Puff the Magic Pastry

A neighbor once said of Turkey a la King, “How can anything that we all ate as children be fit for a king?” Most of us decided long ago that there was nothing kingly about the dish, and we usually never try to pass it off as anything more than good leftovers. But add some cream puff pastry to that dinner plate--a crisp, light cup to cradle the stuff--and you have a meal that is more regal than mundane.

Today, pate a choux , as the French call cream puff pastry, is something that everyday cooks shy away from, which is why it adds such an elegant touch to creamed turkey.

But cream puffs’ daunting reputation needn’t scare you away. Using the microwave, here is a simplified method: Heat the water and butter to boiling and rapidly stir in the remaining ingredients outside of the oven. No pastry bag is needed to form the puff cups.

Just about foolproof, this method produces lovely golden puffs from the oven. Besides, a glass measure is easier to clean up than a pan. While the puffs are baking, you can whip up the turkey filling in the microwave.

If you prefer the puffs filled with cream for dessert, a recipe for pastry cream follows. These sweet filled puffs can be sprinkled with powdered sugar or topped with a dollop of hot fudge or butterscotch sauce.

PATE A CHOUX (Cream Puff Pastry) 1/2 cup water 3 tablespoons butter 1/2 cup flour 1 teaspoon sugar (for dessert puffs only) 2 eggs

Pour 1/2 cup water into 4-cup glass measure and add butter. Microwave on HIGH (100% power) until boiling, 1 1/2 to 3 minutes. Remove from oven and stir once or twice to remove any excess bubbles. (This prevents mixture from boiling over when other ingredients are added.)

Add flour and sugar (use sugar only if making dessert puffs) to butter mixture all at once. Stir quickly with wooden spoon until smooth batter forms and then pulls away from sides of glass measure. Still using wooden spoon, beat in eggs 1 at time, beating well after each addition. Batter should be smooth, shiny and fairly thick.

Spoon 4 (3-inch) mounds or 6 (2-inch) mounds onto greased baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees in conventional oven 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake until puffed and browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Add extra 5 minutes for larger puffs.

Cut off top 1/3 of each puff and spoon out soft insides. Allow to cool before filling or serve warm. Makes 4 large or 6 small puffs.

Note : To double recipe, double ingredients and microwave cooking time. Conventional cooking time will remain same.

TURKEY A LA KING IN PUFFS Pate a Choux 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons chopped onion 1/2 cup chopped celery 2 tablespoons flour 1 cup chicken broth or stock 1/2 cup whipping cream or milk 1 tablespoon dry Sherry or vermouth, optional 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon black pepper 1 cup cubed cooked turkey or chicken 1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms Prepare Pate a Choux.

Combine butter, onion and celery in 2-quart microwave-proof casserole. Cover with lid or plastic wrap, turned back slightly on 1 side. Microwave on HIGH (100% power) until celery is tender, 2 to 5 minutes.

Stir in flour until dissolved and smooth. Slowly stir in broth until blended. Stir in whipping cream, Sherry, salt and pepper. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH until boiling and slightly thickened, 4 to 7 minutes, stirring each minute. Stir in turkey and mushrooms. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH until heated through, 2 to 5 minutes, stirring once.

Place 4 bottom halves of puffs on 4 plates. Divide turkey mixture evenly among puffs, spooning some into each. Top with puff tops. Makes 4 servings.

You’ll have some pastry cream left over to serve over pound cake or bread pudding.

FILLED CREAM PUFFS Pate a Choux 1 1/2 cups milk 1/4 cup sugar 4 large egg yolks, beaten 1/4 cup flour 1 tablespoon vanilla, Sherry or rum Powdered sugar, optional

Prepared hot fudge or chocolate sauce or butterscotch sauce, optional

Prepare Pate a Choux.

Pour milk into 4-cup glass measure and microwave on HIGH (100% power) until hot but not boiling, about 3 minutes.

Beat sugar into egg yolks in 2-quart microwave-proof casserole until well blended. Stir in flour. Gradually add heated milk to egg mixture, beating constantly. Microwave on HIGH 1 minute. Beat with whisk. Microwave on HIGH until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes more, beating every 30 seconds.

Stir in vanilla. Chill in refrigerator, or to speed chill, place in freezer about 15 minutes, stirring 2 to 3 times. Spoon some cooled cream into each half of puffs, then top with other half. Dust with powdered sugar, or spoon on some hot fudge sauce before serving. Makes 4 large or 6 small.