Cream Puff Ring

By carvalhohm

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cut into quarters
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs at room temperature
• 1 package (4-serving size) instant chocolate pudding and pie filling
• 1 cup cold milk
• 1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed

Details

Servings 12
Cooking time 60mins
Adapted from mrfood.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400 degree F.

In a medium-sized saucepan, bring the water, butter, and salt to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the flour all at once and stir quickly with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a ball; remove from the heat. Add 1 egg to the mixture and beat with the wooden spoon to blend. Add the remaining eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

When the dough is smooth, spoon out 1/4 cup at a time, placing the puffs on the outside edge of an ungreased 10-inch pizza pan, forming a ring with the puffs. Each puff should press against the one next to it so that they are all connected. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown and puffy. Cool on the pizza pan on a wire rack.

When the ring is cooled, halfway between the top and bottom, slice all the way around the ring with a sharp knife about three-quarters of the way through the ring, leaving the inside of the ring intact. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the chocolate pudding mix and milk; mix well. Add the whipped topping and mix until thoroughly combined.

Carefully lift the outside edges of the ring, and spoon the chocolate mixture into the ring until it is completely filled. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

Notes

You can also make these as individual cream puffs. Just spoon the mounds of dough onto a cookie sheet so that the edges are not touching. When finished baking and completely cooled, cut each puff in half horizontally and proceed as above.

To make a scrumptious chocolate glaze, in a small saucepan, combine 1/4 cup sugar, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, 1/3 cup water, and 1/2 ounce (1/2 square) unsweetened chocolate over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is thickened, bubbly and smooth. Remove from the heat, stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, and drizzle over the cream puff ring before refrigerating.