PASTRIES & VARIATIONS: This choux-pastry dessert is more enjoyable in the summer times when strawberries and other berries are in season.

CHOUX PASTRY PUFFS WITH FRESH FRUITS:

 

 

 

1 quantity of Choux Pastry, see recipe

filling:

    1 cup whipping cream                                            

    2 tbsp. icing sugar

    1 tsp. vanilla extract                                    

    extra icing sugar for dusting

    1 cup each of blueberries, strawberries and blackberries or redcurrants

 

 

 

Wash, drain and hull the fruits. Chill fruits in refrigerator.

 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Using a pastry bag fitted with a plain nozzle, pipe out 4 large choux puffs onto a baking sheet. Dip a fork in cold water and mark the top of each pastry lightly with the back of the fork. This will help the pastry to develop evenly as it cooks. Bake the puffs for 10 minutes, reduce temperature to 400F and bake 10 minutes more.  Transfer puffs to a wire rack to cool.

 

Use a serrated knife to cut off a “lid” about four-fifth of the way up from the base of each puff.  Allow to cool.

 

Whip cream until soft peaks form, add icing sugar and vanilla and whip until stiff. Fill a pastry bag with a ½-inch star nozzle and pipe a rosette of cream into each puff. Top this with the fruit mixture and then the “lid” pastry. Serve at once, dusted with icing sugar.