Shelly's Recipe

BLACK FOREST CREAM PUFFS

Category: Napoleons/Eclairs/Strudel/Baklava/Cream Puffs

1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
5 eggs
5 cups frozen, unsweetened, pitted, tart red cherries, thawed
Water
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup kirsch or orange juice
3 drops red food coloring
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
1 cup whipping cream, whipped

For cream puffs, in a medium saucepan, combine milk, water and butter. Bring to boiling. Add the all-purpose flour all at once, stirring vigorously. Cook and stir until mixture forms a ball that does not separate. Remove the saucepan from heat. Cool the cream puff mixture for 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating with a wooden spoon after each addition until smooth. Drop dough by heaping tablespoons onto a greased baking sheet for a total of 12 cream puffs. Bake in a 400. oven for about 30 minutes or until golden. Cool puffs on a wire rack. Split puffs and remove any soft dough from inside.

For the cherry filling, place thawed cherries in a sieve over a 2 cup measuring cup; drain the cherries, reserving cherry juice. Add enough water to reserved cherry juice to make 2 cups liquid; set the cherries aside.

In a large saucepan, stir together sugar and cornstarch. Stir in cherry-juice mixture, kirsch and red food coloring. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla and cherries. Cover and refrigerate for about 2 hours or until thoroughly chilled.

To assemble, spoon cherry filling inside puffs. Drizzle puffs with melted chocolate. Serve with whipped cream.