Cherry Puff Ring

I love eclairs (or cream puffs as some call them) filled with custard and iced with chocolate. So trying a new pastry filled with a vanilla almond pudding seemed like I was giving up on the old standard. But I like almond flavor as well, and thought I'd give it a shot. And it turned out really well. For those that have never made the eclair pastry, it's a lot easier than what it sounds.

Cherry Cream Puff Ring

For pastry:

1 cup water

1/2 cup butter

1 cup all purpose flour

4 eggs

1 cup milk

3/4 cup sour cream

(1) 4 oz. pkg. vanilla instant pudding mix

1/4 tsp. almond extract

(1) 21 oz. can cherry pie filling

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring water and butter to boil in a 1 qt. saucepan. Add flour, stirring for 1 minute or until mixture forms a ball; remove from heat. Beat in eggs at low speed for 2 minutes. Drop by tablespoonfuls into 8 inch ring on greased baking sheet; smooth with spatula. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Cut off top of ring with sharp knife; discard pastry filaments. Combine milk, sour cream, pudding mix and almond extract in medium mixer bowl; beat at low speed for 1 minute or until smooth. Spoon into pastry ring. Spoon 1/2 c. pie filling over pudding; replace top of ring. Spoon remaining pie filling over top. Chill until serving time. Yield: 10 to 12 servings.

Recipe source: Beta Sigma Phi "Company's Coming" cookbook

This is the top of the pastry ring....cut off

.....pulling out the filaments from the ring and top of ring:

...it kind of looks like a soft scrambled egg....

.....adding the pudding filling....

A festive Christmas dessert! Enjoy!