Cherry Profiteroles

Yields 50 - 60 cream puffs

Adapted from Dulce Delight

Ingredients

Pâte à choux

1 ¼ cup water

½ cup butter

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

4 to 5 eggs

Cherry Cream Filling

2 cups cherries, pitted  (raspberry or strawberries could be used as well)

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 ¼ cup heavy cream, divided

1 cup whole milk

½ cup sugar

4 egg yolks

¼ cup cornstarch

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

½ cup cherries, pitted

Directions

For the choux:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the water, butter, and salt in a pot. Cook over medium heat until the butter melts. Take the pot off the stove.
2. Add flour and stir the mixture vigorously until it comes together in a thick dough.
3. Place the pot back on the stove over medium heat and cook it for another minute or so, stirring constantly, in order to dry out the dough.
4. Take the pot off the heat, and whisk the dough for a minute or two.
5. Whisking constantly, add 4 eggs one by one, mixing well after each one. The mixture should be smooth and shiny; if you scoop some batter out of the bowl, it should fall back into the bowl in a thick ribbon. If it is too thick, beat in the 5th egg.
6. Pour the batter into a pastry bag fitted with a ¼-inch round tip. Pipe 1-inch circles onto the baking sheets.
7. Wet your fingertip and flatten the peaks of the choux you just piped.
8. Bake the choux for 30 minutes at 400 degrees F until they are a light brown, then lower the temperature to 300 degrees and bake for another 10 minutes with the oven door cracked.
9. Let the choux cool while making the filling.

For the cherry cream filling

1. Pulse the cherries and lemon juice in a food processor and strain the mixture through a cheesecloth or fine mesh sieve. Discard the pulp or reserve for another use.
2. Place the cherry juice, ½ cup heavy cream, and whole milk in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until it is just simmering.
3. In another bowl whisk the egg yolks and sugar until the yolks are pale and fluffy. Whisk in the corn starch.
4. Temper the egg yolks: slowly pour about ¾ cup of the cherry and cream mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly the whole time.
5. Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan and allow the mixture to boil for about 3 minutes, whisking constantly the whole time.
6. Take the cream off the heat and allow to cool to room temperature, and then refrigerate for at least an hour.
7. Once the pastry cream is cool, whisk the remaining ¾ cup of heavy cream until it forms hard peaks. Fold the cherry mixture into the whipped cream.

For the cherry glaze

1. With a fork, press the cherries through a fine mesh sieve until it yields about 2 tablespoons of juice.
2. Mix the juice with the powdered sugar.

Assembly

1. Using a chopstick or a small pastry tip, make a small hole in each profiterole.
2. Spoon the cherry cream filling into a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip, about ⅛-inch in diameter.
3. Pipe the cream into the profiteroles.
4. Dip the top of the profiteroles into the cherry glaze.
5. Enjoy! These puffs are best served the day the are made.