Heart Shaped Cream Puffs with Strawberries Recipe
These heart-shaped cream puffs with fresh strawberries are a wonderful dessert for Valentine's Day - or any day!
Equipment
- Heavy-bottomed saucepan
- Rubber spatula
- Baking Sheet Pan
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mat
- Pastry bags
Ingredients
Pate a Choux
- 1 Cup water
- 6 Tablespoons butter, unsalted
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ⅛ Cup all-purpose flour
- 5 large eggs room temperature
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten for brushing over top of pastry
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar (for sprinkling over hearts prior to baking)
Cream Filling
- 1 ½ Cups Heavy Whipping Cream (1 ½ cups)
- 2 Tablespoons Powdered Sugar (add more sugar for a sweeter whipped cream)
Macerated strawberries
- ½ Pint Fresh Strawberries, sliced ¼" thick (frozen strawberries may also be used)
- 2 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar (for macerating strawberries)
Instructions
Prepare Pans
- 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.
Macerate Strawberries
- Slice strawberries into ¼" slices. Place in a bowl.
- Sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar over the strawberries. Toss to coat.
- Cover strawberries with a kitchen towel and place in refrigerator.
Pate a Choux
- Preheat oven to 425° F
- 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 the Hearts Using the Pate a Choux Paste
- 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.
- Bake for 6 minutes, rotate pan and bake an additional 6 minutes. The pastries should be well risen and golden brown on top.
- Cool completely.
Assemble the Cream Puff Hearts
- Slice off the top third of each heart pastry. Place the bottom on a serving dish.
- Combine powdered 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...)
Nutrition
Calories: 406kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 6gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 104mgSodium: 306mgPotassium: 161mgFiber: 2gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 766IUVitamin C: 35mgCalcium: 39mgIron: 2mg
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