Cream Puffs:
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
2 tsp sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
4 eggs
Cherry Mousse Filling:
1 pkg mascarpone cheese, softened
2 tbsp marachino cherry juice
1 tsp cherry flavoring
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
Garnish:
Maraschino cherries and sliced almonds (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a medium saucepan, combine water, butter and sugar then bring to a boil over medium high heat. Add flour all at once, stirring constantly over low heat, until mixture leaves side of pan and forms a ball. Remove pan from heat and let cool for a minute or two. With an electric mixer, beat eggs into flour mixture one at a time, beating well after each egg, until batter is smooth and glossy. Drop cream puff mixture, by heaping tablespoons, onto prepared cookie sheets. There should be 24 blobs of batter. Leave plenty of room between them for expansion as they puff to more than double when baking. Bake for 35 minutes, then open oven door and quickly cut a hole into the side of each puff to allow steam to escape, and continue to bake for another 5 minutes. The puffs should be golden brown with a crisp exterior. Let cool completely. Filling: In a bowl, add mascarpone, cherry juice, flavoring, cream cheese and powdered sugar then whip. Slice the top off each puff and spoon in some Cherry Mousse Filling. Replace the top and arrange on a platter. When all puffs are filled, dust lightly with powdered sugar and serve. Garnish with maraschino cherries and sliced almonds, if desired.



Notes: These are adorable and fit for a princess or king. The gentle flavor of these delicious ditties creates a sumptuous taste that truly satisfies the need for a decadent treat.



Number of Servings: 8-9