Strawberry and Lemon Cream Puffs

MAKES ABOUT 1 DOZEN 2½-INCH PUFFS

I can think of many, many things to say about cream puffs, but “ethereal decadence” is one of the first terms to come to mind. Once you get the hang of making pâte à choux pastry, you’ll become a cream-puff-and-éclair-and-profiterole-making machine, stuffing them with every dreamy combination you can think of. Here a dollop of honey-sweetened lemon curd is transformed into a mousselike filling and sandwiched with gleaming berries.

PUFF DOUGH

½ cup (4 ounces/113 grams) nonfat milk*

4 tablespoons (2 ounces/57 grams) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 tablespoon turbinado sugar

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

½ cup (2¼ ounces/64 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled and sifted

2 large eggs, at room temperature

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

FINISHING THE PUFFS

1 large egg

1 tablespoon water

Pinch of fine sea salt

Turbinado sugar, for sprinkling

LEMON CREAM AND ASSEMBLY

⅔ cup (5⅝ ounces/160 grams) heavy whipping cream, chilled

⅓ cup (2⅞ ounces/82 grams) Honey-Vanilla Lemon Curd

1½ cups (8⅞ ounces/250 grams) sliced fresh strawberries

1 teaspoon honey

*Typically, whole milk is recommended for baking because it adds richness and moisture, but for pâte à choux I prefer nonfat or skim milk, which yields a crisper puff. If you only have low-fat (2%) or whole milk, use a mixture of half water, half milk.

1. Make the puff dough: Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a small heavy-bottomed saucepan (about 1½ quarts), combine the milk, butter, sugar, and salt. Place the pan over medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally to encourage the butter to melt. Bring the mixture to a boil. Add the flour all at once, lower the heat to medium, and immediately begin stirring at a good clip with a wooden spoon—don’t let up until the dough starts to come off the sides of the pan in a loose ball and a light crust forms on the bottom of the pan, about 2 minutes.

3. Turn the dough into the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. On medium speed, mix the dough to cool it a bit, about 30 seconds. When the steam subsides, beat in 1 egg until completely incorporated. Beat in the vanilla extract and then add the second egg. Continue mixing on medium speed for 1 full minute, or until the dough is smooth but sticky and elastic in appearance. Test the dough’s readiness by grabbing a pinch of dough between your thumb and forefinger, rubbing them together, and pulling them apart—the dough is ready when you can pull your fingers apart and stretch a string of dough between them about 1 inch in length.

4. Drop 12 rounded portions of dough, each about 2 tablespoons, 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheet.

5. Finish the puffs: In a small bowl, beat together the egg, water, and salt until well blended. Brush each puff with the egg wash, and follow with a generous sprinkling of sugar.

6. Bake the puffs for 15 minutes at 400˚F. Rotate the baking sheet from front to back and reduce the temperature to 375˚F. Continue baking until the puffs are deeply golden and sound hollow when their exteriors are tapped, 10 to 15 minutes more. Crack the door of the oven, turn it off, and let the puffs cool for 5 minutes in the oven. Carefully transfer the puffs to a wire rack to cool completely.

7. Make the lemon cream: In a medium bowl, whip the cream to stiff peaks. Gently fold the lemon curd into the whipped cream until well blended.

8. Toss the strawberries with the honey.

9. To assemble, slice the puffs in half crosswise. Place the bottoms of the puffs on 6 dessert plates. Dollop 2 generous tablespoons of lemon cream onto each puff. Divide the strawberries equally among the puffs. Sandwich the cream and berries with the tops of the puffs, pressing down gently to adhere.

TIP: Swap out the lemon juice for lime juice in the curd for a refreshing flavor pairing with strawberries.

TIP: Skip the puffs altogether and pile the lemon cream and berries onto a disk of Crisp, Raw Sugar Meringue for a killer pavlova.