COCOA PUFFS

Steps:

• Choux Pastry:.
• Heat oven to 400°F.
• Put the water and butter in a saucepan and heat to boiling.
• Remove from heat, add the flour and stir until a ball of dough forms and pulls away from the side of the pan.
• Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Scoop onto foil-lined baking sheet. I used a pastry bag with a wide tip to make little balls. Make them small, approximately an inch in diameter or so, you want these to be one or two bites per puff.
• Bake at 400 for 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 325 and bake for 30 minutes, or until dry-looking. When done, they should easily be removed from the foil.
• Allow to cool completely. I left them in the (cold) oven overnight.
• Chocolate Pastry Cream Filling:.
• Put sugar, egg yolks, flour and vanilla into a saucepan and mix well.
• In a separate saucepan, and milk and butter and heat to scalding.
• Very slowly, add the milk mixture to the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly.
• Cook on low heat, stirring, until the mixture reaches the boiling point.
• Cook 4 minutes longer, stirring constantly.
• Add the grated chocolate and cook one minute longer.
• Remove from heat, pour into a bowl and let cool, stirring occasionally.
• Once cool, press plastic wrap to the surface (to keep a skin from forming) and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Note that this filling is not very sweet, you may want to add more sugar to taste.
• Chantilly Frosting:.
• Combine milk, sugar, egg yolks, butter, vanilla and salt in a saucepan. Use a large saucepan as the mixture bubbles and spits during cooking.
• Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick, approximately 12 minutes.
• Remove from heat, and continue to stir until cool and thick.
• Use immediately or refrigerate for later use (it will become quite thick but still spreadable).
• Assembly:.
• Use the tip of a knife to make a small hole in the bottom of each pastry puff.
• Using a pastry bag, fill the puffs with the chocolate pastry cream filling.
• Frost the tops of the puffs with the chantilly frosting, My frosting was pretty thick, but I could still spread it with a butter knife.
• Enjoy! Store leftovers in the refrigerator but they won't last long!