Ingredients:
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sifted flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 (3 1/2 ounce) packages vanilla instant pudding mix
1 1/4 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream, whipped
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 teaspoons milk
1 1/2 teaspoons white corn syrup
4 ounces sliced almonds, toasted
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 F.
In medium saucepan over high heat, heat 1 cup of water with 1/2 cup of butter until mixture boils.
Turn heat to low and add 1 cup of sifted flour and 1/4 tsp salt.
Stir vigorously over low heat until dough leaves the side of the pan in a smooth compact ball about 1 minute.
Quickly transfer dough to a large bowl and with electric mixer at medium speed, beat in 4 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Continue beating until dough is smooth and satiny.
On lightly floured cookie sheet, using a dinner plate as a guide, trace a circle.
Drop heaping measuring tablespoons full of dough just inside the circle to form a ring, making sure each dropful touches the one next to it (this is what will hold your ring together once baked).
Bake 40 minutes or until golden brown and firm.
Turn oven heat off and allow puff ring to rest in the oven 15 minutes.
Then place on a rack to cool way from any draft.
Once cool, CAREFULLY cut ring in half and remove soft interior with a spoon and discard, leaving the hollowed shell.
Combine pudding mix and 1 1/4 cups milk in medium bowl and mix for 3 minutes, then refrigerate 30 minutes until set.
Remove pudding from frige and gradually fold in the whipped cream and almond extract.
Fill bottom shell with pudding mixture and set top shell in place.
In double boiler, over hot (not boiling) water, melt the chocolate chips with 1 tbsp of butter, 1 1/2 tsp milk and 1 1/2 tsp corn syrup until smooth.
Spread on top of cream puff ring and immediately sprinkle with the toasted sliced almonds so they adhere to the chocolate then refrigerate.
To serve, slice the ring into individual cream puff portions& enjoy.
Servings: Serve
Time preparation: 45 min.
Time total: 165 min.