Friday, August 14, 2009

Berry puffs with white chocolate cream

I was given a bunch of home grown blackberries just before hosting a baby shower, so I fiddled around with what to do with them until I came up with these. They were simple and very tasty, reminiscent of a shortcake. I also tried them with slices of strawberry and raspberries with equally good results. You can make the pastry puffs up to a day in advance, and the white chocolate cream also holds up well made in advance so that all you have to do right before serving is pipe the cream on and plop the berry in place - easy peasy.

1 package puff pastry, thawed at room temperature according to package directions
1 egg
raw sugar
4 ounces cream cheese
2/3 cup white chocolate chips
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
berries of your choice

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Unfold the pastry onto a baking sheet, then cut into 36 equal squares (approximately 1"). Separate the squares and spread them evenly out on the baking sheet. In a small bowl, whisk the egg with 1 t. water, then brush a light coating onto each pastry square. Sprinkle raw sugar on top, then bake until puffed and golden, about 10-14 minutes. Remove from baking sheet and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, allow the cream cheese to come to room temperature. Melt the white chocolate chips in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring well each time. Allow to rest for a few minutes until lukewarm. Beat the cream cheese until smooth, then beat in the white chocolate. In a separate bowl, beat the cream until moderately stiff peaks form. Then beat the white chocolate mixture and powdered sugar in until light and fluffy. Either use immediately or refrigerate until ready to assemble.

To assemble: split each pastry in half with a sharp knife. Pipe a generous dab of cream on the bottom, place a berry, and pipe a small dab of cream, then cap it off with the top of the pastry. Serve immediately.

2 comments:

Kathy said...

Have I ever told you that I love you? Well, I do. I have been making your recipes right and left lately and haven't been disappointed yet. Now I'm off to try the pretzels with the kids.

Marisa said...

I just stumbled on your blog--and I am SO excited to try your recipes. I'll keep checking back :-)!