Thaw the dessert overnight in your fridge, then decorate it with the toppings and almonds right before serving.
Cream Puff Dessert Tips
Does the water have to be boiling?
The water should be at a full rolling boil for best results. You want the butter and water to be thoroughly (if temporarily) mixed when you add the flour so the butter can coat the strands of gluten and make them nice and stretchy.
Can I make actual cream puffs from the same dough?
You certainly can. It’s exactly the same kind of dough (technically a stiff batter, though that’s a fine distinction) used to make cream puffs. To make cream puffs, scoop the dough into a large piping bag with a round or star tip and pipe out little mounds of soft dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Start them the same way, in a 400° oven, then once they’re fully puffed and golden, turn the oven down to 200° and give them another 15 to 20 minutes to dry out. This helps keep the cream puffs from being doughy inside or collapsing as they cool. As for how to fill them, look at our cream puff recipes for inspiration.
Can I make this as individual servings rather than one large pan?
You can, though it’s a bit challenging because of how the crust puffs. In a muffin pan, for example, the cream puff dough will try to expand and fill the whole space. Your best bet is to smear small rounds of the dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet, then pipe a thin rim of dough around their edges. When baked, they’ll make nice little individual cases for the filling. Alternatively, bake up individual cases with puff pastry, as you would to make vol-au-vents as appetizers, and use that instead of the cream puff dough.
Could I do a savory version of this?
Oh, you bet! The dough is often used for a cheesy appetizer version of cream puffs called gougeres, so it works well in savory applications. You could use the cream puff crust to hold a batch of your favorite party dip, for example. When your guests get to the bottom, they can simply tear up the crust to get those last bits of goodness. You might also try it with the filling from one of our savory cheesecakes or a par-cooked frittata filling just at the stage where you’d normally slide your skillet into the oven.
Ingredients
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 large eggs, room temperature
filling:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
3-1/2 cups cold 2% milk
2 packages (3.9 ounces each) instant chocolate pudding mix
topping:
1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1/4 cup chocolate ice cream topping
1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping
1/3 cup chopped almonds
Directions
1
In a large saucepan, bring the water and butter to a boil over medium heat. Add flour all at once; stir until a smooth ball forms. Remove from the heat; let stand for 5 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until mixture is smooth and shiny.
2
Spread into a greased 13×9-in. baking dish. Bake at 400° for 30-35 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
3
For filling, beat the cream cheese, milk and pudding mix in a large bowl until smooth. Spread over puff; refrigerate for 20 minutes.
4
Spread whipped topping over puff base; refrigerate until serving. Before serving, drizzle with the chocolate and caramel toppings; sprinkle with almonds. Refrigerate leftovers.
Nutrition Facts
1 piece: 381 calories, 23g fat (14g saturated fat), 122mg cholesterol, 354mg sodium, 34g carbohydrate (20g sugars, 1g fiber), 8g protein.
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