Photo credit: © Eatwell101.comChoux pastry is an easy and accessible medium for every cook, novice, professional or anyone in-between. Flour, butter, eggs: these three everyday store-cupboard ingredients are only what you need, (along with a little elbow grease,) to make irresistible and endlessly versatile cream puffs. Today’s strawberry cream puff make a light and refreshing dessert, perfect to end a spring dinner in the garden. Very easy to prepare, the simple whipped cream allows fresh strawberries to take center stage.
Ingredients list for the Strawberry Cream Puffs
For 15 medium cream puffs:
- 1/2 cup (12cl) of milk
- 4 eggs
- 1 stick (115g) of butter
- 1 1/3 cup (130g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tablespoon (5g) of sugar
- 1/2 pound (250g) of strawberry
For the cream filling:
- 2 cups (25og) heavy cream
- 3/4 cup (100g) icing sugar
For the strawberry coulis :
- 1/2 pound (250g) of strawberry
- Half a lemon
- 1 big tablespoon (25g) of honey
- 3 tablespoons (25g) of powdered sugar
Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 390°F (200°C).
2. Melt the butter, milk, and salt together in a saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Add the flour all at once, stir for two minutes with a wooden spoon until you get a dough smooth enough to form a ball. Off the heat, add the eggs one by one, mixing thoroughly. Place the dough in the refrigerator.
3. Pour very cold heavy cream and icing sugar in a bowl (preferably stainless steel, previously placed in the refrigerator along with the whisk from the mixer) and beat for about 5 minutes until you get a very firm foam. Set aside in the refrigerator.
4. With a pastry bag or a spoon, form 15 balls of batter over a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Make sure to space them sufficiently. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 390°F (200°C). The shells should have a nice amber color and when split, should be dry inside. Bake for 5-10 minutes more at 360°F (180°C) if necessary.
5. Wash strawberries, remove stems. Put them in a blender with sugar, honey and lemon juice. Pulse then pour trough a fine-mesh strainer or chinois to get rid of the seeds.
6. Split the shells in half, stuff them with whipped cream, and add a few slices of strawberries. Put the “hat” on top.
7. Serve one or two cream puffs on each plate, sprinkle with icing sugar, add a dash of strawberry coulis and decorate with halved strawberries.
