1 c. water
1/2 c. butter
1 c. all purpose flour
4 eggs, slightly beaten
Cream filling
Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring water and butter to a boil in saucepan. Stir in flour with a wooden spoon. Stir vigorously over low heat until mixture forms a ball, about 1 minute; remove from heat. Beat in eggs, all at once; continue beating with wooden spoon until smooth. Drop about 1/4 cup dough about 3 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees 35 to 40 minutes until pulled and golden brown. Cool. Cut off tops; pull out soft portion of dough and discard. Fill puffs with cream filling. Replace tops. Dust with powdered sugar. Refrigerate until serving time.

Variation: Omit cream filling. Fill with ice cream, pudding (chocolate with a couple drops of peppermint extract is my favorite), or fresh fruit.

CREAM FILLING:

1/3 c. sugar
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1/8 tsp. salt
2 c. milk
2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
2 tbsp. butter, softened
2 tsp. vanilla

Mix sugar, cornstarch and salt in a 2 quart saucepan. Stir milk in gradually. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil 1 minute. Stir at least half of the mixture gradually into the egg yolks. Blend egg mixture into remaining hot mixture. Boil and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat, stir in butter and vanilla. Cool.