Cream Puffs with Berry Cream

To prepare the cream puffs with berry cream, start by making the choux pastry. First, pour water, milk 1, sugar, and salt 2 into a saucepan. Add the cubed butter 3 and bring everything to a boil.

At this point, add the flour all at once 4 and stir with a spatula or wooden spoon 5. Don't worry about lumps and stir quickly, then cook the roux until a white film forms on the bottom of the pan 6, which will take at least 2-3 minutes.

Transfer the dough into a bowl 7 and add one egg at a time 8, always mixing with a spatula to incorporate it. Don't worry if the dough seems separated at first, keep mixing. Only when it is fully absorbed, add the next egg. Once all eggs are incorporated, you should obtain a smooth and consistent dough 9.

Then transfer it into a pastry bag fitted with a plain 1/2 inch nozzle. Now take a baking sheet and line it with parchment paper; to secure it, squeeze a bit of the dough in 2 opposite corners and in the center. Space them apart and form mounds of dough about 1 1/4 inch in diameter (10-11). Bake in a preheated, ventilated oven on the center rack at 355°F for 25 minutes, then remove the cream puffs and let them cool 12.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling. First, make the crème anglaise. In a saucepan, pour the milk, cream, the pod that has been cut but without seeds, and the grated lemon zest 1. Heat until the milk almost boils. Transfer the lightly beaten yolks into another saucepan, add the vanilla seeds 2, sugar 3, and salt.

Stir gently with a spatula without incorporating air 4. As soon as milk and cream start to boil, strain them directly into the saucepan with the egg yolk mixture 5 to also catch the pod. Stir continuously with the spatula 6.

Place the cream to cook on low heat, constantly stirring until reaching 180°F 7. To know when the crème anglaise is ready, immerse a spoon in it: if it coats the back when removed, it's done. Strain it through a fine-mesh sieve 8 into a jug or bowl 9.

Chop the milk chocolate 10 and melt it in a bain-marie or microwave for a few seconds at a time to avoid burning it 11. At this point, pour the still-hot crème anglaise into the chocolate in two additions, always straining it through a sieve 12.

Stir with a spatula without incorporating air 13 until you obtain a smooth cream 14. Transfer it into a blender and emulsify the cream for a few moments 15.

Add the berry topping 16 and emulsify again with a hand blender for about 1 minute 17. Pour it into a shallow, wide container and let crystallize in the fridge for at least 1 hour, or until fully set, then transfer it into a piping bag fitted with a plain 1/4 inch nozzle.

At this point, take the cream puffs, pierce them with the tip of a plain nozzle 1 and fill them with the berry cream 2. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the glaze. Chop the chocolate 3, transfer it to a bowl, and melt it in a bain-marie or microwave.

Now add the berry topping 4 and cold cream 5. Stir with a spatula until well emulsified. Dip the tops of the cream puffs into the glaze 6.

and then into the almond flakes 7. Transfer them to a tray and dust with powdered sugar 8 before serving your cream puffs with berry cream.