posted by Becky 07-25-102 8:41 PM
Chocolate or Berry Filled Cream Puffs
For cream puffs:
1 cup water
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
Generous pinch salt
4 eggs, at room temperature
For chocolate filling:
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
6 ounces cream cheese (about 3/4 cup), at room temperature
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
3/4 cup heavy cream
For a berry filling:
2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons confectioner's sugar
1 cup fresh berries, hulled and chopped (if necessary), or more, to taste
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
In a saucepan, combine the water, butter and salt and bring to a boil over low heat. Add the flour all at once, stirring constantly until the mixture begins to clear the sides of the pan and to form a ball. Remove from heat and add the eggs, one at a time, beating quickly until well incorporated.
Form this sticky batter into 8 rounded mounds on an ungreased cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart. (Each puff will take a generous 2 tablespoons batter -- see note). Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Allow them to cool.
To make the chocolate filling: Chop 6 ounces of the chocolate and melt it in the top of a double boiler over very hot water. Set it aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar together until very creamy. Beat in the melted chocolate. In another bowl, whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture.
Slice the cream puffs in half horizontally and heap with filling. Put the top on and place them on a serving platter. Chop the remaining 2 ounces of chocolate and melt in the top of a double boiler set over very hot water. Drizzle it over the tops of the cream puffs. Set the cream puffs in a cool place until ready to serve. A little sitting is okay, but don't let them sit for more than an hour or so, or they will get too soggy.
To make the berry filling: beat the heavy cream and sugar until stiff peaks form. Add the fruit and stir to distribute evenly.
Fill the cooled cream puffs right before serving (the berry filling will make them very soggy even if you fill them a little while before you serve them).
Note: these make very large cream puffs. To make smaller ones, use only one tablespoon of dough. Reduce baking time by 5 to 10 minutes.
Yield: 8 cream puffs