STRAWBERRY CREAM PUFFS EXTRAORDINAIRE

Strawberry Cream Puffs Extraordinaire image

Provided by Food Network

Categories dessert

Yield 10 to 12 servings

Number Of Ingredients 19

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Ingredients

3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cup water
3/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
6 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups milk
6 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon Whip Cream Aid (available online and at specialty baking supply stores)
1 pint strawberries
2 squares semisweet chocolate
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons milk

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In 10-inch Dutch oven over medium heat, heat butter, water and salt until boiling. Remove from heat. Add flour all at once. With a wooden spoon, vigorously stir until mixture forms a ball and leaves the sides of the Dutch oven. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each, until smooth. Cool mixture slightly.
Using a pastry bag and large tip, drop 3-inch circles of choux paste around in a circle in a 12-inch shallow Dutch oven with a parchment paper circle on the bottom. Bake 50 to 70 minutes, or until golden, firm and dry. Take off heat and leave in oven for 15 minutes. Cool. Use a timer and rotate lid and pot.
While puff ring is cooking, prepare Almond Pastry Cream. Mix sugar, flour, salt and milk together and cooking over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils. Boil 1 minute. In a small bowl beat egg yolks slightly. Temper the egg yolks by beating a small amount of the hot mixture into the eggs. Slowly pour the egg mixture back into the milk mixture, stirring well. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and coats spoon well. Do not boil. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and almond extracts and cool. Whip heavy whipping cream to stiff peaks, adding whip cream aid now, and fold into cooled pastry cream.
After puff ring cools, with a sharp knife, carefully cut puff ring in half horizontally. With spoon, remove soft interior and discard, leaving hollow ring shell. Fill bottom shell with cream, then place sliced strawberries on the top and then replace the top of the shell. Refrigerate to set up.
Prepare chocolate glaze by melting the chocolate and butter together in a 5-inch Dutch oven, stirring constantly. Stir in powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Cool. Spread on top of ring while slightly warm. Refrigerate ring.
To serve, fill center of ring with fresh chocolate-dipped strawberries and serve immediately.