Cream Puff Wreath

Prepare filling of choice; cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Grease and flour large cookie sheet. Using 8-inch plate as guide, with toothpick, trace circle in flour on prepared cookie sheet.

Prepare wreath: In 3-quart saucepan, heat butter, salt, and 1 cup water to boiling over medium heat until butter melts. Remove saucepan from heat. With wooden spoon, vigorously stir in flour all at once until mixture forms ball and leaves side of pan.

Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, until batter is smooth and satiny.

Spoon batter into decorating bag fitted with 3/4-inch round tip (or large self-sealing plastic bag with corner cut). Using tracing as guide, pipe dough in 1-inch-thick ring just inside circle. Pipe second ring outside of first, making sure dough rings touch. With remaining dough, pipe third ring on top of center seam of first 2 rings. With moistened finger, gently smooth dough rings where ends meet.

Bake wreath 20 minutes. Reset oven control to 375 degrees F. and bake 30 to 35 minutes longer or until golden. Transfer wreath to wire rack to cool.

With long serrated knife, slice cooled wreath horizontally in half; remove and discard moist dough from inside. Spoon or pipe filling into bottom of wreath. Replace top of wreath. Refrigerate up to 2 hours if not serving right away. To serve, sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar.

Nutritional information is based on 1 serving with vanilla cream.

Each serving with chocolate cream: About 350 calories, 7 g protein, 33 g carbohydrate, 22 g total fat (12 g saturated), 1 g fiber, 188 mg cholesterol, 205 mg sodium.

Each serving with lime cream: About 305 calories, 6 g protein, 30 g carbohydrate, 18 g total fat (10 g saturated), 0 g fiber, 188 mg cholesterol, 205 mg sodium.