Strawberry Puff Ring Food

STRAWBERRY CREAM PUFFS

Steps:

• 1. PUFF PASTRY: Combine water and butter in medium saucepan; bring to a boil.
• 2. Add flour and salt all at once, stirring vigorously over medium-high heat until mixture leaves sides of pan and forms a smooth ball. Remove from heat, and cool 4-5 minutes.
• 3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly with a wooden spoon after each addition.
• 4. Then beat till dough is smooth.
• 5. Drop Pastry dough into 8 equal mounds and bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes or till golden brown and puffed.
• 6. Cool away from drafts.
• 7. Cut top off puffs; pull out and discard soft dough inside.
• 8. FILLING AND ASSEMBLY: Beat whipping cream till foamy; gradually add confectioners' sugar, beating till soft peaks form.
• 9. Fold 3/4 of sliced strawberries into whipped cream.
• 10. Fill each cream puff with strawberry mixture.
• 11. Arrange remaining sliced strawberries on top of each puff. Replace tops of pastry puffs. Garnish with mint leaves, if desired.

STRAWBERRY CREAM PUFFS EXTRAORDINAIRE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• In 10-inch Dutch oven over medium heat, heat butter, water and salt until boiling. Remove from heat. Add flour all at once. With a wooden spoon, vigorously stir until mixture forms a ball and leaves the sides of the Dutch oven. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each, until smooth. Cool mixture slightly.
• Using a pastry bag and large tip, drop 3-inch circles of choux paste around in a circle in a 12-inch shallow Dutch oven with a parchment paper circle on the bottom. Bake 50 to 70 minutes, or until golden, firm and dry. Take off heat and leave in oven for 15 minutes. Cool. Use a timer and rotate lid and pot.
• While puff ring is cooking, prepare Almond Pastry Cream. Mix sugar, flour, salt and milk together and cooking over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils. Boil 1 minute. In a small bowl beat egg yolks slightly. Temper the egg yolks by beating a small amount of the hot mixture into the eggs. Slowly pour the egg mixture back into the milk mixture, stirring well. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and coats spoon well. Do not boil. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and almond extracts and cool. Whip heavy whipping cream to stiff peaks, adding whip cream aid now, and fold into cooled pastry cream.
• After puff ring cools, with a sharp knife, carefully cut puff ring in half horizontally. With spoon, remove soft interior and discard, leaving hollow ring shell. Fill bottom shell with cream, then place sliced strawberries on the top and then replace the top of the shell. Refrigerate to set up.
• Prepare chocolate glaze by melting the chocolate and butter together in a 5-inch Dutch oven, stirring constantly. Stir in powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Cool. Spread on top of ring while slightly warm. Refrigerate ring.
• To serve, fill center of ring with fresh chocolate-dipped strawberries and serve immediately.

STRAWBERRY PUFF RING

Steps:

• For Cream Filling.
• In saucepan combine pudding & milk mix well.
• Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils.
• Cover & cool.
• Chill completely 1-2 hours.
• For Glaze.
• In small mixing bowl combin confectioners sugar & water mix until smooth.
• For Puff Ring.
• Pre heat oven to 425 degrees.
• In a saucepan combine water & butter.
• Bring to a boil.
• Add flour all at once.
• Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture leaves sides of pan ina smooth compact ball.(about 2 minutes).
• Cool 1 minute.
• Add eggs 1 at a time ,beating vigorously after each egg addition until mixture is smooth & glossy.
• Spoon dough in ring shape about 8 inches diameter on a greased cookie sheet.
• Bake at 425 degrees for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown.
• Turn off oven.
• Prick puff with a sharp knife. Leave puff in oven 20 minutes to dry out center.
• Cool.
• Slice off top of ring.
• Spoon cream filling into bottom half of ring.
• Top with fresh berries.
• Replace top & drizzle with glaze; garnish with whole berries.

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE (PUFF PASTRY)

Steps:

• Wash and slice strawberries into thin slices.
• Put in a bowl and pour sugar over them.
• Mix together until well coated.
• Let sit in the fridge for at least 3 hours. (The longer the better.).
• Let puff pastries thaw. (cover with plastic wrap, so they don't dry out).
• Preheat oven to 400.
• Unfold strips and cut into squares.
• Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes.(Until golden brown).
• Let pastries cool. (about 10 minutes).
• Serve by placing one pastry in a bowl, spoon strawberries over it and top with whipping cream.
• Tastes out of this world!

STRAWBERRY (OR ANY BERRY REALLY) PUFF PASTRY BRAID

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Using an electric mixer, whip the cream cheese and sour cream in a small bowl until fluffy. Add the granulated sugar and whip until well combined, making sure there are no lumps. Reserve for later use.
• Beat the egg and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl with a fork.
• Unfold 1 pastry sheet on a lightly floured flat surface. Roll the pastry into a 14-by-12-inch rectangle. Spoon half of the cream cheese mixture lengthwise down the center of the pastry. Cut slits 1 inch apart from the 2 sides of the pastry rectangle within 1/2 inch of the cream cheese mixture. Arrange half of the strawberries down the center of the pastry on top of the cream cheese mixture. Starting at one end, fold the pastry strips over the strawberries on a diagonal, alternating sides, to cover the strawberries. Repeat the entire process with the remaining pastry sheet, cream cheese filling and strawberries. Brush the pastries very lightly with the egg wash (otherwise they won't rise). Sprinkle with the demerara sugar and top with pistachios.
• Bake until golden brown, 30 minutes. Let cool on a rack for about 20 minutes before serving.

STRAWBERRY CREAM PUFFS WITH STRAWBERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• For cream puffs:
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine water, butter, salt and sugar in heavy medium saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring to melt butter. Add flour; using wooden spoon, stir vigorously until mixture clumps together, forming ball. Stir 1 minute longer. Remove from heat. Transfer dough to medium bowl. Using electric mixer, add eggs 1 at time, beating until dough is smooth after each addition (dough will be slightly soft and shiny).
• Using 1 rounded tablespoon dough for each cream puff, spoon dough onto prepared baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart and forming mounds about 3/4 inch to 1 inch high and 1 1/4 inches in diameter. Using moist fingertips, gently press tops of cream puffs flatten any peaks. Bake until golden brown, about 37 minutes. Transfer baking sheet to rack; let cream puffs cool. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)
• For filling:
• Beat cream, 1 teaspoon sugar, kirsch and vanilla in medium bowl until stiff peaks form. Combine 6 strawberries and 2 tablespoons sugar in small bowl. Using fork, crush berries. Fold crush strawberry mixture into cream.
• Cut top third off each cream puff. Place cream puff bottoms, cut side up, on plates. Spoon filling into bottoms, mounding slightly. Ladle sauce over, allowing sauce to spill onto plates. Top with cream puff tops. Dust with powdered sugar.
• For sauce:
• Puree 1 basket strawberries in processor. Transfer to bowl. Stir in sugar. Quarter remaining strawberries; add to sauce.
• Makes about 2 1/3 cups.