Heart-shaped cream puffs are easy Valentine's treat

Do you ever look through a bakery window or gaze at the sumptuous cover shots of gourmet magazines in the grocery checkout and automatically assume that the tempting desserts are probably impossible to prepare? Don't be fooled by the "fancy"!

Turn your kitchen into a pastry shop by following these simple steps for baking cream-puff hearts. Prep, bake and cleanup takes less than an hour . . . wow! And when it's dessert time, the kids can fill them with fruit, whipped cream or pudding . . . yum!

Here's how:

An adult can heat 1 cup water with 1/2 cup butter or margarine to a rolling boil in a saucepan. Stir in 1 cup flour over low heat until the mixture is smooth and forms a ball. Place in a mixing bowl. Help your child crack 4 eggs into the bowl, then beat with an electric mixer. At first the mixture will look like scrambled eggs. Continue beating a few seconds longer until smooth.

Meanwhile, draw 12 3-by-3-inch heart shapes with a pencil on two sheets of parchment paper cut to fit 2 cookie sheets. Press hard enough as you draw so that you can see the hearts on the reverse side. (If you need a pattern for drawing the hearts, cut out a heart on an index card, or simply use a similar-size cookie cutter.) Turn the papers over and lay on cookie sheets. Drop large spoonfuls of dough onto the center of each heart. Let your kids spread the dough with their fingers to make the shapes. After practice, I discovered that the top "V" of the heart should be extra-wide and low to compensate for the expansion of the dough. The bottom "V" shape of the heart should be narrow and pointed.

Bake in a preheated, 375-degree oven for 25 minutes or until slightly puffed and golden. Cool.

To serve, slice each heart horizontally. Fill the inside with whipped cream or pudding. Top with fresh, sliced strawberries cut vertically to reveal heart shapes. Drizzle chocolate sauce on top or, for a lighter touch, let your preschooler dust with a strainer filled with confectioner's sugar.

Write Donna with your questions and ideas at www.donnasday.com. Donna's newly released book, "Donna Erickson's Fabulous Funstuff for Families," is now available in bookstores nationwide. (C) Donna Erickson Distributed by King Features

Copyright C 2003 Deseret News Publishing Co.
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.