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If you've avoided baking cream puffs because you thought they were too time-consuming, read on. You'll see that the pretty puffs are easy, impressive and anything but intimidating.

Cream puffs are golden pastries made from a speedy stovetop dough. When baked, the dough forms a crisp exterior and a nearly hollow interior that is ideal for holding various fillings.

Preparing the crowd-pleasing treats involves three simple steps: forming the dough, baking the puffs and adding the fillings and toppings.

In-a-Dash Dough

Cream puffs are made from a French pastry dough sometimes referred to as choux (pronounced shoo). The thick, sticky dough is also used for making éclairs and similar sweets.

The dough does not call for leavening (like baking powder) to make it rise. The steam that builds up inside of the pastry shells during the baking process gives them their light and airy texture.

Prepared on the stovetop over medium heat, the basic dough comes together easily with flour, eggs and butter. When making the dough, be sure to add all of the flour at once, stirring until it forms a ball. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the dough cool slightly before adding the eggs.

Eggs should be added one at a time, beating well after each addition. This will produce a smooth, shiny ball of dough that's ready to turn into palate-pleasing puffs.

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