Cranberry Cream Puffs

With spring around the corner I thought I'd post one of my most requested dessert recipes - cranberry cream puffs. I know most people associate cranberries with the winter holiday season, but these little puffs will show you that cranberries can provide joy throughout the year.

Cranberry Cream Puffs

Makes about 40 cream puffs

 

Ingredients:

 

for the cranberry sauce:

 

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 1/2  cups cranberries

 

for the cream puffs:

 

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed

1/2 cup coconut milk

1/2 cup water

pinch of salt

1 cup flour

4 eggs (+1 for egg wash)

 

for the filling:

 

2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar

2 teaspoon vanilla
1 recipe cranberry sauce

Instructions:

For the cranberry sauce

Note: Make the cranberry sauce the day before so it has time to solidify. You can use canned cranberry sauce but it won't taste as good as the fresh stuff.

In a medium saucepan combine the water and sugar and bring them to a boil. Add the cranberries and return the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and boil the sauce for 10 more minutes. 

Remove the sauce from the heat and push it through a stainless-steel strainer. You’ll end up with about 1-1/2 cups of sauce and a small amount of solid matter, you can toss out the solid matter, but it tastes great with chicken! Cool the sauce at room temperature, then refrigerate until you are ready to make your cream puffs.

For the cream puff

Preheat the oven to 425F (220C)

In a medium saucepan add the butter, coconut milk, water, and salt over medium heat. Allow the butter to melt and bring the mixture to a boil.

As soon as the mixture begins to boil, reduce heat to medium-low and add in the flour. Using a wooden spoon, mix thoroughly to incorporate the flour. Continue stirring until the dough starts to pull away from the sides and a thin film forms on the bottom of the pan (approx 3 mins).

Remove the mixture from heat and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Let the dough cool slightly, then add in the eggs 1 at a time, being sure each egg is thoroughly mixed in before adding the next.

Once the dough comes together, scoop the dough with a spoon to make 1 1/2-inch mounds onto a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet. No need to for them to be perfectly round but make sure to smooth out any peaks.

Brush the dough with egg wash and place in preheated oven. Bake for 15 mins at 425F. Then, without opening the oven, reduce the heat to 350F and bake for an additional 15 mins. Remove the puffs from the oven and let them cool.

For the filling

Just before you are ready to assemble your cream puffs, whip the cream using a mixer until it is thick, add the sugar and vanilla toward the end of the process. Use a spoon to break up the cranberry sauce before gently folding it into the whipped cream.

Transfer the whipped cream into a piping bag. Cut a small x into the bottom of each cream puff and pipe in the whipped cream. Then decorate as desired.