Description
Delight in these elegant Strawberry Cream Puffs featuring light, airy choux pastry shells filled with a luscious strawberry cream made from fresh strawberries, whipped cream, and gelatin. Finished optionally with a crunchy craquelin topping and fresh macerated strawberries, these pastry treats are perfect for special occasions or a delightful afternoon dessert.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Choux Pastry
- 236 ml water (8 fl oz / 1 cup)
- 115 g unsalted butter (4 oz / 1 stick), cubed and at room temperature
- 133 g all-purpose flour (4.7 oz / 1 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp)
- 4 large eggs (you might not use the whole amount)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt (less if using table salt or fine salt)
- 1 tbsp white sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
Craquelin (Optional; you will only be using half of the dough here)
- 115 g unsalted butter (1 stick / 4 oz)
- Pinch sea salt or kosher salt
- 127 g white sugar (4.5 oz / about 2/3 cup)
- 127 g all-purpose flour (4.5 oz / about 1 cup + 1 tbsp)
Strawberry Cream
- 226 g frozen or fresh strawberries (8 oz)
- 100 g sugar (1/2 cup)
- 1 tsp gelatin powder
- 30 ml water (2 tbsp)
- 360 ml whipping cream (1.5 cups, 35% fat content)
- 2 tbsp confectioner’s sugar (more if you like a sweeter filling)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Strawberry Filling (Optional)
- 170 g fresh strawberries (6 oz), hulled and cut into small cubes
- 2 tbsp confectioner’s sugar
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Heat your oven to 375°F (190°C) to prepare for baking the choux pastry.
- Make Choux Dough: In a saucepan over medium heat, combine salt, water, sugar, and butter. Stir occasionally until butter melts and water starts boiling. Remove from heat and add flour all at once, mixing vigorously to absorb the water completely. Return to heat and cook for 2-5 minutes until dough pulls away from the pan sides and holds shape when stirred.
- Incorporate Eggs: Transfer dough to a bowl and cool slightly. Whisk eggs together in a separate container. Add vanilla extract if using. Gradually add eggs to dough in 4-5 parts, mixing well after each addition until dough is glossy and pipeable, not necessarily using all eggs.
- Prepare Baking Tray and Pipe: Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Using a piping bag fitted with a large round tip, pipe circular mounds about 1.5 inches wide and 1 inch tall. For craquelin, place a prepared disc on top of each mound, centered, without pressing down.
- Bake: Place the tray in the center of the preheated oven and bake for 30-40 minutes until the pastry puffs and turns golden brown. Do not open the oven door before 22-25 minutes. The craquelin will have a crackly, red surface.
- Cool Pastry Shells: Remove from oven and cool completely in a draft-free, slightly warm area. This prevents collapsing and ensures crispness.
- Make Craquelin Dough (if using): Cream butter, salt, and sugar until fluffy. Add flour and mix to crumbly texture, then bring dough together by hand. Divide into two portions, place each in a sealed Ziploc bag, and roll flat (~2-3mm thick). Freeze overnight. Cut into 1.5-2 inch circles and freeze until ready to use.
- Prepare Strawberry Cream: In a saucepan, heat strawberries with sugar until soft and sugar dissolves; bring to a boil then remove from heat. Blend until smooth and chill for several hours. Bloom gelatin in water for 10-15 minutes, then briefly microwave to dissolve (do not boil).
- Whip Cream: Whisk whipping cream with vanilla and confectioner’s sugar on medium speed until soft peaks form. While whipping, add melted gelatin. Whip to mid peak stage.
- Combine Strawberry and Cream: Fold chilled strawberry coulis into whipped cream and whisk until homogenous and thickened to mid peak consistency, pale pink in color.
- Make Macerated Strawberries (Optional): Toss diced strawberries with confectioner’s sugar and refrigerate at least 20 minutes to macerate.
- Assemble Cream Puffs: Fill pastry shells either by cutting a small “x” in the bottom and piping strawberry cream inside or by slicing pastries in half horizontally. For sliced pastries, pipe strawberry cream on bottom half, optionally add drained macerated strawberries, top with more cream, then replace top half of pastry.
- Finish and Serve: Dust filled cream puffs with confectioner’s sugar and garnish with sliced strawberry if desired. Serve immediately for best texture and flavor.
Notes
- Do not open the oven door during the first 22-25 minutes of baking to prevent collapse.
- Choux pastry dough consistency is crucial; it should be glossy and pipeable but not too runny.
- Craquelin adds a delightful crunch and aesthetic crackly top but is optional.
- Gelatin must not boil, or it will lose its setting properties.
- Cooling choux pastry in a draft-free area avoids shrinkage and moisture absorption.
- Adjust sugar in strawberry cream filling according to preferred sweetness.
- Filling can be customized by adding macerated fresh strawberries for texture contrast.
- Use a stand mixer or handheld mixer to save effort when incorporating eggs.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cream puff (approx)
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 85 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
