CHOCOLATE-GLAZED, STRAWBERRY-FILLED CREAM PUFFS

Cream puffs look impressive yet easy to make desserts. This particular recipe, with a ricotta cheese filling, is lighter than the usual cream-filled or ice cream-filled puffs. You can modify this recipe to include any seasonal fruit for the filling.

This recipe makes 12 puffs.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• ½ cup unsalted butter, cut into chunks
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 cup sifted unbleached all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the Filling:

• 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
• 1 cup sliced plus 1 pint strawberries
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Glaze:

• 6 ounces Scharffen Berger 70% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate, chopped
• 6 ounces unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon corn syrup

Method

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium saucepan, mix together the water, salt, sugar and butter. Bring to a boil over medium heat. When it begins to boil and the butter melts, remove from the heat and add the sifted flour all at once. Stir until a ball forms.

Return the pan to the heat and continue stirring. The goal is to reduce the amount of moisture in the mixture. Stir so the paste gets the greatest exposure to the heat on the bottom of the pan. Be careful the mixture does not burn. Continue to stir in this fashion for up to 5 minutes. You will see small bubbles of butter begin oozing out of the paste. The more water that gets extracted from the paste during this process, the lighter the cream puffs will be.

Lightly beat the eggs in a small bowl. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the equivalent of 1 egg at a time to the paste mixture until well combined. Add the vanilla.

The dough should be shiny and smooth.

Drop very heaping tablespoons of dough onto the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the puffs are golden brown. Cool on a cake rack.

To prepare the filling, liquefy in a blender the ricotta cheese, 1 cup strawberries, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.

To make the glaze, in a stainless steel bowl placed over a pan of simmering water or in the top of a double boiler, melt the chocolate, butter and corn syrup. Stir to melt. Remove from the heat and let the mixture come to room temperature before using.

To assemble the cream puffs: Slice the cream puff in half. With the tip of the knife, scoop out any excess dough inside the puff to make a lighter shell. Fill the shell with the ricotta mixture. Place a layer of sliced strawberries on the filling. Add another spoonful of the ricotta filling over the strawberries. Place the lid on the puff and glaze with the chocolate.

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