Hannah’s 1st Note: Total time for beating in the eggs by hand is about 5 minutes. A hand mixer also works, but the dough gets caught inside the beaters and you must poke it out with a rubber spatula after each egg has been added to the dough.

Test your dough by lifting out a spoonful and dropping it on top of the rest of the dough. If it stays on top and maintains its shape, it’s ready to bake. If not, beat it some more until it does.

Drop the dough by large spoonfuls onto the cookie sheet. Make 12 mounds of dough, and if they need shaping, do so with damp fingers. Don’t crowd the puffs. They should be at least 3 inches apart. (If you want to make mini puffs, drop small spoonfuls on the sheets, 15 to each sheet.)

Bake at 400 degrees F. for 45 to 50 minutes for the large puffs. (Mini puffs bake 30 to 35 minutes.) DON’T OPEN THE OVEN TO PEEK! Finished cream puffs should feel firm to the touch and be golden brown.

Remove the cream puffs from the oven and pierce the side of each one with the point of a sharp knife. (This isn’t necessary for the mini puffs.) Cool the puffs on the baking sheet, careful to keep them away from drafts.

Cut off the top third of each puff for the lid. Remove any filaments of dough inside the bottoms and fill the puffs with sweetened whipped cream, Emmy’s Vanilla Custard, Great-Grandma’s Chocolate Pudding, ice cream, or any flavor of pie filling. Overfill a bit so the lids sit jauntily on top of the filling. Dust each one with powdered sugar and serve. If you want messy but yummy, you can drizzle a bit of chocolate sauce or icing over the tops. 107

Hannah’s 2nd Note: You can make these puffs a day ahead and store them, tightly covered, in a dry place like a kitchen cupboard. You can also fill them, wrap them tightly, and freeze them. Just thaw frozen cream puffs, dust them with powdered sugar, and serve.

Yield: 12 large cream puffs or 30 mini cream puffs.

EMMY’S VANILLA CUSTARD

1/2 cup white (granulated) sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

1/3 cup flour (not sifted)

1 cup whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

2 beaten eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 ounce (1/4 stick) butter

Combine the sugar, salt, nutmeg, and flour in a saucepan off the heat. Stir well.

Gradually stir in the milk and the cream. Blend everything together off the heat.

Turn the burner on medium high heat and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. (This takes about 10 minutes on my stove.)

Remove the saucepan from the heat, but LEAVE THE BURNER ON.

Break the eggs into a small bowl and quickly beat them with a whisk until they’re well mixed.

Stir several Tablespoons of the hot mixture into the bowl with the eggs. Whisk until it’s incorporated.