Featured Recipe
Frozen Strawberry Cream Puff Pastry
By Kate
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Flaky puff pastry layers, whipped vanilla cream lightly sweetened, and fresh macerated strawberries. Silky dark chocolate sauce ganache drizzled last. Chill to firm, making handheld frozen delights. Puff baked golden, flaky crackle. Whip cream stiff, fold carefully. Strawberries soak in sugar releasing bright juice, no watery mush. Dark chocolate and cream melted smooth, perfect for drizzling. Practical twists: cream cheese replacing some butter adds tang, berry jam swapped with apricot for surprising depth. Timing flexible, look for golden puff, stiff peak cream, and juicy but intact berry slices.
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Prep:
25 min
Cook:
22 min
Total:
52 min
Serves:
6 servings
dessert
French cuisine
summer treats
Introduction
Puff pastry frozen with cream and fresh fruit—a treat that’s all texture. Layer crisp golden squares with light vanilla chantilly whipped to peaks that hold shape in cold. Strawberries soaked just enough, not soggy. Apricot jam adds subtle background fruitiness that cuts the richness. Dark chocolate sauce, molten then simmer-cooled, slicked generously. Freezing stabilizes layers making handheld bites with crackle, cream silk, and bright berry pop. Broken steps ruin delicate layers. Too soft cream? Too wet berries? Watch signals: golden crust, firm peaks, juicing versus drowning fruits. Easy to do with care and watchful eye.
Ingredients
Pastry
- 160 g (about 5 1/2 oz) puff pastry dough
- 10 ml (2 tsp) unsalted butter softened
- 10 ml (2 tsp) granulated sugar
- 280 ml (1 1/4 cups) heavy cream 36% or higher
- 45 g (1/3 cup) powdered sugar sifted
- 2 ml (1/3 tsp) pure vanilla extract
- 50 ml (3 tbsp) apricot jam
- 90 g (3 oz) bittersweet chocolate roughly chopped
- 45 ml (3 tbsp) heavy cream
- 200 g (1 1/2 cups) strawberry slices
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) granulated sugar
Chocolate Sauce
Filling
About the ingredients
Reducing dough quantity avoids waste if serving fewer. Softer butter spreads evenly, creating caramelized sugar pockets enhancing texture. Using heavier cream (36%+) ensures proper stiffness when whipped; lower fat creams rarely hold peak. Sifting powdered sugar prevents grit when whipping. Apricot jam works better than strawberry or other flavors as it balances tart and sweet without overpowering berry topping. For a twist: replace butter in dough brushing with light olive oil for slight fruitiness, or add zest of lemon in cream for fresh aromatic lift. Chocolate sauce kept simple; adding pinch of chili or espresso powder adds depth for advanced palates. Using fresh but firm strawberries prevents mush. If berries overly ripe or watery, pat dry or toss with coarse sugar to draw out moisture slightly before adding to reduce sogginess.
Method
Pastry
- Preheat oven to 185 °C (365 °F), rack in middle. Line baking sheet with parchment. Flour surface lightly, roll dough to a rough 22 x 20 cm square. No obsessing over size. Brush softened butter over top evenly with quick strokes, sprinkle sugar evenly but not thickly. Cut into 6 rectangles approx 12 x 7 cm. Transfer gently to sheet, leaving space. Bake 18-22 minutes, watch golden puff, listen for that crisp crackle when tapping. Cooling until completely room temp ensures layers stay separate when slicing.
- Slice each pastry horizontally with serrated bread knife into two thin halves. Use gentle sawing to avoid crumbling. Reserve bottom and top layers separately.
- In chilled bowl, whip heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla extract to stiff peaks. Underover whipping ruins texture; stop when firm peaks hold but not grainy. If cream overheats, whisk in a few drops cold milk to rescue smoothness.
- Spread apricot jam on each bottom third pastry layer thoroughly but thinly; jam moisture prevents dry bites. Spoon or pipe whipped cream atop jam, smoothing but not squashing airiness. Freeze fully assembled bases for 2.5 to 3 hours or until firm. This firmness keeps layers distinct and shapes stable when bitten.
- Heat chopped chocolate and cream gently in microwave in 30-second bursts. Stir after each until velvety smooth. Avoid overheating, burnt chocolate tastes bitter. Let cool to room temp, sauce thickening slightly for better drizzle, not runny pool.
- Toss strawberry slices with sugar; leave 5-7 minutes to macerate but keep shape. Juices should be glistening but not watery. Excess liquid can sog layers; drain if needed.
- Remove frozen pastry bases from freezer, temper 10-15 minutes until soft enough to bite but still cold. Spoon strawberry mixture over cream. Drizzle chocolate sauce in thin streams. Top with reserved pastry halves, press lightly to seal but not crush. Serve immediately or keep in freezer covered; thaw 8-10 minutes before eating for best cream texture.
- Common slips: do not skip chilling whipped cream or jam layer or puff collapses. Use serrated knife for clean cuts. Watch oven closely; burnt spots happen suddenly.
- Substitutions: cream cheese whipped into remaining cream adds tang and stability. Mixed berries instead of strawberries shifts flavor profile. Swap apricot jam for strawberry preserves to amplify berry notes. Dark chocolate can be swapped for milk chocolate for sweeter sauce but watch sugar balance.
Chocolate Sauce
Assembly
Technique Tips
Oven temps vary—watch pastry color, edges curling up, little crackle sound when tapping signals doneness rather than strict time. Cooling pastry fully before slicing critical—warm layers tear messy. Serrated knife preferred for cutting to avoid smashing air pockets. Whip cream in cold bowl, cold cream—warm conditions cause failure or runny cream. Stop whipping at stiff peaks, overworking causes butter formation and grainy texture. Spreading jam as barrier traps moisture and flavor under cream preventing soggy pastry bottom. Freeze assembled bases to harden cream and jam layers before adding berries to prevent sliding or collapsing. Chocolate melts best in short intervals; stir often to prevent scorching. Macerating strawberries draws juices out enhancing sweetness but keep short duration to avoid liquid pooling. Assemble just before serving, avoid thawing fully or pastry loses crunch. For last-minute fix, brush raw dough rectangles with butter and sugar, bake crisp crackers to serve alongside whipped cream and berries for deconstructed version.
Chef's Notes
- 💡 Watch pastry closely as it bakes. Look for golden edges, that crackling sound, signals doneness. Cool fully before slicing—warm layers tear. Sharp serrated knife needed for clean cuts. If pastry puffs unevenly, give it time, oven heat fluctuates.
- 💡 For whipped cream, don’t rush. Start whipping cold cream in a chilled bowl. Stiff peaks mean stop—overwhipped cream turns grainy. Adding milk helps rescue, trick for texture. Sifting powdered sugar essential for smooth mix.
- 💡 Macerate strawberries carefully. Leave them short time, want glistening juice not a pool. If juice is too much, drain excess before layering. Avoid sogginess ruining layers. Firm berries help in keeping shape when assembling.
- 💡 Chocolate sauce needs low heat, burn rescue plan: add more cream if too thick. Stir frequently. Thin streams drizzle better. Let cool slightly, thicken for drizzling. Watch out for bitterness if overheated.
- 💡 Substitutions work well. Use mixed berries instead, experiment. Cream cheese can replace some butter in whipped cream for tang. Apricot jam gives depth—switch for other jams with similar balance.
- 💡 faq
