Cream Puff Valentine

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 4 eggs
• 3 1/8 oz package vanilla pudding mix; the cooked kind
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pint fresh strawberries; halved or 20 oz package frozen strawberries thawed, drained
• confectioners sugar

Method 

Preheat oven to 400°F. Fold a 9 by 8 1/2 inch piece of paper in half. Sketch half of a heart on it; cut out. Open the paper to a full heart. Trace with a pencil on a baking sheet or parchment paper. Lightly grease the baking sheet, if not using parchment paper. Heat the water and butter to boiling; reduce the heat. Add the flour, stirring vigorously over low heat for about one minute until the mixture forms a ball. Remove from the heat. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth after each addition. Drop the mixture by spoonfuls, with sides touching, onto the heart outline on the baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool on a rack. Mix the pudding mix and milk in a saucepan; cook according to the package directions. Cool completely. Whip the cream and add to the cooled pudding. Fold in the vanilla extract. Cut off top of the heart cream puff. Fill with the cream filling and top with strawberries. Replace the top of creampuff. Dust with confectioners sugar. Serve at once.

Submitted by Randi