# Chicken Puffs



## Somebunny (Feb 12, 2011)

Chicken Puffs

Pastry: Heat to boiling in saucepan
1 C. water
1/2 C butter
Stir in 1 C flour. Stir constantly over low heat until mixture leaves sides of pan and forms a ball (about 1 minute).
Beat n 4 eggs, one at a time. Beat until smooth and glossy (a wooden or bamboo spoon works well for this, you will need some "elbow grease").
Drop pastry from spoon onto ungreased baking sheet. ("blobs" should be about as big around as a quarter). Bake until dry in a 400 degree oven(about 20 minutes). Makes 36-40 small puffs for appetizers.

Filling: Combine following ingredients and blend until smooth:
8-12 oz. can of chicken
8 oz. package of cream cheese
1/2 C mayonaise (adjust for your taste, if mixture seems dry add more)
2-3 green onions finely chopped
2-3 celery stalks finely chopped
Seasoning to taste (garlic, salt, pepper etc.)

When pastries are cool, pull apart or cut in half and fill one half with the chicken mixture (heaping) put the other half of pastry on top. They will look like mini cream puffs! Crab or Tuna can be used in place of the chicken and you might want to experiment with other finely chopped veggies or add parsley or??? Or just use your own favorite chicken salad recipe. I sometimes add chopped green grapes or pineapple. 

The unfilled puffs will keep in the refrigerator for a few days and they freeze well, just thaw slightly before filling.


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## DaveSoMD (Feb 12, 2011)

LOL!  Last night I was thinking of trying to make cream puffs this weekend for a valentines day dessert.  I even pulled out the recipe I have for pate a choux.  

I think this is telling me that I have to dive in and try to make it.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Feb 12, 2011)

DaveSoMD said:


> LOL! Last night I was thinking of trying to make cream puffs this weekend for a valentines day dessert. I even pulled out the recipe I have for pate a choux.
> 
> I think this is telling me that I have to dive in and try to make it.


 

Pate a choux, very easy, you will wonder why you never did it before.


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## Kayelle (Feb 12, 2011)

Thanks so much Bunny, I have that all copied and pasted for my next party.  I can imagine these with with shrimp or crab salad too!!
Very nice.


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## licia (Feb 12, 2011)

I made about 300 of these (not exactly the same recipe) for our daughter's wedding party. - not a one left.


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## Somebunny (Feb 12, 2011)

licia said:


> I made about 300 of these (not exactly the same recipe) for our daughter's wedding party. - not a one left.


 
Me too licia!  I know I made at least 300 maybe even 450 for our daughter's wedding and you are right not a scrap was left.  But then there wasn't a scrap of anything left and I think there were only about 95-100 people there!


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## Somebunny (Feb 12, 2011)

DaveSoMD said:


> LOL! Last night I was thinking of trying to make cream puffs this weekend for a valentines day dessert. I even pulled out the recipe I have for pate a choux.
> 
> I think this is telling me that I have to dive in and try to make it.


 
Sounds like fate to me Dave!


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## DaveSoMD (Feb 13, 2011)

Okay I tried making the pate a choux this afternoon.  

It wasn't my best baking experience but certainly not my worst either.  I know what I did wrong.  I didn't cook the dough enough after adding the flour and it was still to moist.  When I added in the eggs it just became too soft and was not stiff enough to stay in the piping bag.  I managed to get enough in the bag and onto the tray to make 10 minis.  They look okay and the one I tried tasted pretty good.  

I'll try again another time, but at least I can say I made it once.


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## Mimizkitchen (Feb 13, 2011)

DaveSoMD said:


> Okay I tried making the pate a choux this afternoon.
> 
> It wasn't my best baking experience but certainly not my worst either.  I know what I did wrong.  I didn't cook the dough enough after adding the flour and it was still to moist.  When I added in the eggs it just became too soft and was not stiff enough to stay in the piping bag.  I managed to get enough in the bag and onto the tray to make 10 minis.  They look okay and the one I tried tasted pretty good.
> 
> I'll try again another time, but at least I can say I made it once.



Dave, you must absolutely cook the dough till it pulls off the side of the pot, and then beat your eggs in one at a time... I remember the first time I made pate a choux, I think I was about 15, and I thought my life as a cook was over... How wrong I was, I grew up to have a very successful catering business along with my great girlfriend... We were both self taught so there were many mistakes along the way... All and all a fabulous time of my life...


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## DaveSoMD (Feb 13, 2011)

Thanks Mimiz. I realized what I had done wrong. I also should have turned the heat down to low as I was cooking out the extra moisture.  That wasn't in the directions but was in the video.


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## Mimizkitchen (Feb 13, 2011)

DaveSoMD said:


> Thanks Mimiz. I realized what I had done wrong. I also should have turned the heat down to low as I was cooking out the extra moisture.  That wasn't in the directions but was in the video.



Happy to hear you realized what you had done wrong  Many people are intimidated by pate a choux, but is is one of the easiest pastries you can make...


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## PrincessFiona60 (Feb 14, 2011)

I love making it and filling it with curry!  I make them so they will hold about 4 ounces!


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