Puff pastry cream pods

★Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 large eggs

For the cream filling

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

★Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, water, and salt. Heat over medium heat until the butter is melted and the mixture comes to a boil.
3. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and let it cool for about 5 minutes.
4. Reduce the heat to low and add the flour all at once, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan.
5. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, until the dough is smooth and glossy.
6. Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe small mounds onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving space between each puff.
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the puffs are golden brown and puffed up.
8. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.

For the cream filling

1. In a mixing bowl, whip the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form.
2. Transfer the whipped cream to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip.
3. Once the pastry puffs have cooled, use a sharp knife to slice off the top third of each puff.
4. Pipe the whipped cream into the bottom two-thirds of each puff, then replace the top.
5. Dust with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

Enjoy!