PATE CHOUX (cream puff dough)

Preheat oven 425°F and line baking sheet with parchment. Set aside. In heavy bottomed saucepan, combine water, butter, shugar and salt. Bring to rolling boil. Remove from heat and add the flour, all at once, quickly stirring to incorporate flour into liquid. Return pan to stove, and over medium low heat continue to cook and stir the dough over the fire. Do this until the dough pulls away from the sides of the pan and forms a ball. Remove dough from pan; place in mixer bowl fitted with paddle and mix the dough on low to cool it down to about 140°F. which is still quite warm to the touch, but cool enough to add the eggs without cooking them. Raise the speed of the mixer to medium, add 1 egg at a time waiting until each egg is incorporated before adding the next. Transfer the completed dough to a pastry bag fitted with round tip or fluted round tip for a ridge design.

Meanwhile, place silver dollar sized circle over a parchment paper and draw a circle around it, keeping your spacing to fit 8 each on the paper. When all are drawn, invert on baking pan, and use to pipe on your individual cream puffs by following the circle line and filling it in for each puff. Repeat until all 8 are done. Bake in preheated 425°F oven for first 15 minutes; reduce heat to 350°F and continue cooking for 15 more minutes. Turn off oven and open door slightly. Pierce the pastry with the tip of a paring knife to vet the stem. Allow them to dry and cool completely, about 1 hour in oven that is OFF. Once cooled, at service slice in half and fill with pastry cream or whipped cream.

Decorate with melted chocolate, raspberry sauce or fresh caramel.