Chocolate-Filled Cream Puff Ring Recipe

Difficulty: Complicated
Make Ahead
Serves 12

Ingredients:

Pastry rind

1 cup water
1/2 cup margarine
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
4 large eggs

Filling

1 cup margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
2 teaspoons vanilla
6 eggs

Glaze

2 squares semi-sweet chocolate
2 tablespoons margarine sliced almonds

Topping

1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
powdered unsweetened cocoa to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°.
Combine water, 1/2 cup margarine, 1 teaspoon sugar and salt in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil.
Add flour all at once.
Then beat with a wooden spoon over low heat for 1 minute, or until mixture leaves the sides of the pan and forms a batter that does not separate.
Remove from heat and beat for 2 minutes to slightly cool.
Add 4 eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition and until the batter has a satin-like sheen.
Butter a 9″ circle on a cookie sheet and drop the batter by 1/4 cupfuls just inside the circumference of the circle, thus forming a ring.
Bake 40 minutes or until puffed and well browned.
Cool on a rack.
Cream 1 cup margarine and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in melted chocolate and vanilla.
Add 6 eggs, one at a time, beating for 2 minutes after each addition.
Continue to beat until sugar is thoroughly dissolved.
Chill.
A few hours before serving, carefully slice the ring crosswise with a long, sharp knife and gently lift off the top. Fill with the chocolate filling and replace the top pastry ring.
In the top of a double boiler over hot (not boiling) water, melt semi-sweet chocolate with 2 tablespoons margarine, stirring until combined.
Drizzle mixture over the top of filled ring and then sprinkle with sliced almonds.
Chill the pastry ring for several hours or until ready to serve.
Beat heavy cream with 2 tablespoons sugar until stiff.
Add powdered cocoa to taste while beating.
Pile topping in center of the pastry ring or pass as an accompaniment.