium heat and let the butter fully melt. Remove from heat and add the flour. Whisk the flour into the liquid and return to the heat for one minute, stirring continuously.

Remove from heat and place the mixture in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Turn the mixer on and add the eggs one at a time, allowing each to fully incorporate before adding the next. Once the batter is smooth and no lumps remain, place the batter in a large piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Or if you’d like, use a regular bag and snip a hole in the corner of the bag, about 1/2 inch in diameter.

Preheat your oven to 375 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment. I flipped over the parchment prior to piping and used a drinking glass to trace the 3-inch rounds with a pencil. I then flipped the parchment over and piped within the traced rounds.

Set one of the baking sheets aside. On the first baking sheet, pipe the batter into rounds, about 3 inches in diameter. Sprinkle half of the 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar over the tops of the dough, reserving the second half for the second batch. You should be able to safely get 12 rounds on each pan. Pipe the second pan of pastries only after the first have come out of the oven.

Put the first sheet into the heated oven. Bake the rounds for 35-40 minutes, until a very dark golden brown. Remove pan from oven and set it on a rack. Repeat with the second sheet of dough rounds. Allow them to cool completely before filling.

To fill:
In a medium sized bowl, whip the cream, sugar and extract using a mixer until stiff peaks form. Put the mixture into a pastry bag that has been fitted with a small round tip. Pierce a small hole in the bottom of the pastry (I used a chopstick) and insert the pastry tip. Fill each puff with cream, sprinkle the top with confectioners’ sugar and almonds and serve.

These can be made up to 6 hours in advance. You can also freeze the puffs prior to filling with whipped cream if you need to make them ahead. Fill just prior to serving.

Recipe adapted from mimithorisson.com.