Golden Chicken Salad Puffs

I made golden chicken salad puffs — cream-puff shells filled with chicken salad — for a baby shower. Two dozen puffs.

The recipe is below.

Golden Chicken Salad Puffs

Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 55 minutes | Servings: 24 puffs

Ingredients

• For the puffs:
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs
• For the chicken salad filling:
• 3 cups cooked chicken breast, finely diced
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup celery, finely diced
• 1/4 cup red grapes, quartered
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat and prep. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Make the choux dough. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine water, butter, and salt. Bring to a rolling boil. Add flour all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the dough pulls away from the sides of the pan and forms a smooth ball, about 1–2 minutes.
3. Cool slightly, then add eggs. Remove pan from heat and let dough cool for 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until the dough is smooth, glossy, and holds a soft peak when you lift the spoon.
4. Pipe or scoop. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Smooth any peaks with a dampened finger.
5. Bake until golden. Bake for 22–25 minutes, until puffs are deep golden and feel hollow when tapped. Do not open the oven during the first 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
6. Make the filling. In a large bowl, combine diced chicken, mayonnaise, celery, grapes, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and garlic powder. Stir until evenly coated. Fold in toasted almonds. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use.
7. Fill the puffs. Using a serrated knife, slice the top third off each cooled puff. Spoon or pipe 2 heaping tablespoons of chicken salad into each puff. Replace the tops at a slight angle so the filling is visible. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley.
8. Serve. Arrange on a platter and serve immediately, or refrigerate uncovered for up to 2 hours before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 148 | Protein: 9g | Fat: 10g | Carbs: 6g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 142mg