Shelly's Recipe

STRAWBERRY CREAM PUFFS WITH STRAWBERRY SAUCE

Category: Napoleons/Eclairs/Strudel/Baklava/Cream Puffs

Cream puffs
3/4 cup water
3 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/4 tsp salt and sugar
3/4 cup flour
3 large eggs

Filling
1 cup chilled whipping cream
1 tsp plus 2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp kirsch
1/8 tsp vanilla extract
6 large strawberries, hulled

Sauce
2 pints strawberries, hulled
3 tbsp sugar

Garnish
Confectioners sugar

Cream Puffs: Preheat oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring to melt butter. Add flour; using a wooden spoon, stir vigorously until mixture clumps together, forming a ball. Stir 1 minute longer. Remove from heat. Transfer dough to a bowl.

Using an electric mixer, add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until dough is smooth after each addition (dough will be slightly soft and shiny). Using 1 rounded tbsp of dough for each cream puff, spoon dough onto prepared baking sheet; spacing about 2 inches apart and forming mounds about 3/4 inch – 1 inch high and 1 1/4 inch in diameter. Using moist fingertips, gently press tops of cream puffs, flatten any beaks. Bake until golden brown, about 37 minutes. Transfer baking sheet to rack; let cream puffs cool. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

Filling: Beat cream, 1 tsp sugar, kirsch and vanilla in a medium bowl until stiff peaks form. Combine 6 strawberries in 2 tbsp sugar. Using a fork, crush berries and fold mixture into cream. Cut top 3rd off each cream puff. Pull out filling and place cream puff bottoms, cut side up, on serving plate. Top with cream puff tops. Dust with powdered sugar.

Sauce: Puree 1 pint strawberries in food processor. Transfer to a bowl and stir in sugar. Quarter remaining strawberries; add to sauce. Spoon over cream puffs. Make about 18 cream puffs.