Profiteroles

Once a while, my friends and I met for lunch by the seaside at the back of our children's school. Soon after the school's over, we would bring the lunches from home and the children from school and head to the beach. We would find excuses to do this potluck and today was one of them. Since we were still in Syawal month, still celebrating Hariraya Aidilfitri and coincidentally our Independence had just passed, we gathered for lunch today for just that reasons. The ladies brought alot of wonderful foods. There were laksa penang, nasi minyak, nasi hujan panas, curry mee, spaghetti, bubur kacang, Raya cookies, hot and cold drinks. I brought profiteroles. It's cream puff filled with vanilla pastry cream. I sprinkled them with icing sugar. However, I was so pressed for time today that I couldnt make its chocolate sauce. Nevertheless, it was a hit....

RECIPES:    PROFITEROLES

1/2 cup butter
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all purpose flour
4 eggs
Confectioners' sugar

In a saucepan, heat butter, water and salt over medium heat until it boils. Remove from heat. Add flour all at once. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until mixture forms a ball. Preheat oven to 375*F.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition until smooth. Cool mixture slightly. Using a piping bag, pipe drops of the batter on greased cookie sheets, swirling top of each. Push top of each moulds with tip of slightly wet finger to prevent it from burnt. Bake 15-20 mins or until brown. Prepare the cream.

Vanilla Pastry Cream:

3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoons of salt
1 1/2 cup fresh milk
6 egg yolks
1 1/2 vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups whipping cream (or ready made whipped cream, if you are lazy like me)

In a saucepan, combine sugar, flour and salt. Stir in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring until mixture thickens and boils ( about 10 mins). Beat eggs slightly in a bowl. Beat small amount of milk mixture into the egg yolks and slowly pour egg mixture back into the milk mixture, stirring.Cook over medium low heat, stirring until mixture thickens. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla extract. Cool it down, cover with plastic wrap and chill. In a small bowl with mixer at a medium speed, beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form, Gently fold cream into the chilled custard.

When puffs are cooled, fill each with the chilled vanilla pastry cream. I used a piping bag with small noozle to fill the cream into the puffs. Sprinkle tops of the puffs with some confectioners' sugar.