Description
Delicate French strawberry cream puffs bring elegance to dessert tables with their airy choux pastry and luscious strawberry cream filling. Sweet memories of Paris swirl in each delightful bite you’ll savor.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter
Liquid Ingredients:
- ½ cup (120 ml) water
- ½ cup (120 ml) whole milk
- 1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream
Flavor and Seasoning Ingredients:
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup (30 g) powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (75 g) fresh strawberries, finely diced
- Powdered sugar for dusting
- Melted chocolate for drizzling
Instructions
- Craft the delicate choux pastry foundation by heating water, milk, butter, and salt in a saucepan until boiling, creating a bubbling base for your delightful treat.
- Remove the liquid mixture from heat and swiftly incorporate flour, stirring energetically until the dough transforms into a cohesive, smooth ball that pulls away from the pan’s edges.
- Return the dough to low heat, continuously stirring to eliminate excess moisture and develop a robust texture that will support the cream puffs’ structure.
- Transfer the warm dough to a mixing bowl and allow it to cool momentarily, ensuring optimal temperature for egg incorporation.
- Gradually introduce eggs into the mixture, blending thoroughly after each addition to create a silky, glossy consistency that will yield perfectly light pastry shells.
- Carefully pipe or spoon the prepared dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, forming uniform circular mounds with precise spacing to allow proper expansion.
- Bake the pastry shells in a preheated oven, maintaining a consistent temperature until they transform into golden, puffy vessels with a crisp exterior and hollow interior.
- Allow the baked shells to cool completely on a wire rack, ensuring they develop the ideal texture for filling.
- Whip heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla extract in a chilled bowl, creating a light and airy base for the strawberry cream filling.
- Gently fold diced strawberries into the whipped cream, distributing the fruit evenly and creating a vibrant, fresh filling.
- Carefully slice the cooled pastry shells horizontally, preparing them for the luscious strawberry cream.
- Generously pipe or spoon the strawberry cream into the bottom halves of the shells, ensuring a decadent filling.
- Delicately replace the top halves of the pastry shells, creating elegant cream puffs that showcase the harmonious blend of textures.
- Provide a final flourish by dusting the assembled cream puffs with a light veil of powdered sugar or drizzling with melted chocolate for an exquisite presentation.
Notes
- Ensure water and butter are fully melted before adding flour to create a smooth, lump-free choux pastry base.
- Keep stirring the dough constantly when cooking to prevent burning and achieve the right consistency.
- Use room temperature eggs to help them incorporate more easily into the pastry dough.
- Pipe dough in uniform sizes for even baking and consistent cream puff shapes.
- Avoid opening the oven during baking to prevent pastry from deflating and losing its signature puffy texture.
- Whip cream when it’s very cold to get the most stable and fluffy cream filling.
- Fold strawberries gently to maintain the cream’s light texture and prevent crushing.
- Assemble cream puffs just before serving to keep the pastry crisp and prevent sogginess.
- For a gluten-free version, substitute all-purpose flour with almond or coconut flour.
- Experiment with different fruit fillings like raspberries or peaches for variety.
- Make ahead and store unfilled pastry shells in an airtight container to maintain crispness.
- Freeze cream puffs without filling for up to a month for quick dessert preparation.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 80 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 19 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg