When cherry season rolls around I always love making my cherry compote and adding it tarts, cream puffs, or simply serving it on ice cream. This recipe is a choux pastry puff that is baked with a cookie like disc on top to create the most crispiest exterior and it is filled with that delicious cherry compote as well as a whipped white chocolate ganache.
Choux pastry
125 g water
125 g milk
110 g unsalted butter
1 tbs sugar
2 tsp salt
150 g flour
4 eggs
Craquelin (cookie top)
113 g unsalted butter
Pinch of salt
128 g flour
128 g brown sugar
Cherry Compote
3 cups sweet cherries (pitted)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tbs water
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tbs corn strach
White Chocolate Whipped Ganache
1 cup heavy whipping cream (divided)
1 cup white chocolate chips
Instructions:
Cherry Compote- In a medium sized saucepan over medium heat add all the ingredients. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, lifting the lid and stirring them frequently. After 10 minutes, the juice should be slightly thickened and cherries should be wilted. Place in a mason jar in the fridge to fully cool before serving. Once it has cooled the juices will thicken even more.
Craquelin
- Place the butter, salt and sugar in a bowl and cream the ingredients together until creamy and fluffy.
- Add the flour and mix until the mixture looks crumbly. Using your hands, bring the crumbly bits of dough together to form a dough.
- Roll out dough between two pieces of parchment paper about 1/8 to 1/16 inch thick. Use a 2” cookie cutter to cut out circles. Leave the circles on the tray.
- Place tray in the freezer. They must be frozen before placing on top of choux.
Choux pastry
Makes 22-24 large puffs
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Place salt, water, milk, sugar and butter in a saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When the water is starting to boil (butter should be melted at this point), remove pan from heat and add the flour all at once and vigorously mix the flour in. When the flour has absorbed the water and it's forming a dough, return the pan to the stove (medium heat).
- Cook the dough for 1 – 3 minutes (over medium heat) while you mix and move it around in the pan until you get a dough that pulls away from the sides of the pan and forms a film on the bottom of the pan.
- Transfer the dough to a large mixing bowl and let it cool slightly. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. The mixture should be glossy, pipeable, and should resemble a thick paste.
- Prepare two baking trays with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Place choux pastry in piping bag fitted with a large round tip.
- Pipe 2" rounds on your tray. Be sure to have at least 3-4" of space between each one. These will puff up and nearly triple in size.
- Place craquelin disc over piped choux.
- Bake in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes in the center of the oven, or until the choux pastry shells puff up and are golden brown on top. Do not open oven door while they are baking.
- Remove from the oven and let them cool.
Whipped White Chocolate Ganache
Place half cup of heavy cream and 1 cup of white chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Heat in the microwave in 30 second intervals, mixing in between each interval. Once most of the chocolate has melted, let the rest melt on its own so you do not over heat your mixture. Cool to room temp or refrigerate overnight.
Once the white chocolate ganache is chilled, use the whisk attachment of your hand mixer or stand mixer to mix. Start on low speed and gradually work your way up until ganache is light and fluffy. About 1 minute. Pour reaming 1/2 cup of heavy cream and continue to mix on high speed till soft peaks form and whip holds its shape.
Assemble
Place your whipped ganache in a piping bag fitted with a large star pastry tip. Using a serrated knife cut the top dome off of your choux pastry. Add about 2 tbs of the cherry compote inside. Pipe a swirl over the center and top with a fresh cerry.
Choux pastry is best eaten day off assembly. You can store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Whipped ganache and cherry compote can also be made a day in advanced.