Heart-Shaped Cream Puffs with Strawberries – A Valentine’s Day Dessert

Heart-shaped cream puffs are the ultimate dessert for Valentine’s Day – or any day! These single serving desserts are made with a pate a choux dough, filled with sweetened whipped cream and strawberries.

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Not much screams Valentine’s Day more than a heart-shaped dessert full of sweetened whipped cream and fresh strawberries. Although this dessert takes a bit of time, the steps are easy to follow. Check out my YouTube video for a visual demonstration of the steps.

Steps to make the heart-shaped cream puffs (with strawberries):

Macerate the strawberries

• Remove the strawberry stem. Rinse and pat dry with a paper towel. Slice into 1/4″ slices, place in a bowl and toss with granulated sugar.
• Set the bowl aside until ready to assemble the cream puffs. Note: the strawberries may be prepared the day before assembling the dessert. If so, cover and store in the refrigerator.

Make the pate a choux:

• Combine water, butter and salt in a large saucepan. Place over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
• Remove pan from the heat once it begins boiling. Add flour and stir until smooth.
• Return pan to the heat and cook. Stir constantly until the paste dries slightly (it will begin pulling away from the sides of the pan).
• Transfer the paste to the bowl of a stand-mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix on the lowest speed to cool the paste slightly (about 1 minute).
• Add the eggs while the mixer is still running. Increase the speed to medium and continue mixing until the eggs are absorbed and mixture is cooled (3- 4 minutes).

Pipe heart shapes:

• Prepare a sheet of parchment paper to fit on a sheet pan.
• Draw four 4″ hearts on the parchment paper 2 inches apart. Turn paper over and place on sheet pans.
• Fit a pastry bag with a ¼” wide tube or star piping tip. Fill piping bag with Pate a Choux.
• Hold the piping bag perpendicular and 1″ above the drawn hearts on the paper. Pipe the Pate a Choux onto the parchment paper following the lines. Pipe another line around the outside of the first line. Pipe a third line in-between the two lines.

Assemble the cream puffs:

• Slice off the top third of each heart pastry. Place the bottom on a serving dish.
• Combine confectioners’ sugar and heavy cream in a bowl. Whip until cream reaches stiff peaks. Transfer cream to a piping bag.
• Pipe whipped cream rosettes around the bottom of the heart.
• Place strawberries on top of the whipped cream. Drizzle juice from macerated strawberries over the whipped cream and strawberries.
• Place top of heart over the bottom to create a sandwich. Press very lightly to secure.
• Finish as desired (e.g. sprinkle with powdered sugar, drizzle with melted chocolate, etc…)

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