Lemon Cream Puff

Ingredients

Pastry

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

Lemon Curd Filling

• 1/8 cup fresh lemon zest
• 2-3 lemons, enough to make 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 4 egg yolks
• 6 Tablespoons butter (3/4 stick),cut into 6 pieces,at room temperature
• (Makes about 1 1/2 cups)

Garnish

• confectioners' sugar for sprinkling

Directions

Pastry

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. To make the pastry. In a large pot, bring water and butter to a rolling boil.
3. Stir in flour and salt until the mixture forms a ball. Transfer the dough to a large mixing bowl.
4. Using a wooden spoon or stand mixer, beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each.
5. Drop by tablespoonfuls or pipe onto an ungreased baking sheet.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown.
7. When the shells are cool, Cut them in half.

Lemon Curd Filling

1. Zest your lemons.
2. Squeeze the lemons for the juice.
3. Seperate the egg yolks from the whites. You only need the yolks for this recipe.
4. In a heat proof bowl, combine the lemon zest, juice, sugar and salt and stir together.
5. Select a pan to fit the heat proof bowl and put about two inches of water in it. Bring it to the boil, then turn it down to simmer.
6. Put the heat proof bowl with ingredients already in it into the pot with the heated water.
7. Whisk in the egg yolks.
8. Let this cook for about 7-10 minutes, whisking while it is cooking. Once the mixture thickens you can remove it from the hot water pot.
9. Whisk in the butter pieces, one at a time until all the butter is in the curd. Strain the curd through a sieve to remove the zest.
10. Transfer to a container and let cool before using in the puffs.
11. Keep any extra lemon curd in the refrigerator for another use.

Assembly

1. Spoon some lemon into the cream puffs and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.