Instructions

Cream Puff Shells

• Preheat the oven to 425° Cover baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Add butter, salt, sugar and 1 cup of water to a medium saucepan. Turn the heat to medium-high. Let come to a boil and quickly add in the flour, stirring with a wooden spoon. Stir continuously until a film appears on the bottom of the pan.
• Remove from heat and pour into a bowl. Allow to cool for approx. 4 min. After cooled, stir in 4 eggs, one at a time, incorporating each completely.
• Fill a pastry bag with the dough, attaching a 5/8- inch plain icing tip.
• Pipe 2-inch rounds onto the baking sheet. If there are peaks on the tops of the rounds, gently smooth them down with a moistened finger.
• Whisk the remaining egg together with the teaspoon of water to make the wash. Brush gently over the tops of the pastry rounds.
• Bake for 15 min. on the center rack of the oven then reduce the oven to 375° and continue baking for approx. 20 min. or until golden brown. Turn the oven off and place the handle of a wooden spoon between the oven and the door to prop open. Keep the cream puff shells in the oven until the oven has cooled to just warm. Remove puffs to a wire rack to cool completely.

Strawberry Whipped Cream Filling

• Beat cream cheese, vanilla and powdered sugar with an electric mixer until creamy and smooth.
• Slowly add in cream with the mixer on medium-high using the whisk attachment until stiff peaks form.
• Gently fold in the diced strawberries.

Chocolate Drizzle

• Melt chocolate chips in the microwave in short increments (15 seconds) until melted. Allow to cool a bit if too hot and thin.

Assembly

• Using a bread knife, cut off the tops of each cream puff shell.
• Pipe each shell very full of cream, using a 4-B open star tip. taking it out to the edges.
• Place tops back on and dust with powdered sugar.
• Drizzle melted chocolate over the tops.
• Allow chocolate to set up a bit before serving. Can be placed in the refrigerator to hurry up this process.
• Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator.