I found this recipe over 15 years ago in a newsgroup online somewhere. It’s been a while since I’ve made them but they are so good that I think I’ll make them for my next party! They are certainly worth the extra effort it takes to make them. One of the best things about this recipe is that you can freeze the un-baked puffs and then bake them as needed! If you decide to do this make sure they are totally thawed out before baking or they will not puff up as much. To freeze them, place an entire baking sheet of un-baked puffs in the freezer for about 2 hours or until frozen solid. Once they are frozen they can be stored in a plastic bag or freezer container in your freezer!

This recipe also reminds me of a funny story when I made them last. I had made them and was serving at a get-together with some friends. (Kerry I think you’ll remember this!) My friend Kerry’s then husband John, insisted he hated crab meat and would never eat it. (same thing with lobster but that’s another story!) Well we knew if he tried them he’d like them. So we told him they were cheesy zucchini puffs. He believed us and ate about 6 of them before we told him the truth! He loved them, though he kept insisting he didn’t. Either way, they were delicious! They are pretty rich so go easy on them. Enjoy with a nice glass of Prosecco or Champagne!

(Photo is for illustrative purposes only, I did not have a picture of my own so I found one closest to what they should look like)

INGREDIENTS:

10 ounces crab meat, drained & flaked

¾ cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

3 green onions, chopped

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 cup water

½ cup butter

1 cup flour

4 eggs

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine the first five ingredients; stir well and set aside.

2. Combine water and butter in saucepan; bring mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low; add flour and stir vigorously until mixture leaves sides of pan and forms a smooth ball. Constant mixing is very important to prevent the batter from sticking to the pan.

3. Remove from the heat and allow flour mixture to cool slightly so it doesn’t cook the eggs when added.

4. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing with a strong spoon (wooden one) after each addition until the mixture is smooth.

5. Stir crab mixture in the pastry batter.

6. Drop batter by heaping teaspoons (not too big) onto ungreased baking sheet. A large cookie press or pastry bag with a large star tip could also be used to place the individual puffs on the baking sheet.

7. Bake fresh pastries at 400ºF (375ºF convection) for 15 minutes and then reduce heat to 350ºF (325ºF convection) and bake another 10 minutes.

Serve warm.

Makes 36 servings