Chocolate Cream Puffs

Whenever I went down island with my Mom to go grocery shopping on Martha's Vineyard when I was little, I always made her stop at Humphreys Bakery, one of my favorite places on the island. Mom would order a Turkey Gobbler sandwich, and I'd get my favorite treat - a chocolate eclair. Even though my six year old tummy couldn't finish the whole thing, I'd do my best and then save the rest for later. I haven't had one of those eclairs for years, but I still remember the crisp pastry, the sweet and vanilla-flavored cream, and the rich chocolate frosting on top.

When I saw Joanne's recipe in the Flour book for Chocolate Eclairs/ Cream Puffs, I decided to see if I could recreate my childhood favorite. Since my mom had a surprise party to go to for a friend and needed a dessert, I chose to make cream puffs. I made the pastry batter, piped it into small balls, and popped them in the oven. 45 minutes or so later, the pastries had puffed up to twice their size and were a beautiful golden brown. When they cooled, I poked small holes in the bottom of each puff and piped the "Tropez Cream" into the airy spaces inside. I then dipped each puff into a chocolate ganache.

I think these may be my favorite treat I've made so far. Unfortunately, I only got one quarter of one, since everyone else ate the rest! But, that one bite I got brought me right back to Humphreys, to a sweet treat that made me feel like I was six again.