Ingredients

Cream-Puff Dough:
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
4 large eggs

Cream-Puff Filling:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 small pkg. vanilla-flavored instant pudding & pie filling
1^1/4 cups milk
1 tsp. *almond extract
*Use vanilla extract if just making plain cream-puffs

Chocolate Glaze:
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate Chips
2 Tbls. butter
3 tsps. light corn syrup
3 Tbls. milk
NOTE: I use the Ganache recipe (halved), instead of the Glaze. (It spoons on easier.)

Instructions

Cream-Puff Dough:
In 2-qt. saucepan over medium heat, heat 1 cup water & 1/2 cup butter until it melts and mixture boils.
Remove pan from heat. Add 1 cup flour all at once and stir vigorously with wooden spoon until mixture forms a ball.
Add 4 large eggs one at a time, beating well after each. with wooden spoon until batter is smooth & satiny.

Chocolate Glaze: (Do the Ganache -Trust me!)
In heavy saucepan over low heat, heat eat 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, 2 Tbls butter, 3 tsps light corn syrup, and 3 Tbls. milk, stirring frequently until melted & smooth.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Flour and grease cookie sheet

Prepare Cream-Puff dough:
Using 7" plate as guide, trace circle in flour on cookie sheet.
Drop batter by heaping Tbls, pushing off with rubber spatula, into 10 mounds, inside circle to form ring.
Bake 40 min or until golden.
Cool ring on wire rack.
With long serrated knife, slice ring horizontally in half and place bottom half on a serving platter.

Prepare filling:
In small bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form, set aside.
In large bowl, with wire whisk, prepare instant pudding as label directs but only use 1^1/4 cups milk.
With rubber spatula or wire whisk, gently fold whipped cream and almond extract into vanilla pudding.
Spoon whipped-cream mixture onto bottom half of ring.
Replace top of ring.

Prepare Chocolate Glaze or Ganache:
Spoon over top of ring.
Refrigerate if not serving right away.