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Choux Puffs with Cranberry Chicken Salad
by Melanie Foster
serves: 12
  Make the puffs in advance and fill with whatever you like, savory or sweet. Chicken salad is always a hit and can be made the day before as well.
Ingredients:
  1 cup   water
  1/2 cup   butter
  1/4 tsp   salt
  1 cup   flour
  4   eggs
  2 cups   cooked chicken, finely copped
  1/3 cup   mayonnaise
  1/4 cup   dried cranberries
  1/4 cup   pine nuts, optional
  3   green onions, chopped
  1/4 tsp   salt
  1/4 tsp   pepper
Directions:
  For the puffs:
Preheat oven to 400°. Grease a sheet pan. Combine water, butter and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Add flour and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until mixture leaves the sides of the pan. Remove from heat. Add eggs one at a time thoroughly mixing in each one. Mixture will become smooth and glossy. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes until puffed and lightly browned. With a knife pierce the side of each puff to let the steam escape. Cool on a rack. Fill with your chicken salad with a small spoon (you can pull them apart with your hands either partially or completely, spoon some salad onto the bottom half and replace the top, pressing slightly to stick it on). Makes about 24 puffs.

For the chicken salad filling:
Mix chicken, mayo, dried cranberries, pine nuts and onions. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until needed.

Other great combos for filling the puffs:
chicken salad with sun-dried tomatoes/pine nuts, dried cherries/chopped smoked almonds, champagne grapes/slivered almonds, tuna salad.
Sweet variations include: pudding or whipped cream (the puff batter is the same as for eclairs, instead of spoonfuls, pipe the batter into strips with a bag).