Cream Puff Ring

Light, golden puffs filled with rich, creamy pastry cream, served with chocolate ganache. A beautiful dessert for any occasion!

I love making pate a choux - so dependable, so crispy on the outside, tender in the middle. It’s one of a kind in the pastry world, due to the fact that it is cooked (boiled) before baking. However, I’ve made many a puff which didn’t, and was unworthy of its name. But perseverance and a passion for eclairs and cream puffs motivated me to many tries and I am now surprised when they fail and blame it on a peculiar sudden draft puffing through my kitchen!

I once had a cooking student who tried making his in a blender and was surprised that they didn’t turn out. Some shortcuts will leave you caught “short” of puffs so no shortcuts! They are so easily made anyway. It always surprises me on cooking shows when contestants’ efforts at choux pastry results in a flat dense mass, when they thought the dough looked just right. Sometimes, with enough experience, this can be a legitimate way to determine the correct texture of the dough. However, I would rather rely on the recipe which frequent bakers should know by heart - 4 medium eggs. Why don’t they just follow the recipe, I ask myself.

This lovely ring of filled choux puffs is loosely based on the elegant Gateau St. Honore, minus the puff pastry base and spun sugar crown on top which makes it in and of itself a shortcut. But with its merits of ease of preparation, flavor and texture, it is a stunner in its own right!

cream puff ring                

1 cup water 1/2 cup butter (1 stick) 1 cup flour       ½ teaspoon. salt                                        4 eggs 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup flour 3 1/2 cups whole milk 1/2 teaspoon salt 4 egg yolks 3 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup white corn syrup 3/4 cup water dash of salt 1 teaspoon vanilla

glaceed cheeries (red, green) or maraschino cherries

TO MAKE PASTRY:

-Bring the 1 cup water and butter to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Stir in flour and salt with wooden spoon over medium-high heat for about 1 minute, until mixture pulls from the sides of the pan and forms a ball. 

-Turn mixture into an electric mixer and mix for 1 minute.  Add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each, until mixture is smooth. 

-Spoon mixture by teaspoonsful onto an un-greased cookie sheet or pipe mixture from a pastry bag with a round tip into balls about the size of a large walnut.

-Bake in 375 degree oven until puffed and golden, about 30-40 minutes.  Remove from oven, poke a small hole in the side with the tip of a small knife and cool. 

TO MAKE VANILLA CREAM (Pastry Cream) 

       -In a medium saucepan, combine flour, salt and sugar.  Gradually stir in milk.  Cook and stir frequently over medium heat till thickened and bubbly, about 10 minutes.  Reduce heat, and cook and stir 2 minutes more.  Remove from heat.

       -Separate egg yolks from whites; discard whites or save for another purpose.  Beat egg yolks slightly.  Gradually whisk 1/2 cup of the hot mixture into yolks.  Return egg mixture to saucepan, bring to a gentle boil then cook and stir 2 minutes more.

       -Remove from heat.  Stir in butter and vanilla. Allow to cool 15 - 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.     

       -Chill at least 1 hour before serving.  Fill pastry bag fitted with long slender tip with cold pastry cream and pipe into cool puffs. (If you don’t have a pastry bag withthe correct tip, you can slice the top 1/3 almost off each puff, trying to keep it attached. Fill the puff cavity with a spoonful of pastry cream and replace the lid.

TO PREPARE SYRUP;

-In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup and water.  Bring to boil over medium-high heat.  Cook to soft crack stage on candy thermometer and remove from heat.  Stir in vanilla. 

-Quickly dip bottoms of filled puffs in syrup and arrange on a large platter to create a double ring. Stick puffs one at a time, beginning with the outside ring. Then create an inner ring with the puffs trying to attach them with the hot syrup to the outside ring, then create a top ring, centered between the two bottom rings. Quickly drizzle any remaining syrup over the puffs and stud the cream puff ring with the candied cherries.

 -Refrigerate until ready to serve.

-Serve with chocolate ganache or salted caramel sauce for dipping.

-Serves 10 - 12

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate, or 60% bittersweet chocolate

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

-Heat cream in a small saucepan until it comes to a boil. (Watch closely as cream will easily boil over the pot.) Place chocolate directly into cream without stirring and allow to sit for 10 minutes, so chocolate will melt smoothly. Then stir in to cream with a whisk until chocolate ganache is very smooth and all the chocolate is melted. Stir in vanilla extract. Cool then pour into serving cup and place in center of the cream puff ring.

Cook pastry cream until smooth and thickened.

Fill cooled puffs with cooled pastry cream.

A beautiful dessert for any occasion that no one can resist!