I was going to call these Cream Puffs, but my daughter insisted that these are cream sandwiches ! She said cream puffs should have a hole to fill the cream inside the puffs… OK, OK… So, now I call them Choux Pastry puffs ! Whatever it’s called, they look cute and are absolutely delicious ! (Actually I think Choux Pastry Puffs sounds fancier !) They will be a perfect dessert for your upcoming holiday dinners! 

Makes about 16 puffs 

• 200 mL water
• 90 g unsalted butter
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 30 g  granulated or vanilla sugar 
• 120 g all-purpose flour
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons icing sugar, plus more for dusting, sifted 
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 
• 50 g semi-sweet chocolate (melted), for drizzling

1. To prepare the whipped cream, place a mixing bowl into freezer for about 15 minutes 
2. Using an electric mixer, whisk together whipping cream, 2 tablespoons of icing sugar and vanilla, in the cold mixing bowl, until stiff peak is formed 
3. Refrigerate until use 
4. To prepare the choux paste, heat together water, butter, salt and granulated or vanilla sugar in a pot over medium heat until just starting to boil
5. Turn heat down to low, add flour all at once
6. Stirring constantly, cook until a thin film of paste formed at the bottom of the pot, about 5 minutes
7. Transfer paste to a heat-proofed mixing bowl and cool down
8. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350ºF and prepare piping bag with desired piping tip
9. Add eggs to paste, one at a time and mix well after each addition
10. Transfer to piping bag and pipe into rounds on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, no bigger than 2 inches in diameter 
11. Bake at 350ºF  for about 12-14 minutes until starting to brown, turn heat down to 325°F and bake for another 15 minutes until golden (if puffs are under baked, they will collapse after taken out)
12. Turn heat off, leave puffs inside oven for about 15 -20 minutes with oven door ajar
13. Take puffs out, let cool on baking sheets, then completely on rack 
14. Cut puffs in halves, fill centres with whipped cream
15. Drizzle with melted chocolate and dust with icing sugar, serve immediately