Strawberry Elderflower Craquelin Cream Puffs  

Directions:

Strawberry Elderflower Jam

1. Wash the strawberries well and remove the tops. Add the berries and sugar to a medium saucepan. Using your hands, mix and mash the strawberries and sugar together. Alternatively, use an immersion blender or potato masher to achieve your desired consistency.
2. Add the lemon juice to the pan and place over medium heat. Once simmering, stir regularly and cook until the jam registers 210- to 212-degrees Fahrenheit (100-degrees Celsius) on an instant-read thermometer, about 15 minutes. Additionally, place a small amount of jam on a plate and freeze for 1 minute. When done, the jam should wrinkle and furrow when pushed through the middle with a finger. Remove from heat.
3. Add the elderflower blossoms and stir to combine. Let infuse at room temperature for 30 minutes, then transfer the jam to an airtight container and refrigerate until set.
4. Once cooled completely, transfer the jam to a piping bag. Continue refrigerating until ready to fill the cream puffs.

Crème Diplomat

1. To a large saucepan, add the milk. Use a knife to split the vanilla bean pod in half, scraping it of its beans. Set the beans aside, then add the empty vanilla bean pod to the milk.
2. Place the pan over medium-low heat. Once steaming, remove the milk from the heat, then remove the vanilla bean pod and discard.
3. To a large bowl, add the cornstarch, sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla beans. Whisk until totally combined.
4. Return the milk to medium-low heat. Once simmering, pour about one-fourth of the steaming milk into the egg mixture while whisking constantly. Continue pouring the egg mixture into the milk, one-fourth at a time, until completely combined.
5. Return the custard mixture to the saucepan and place over medium heat. Stirring continuously, cook the custard until the cream thickens and begins to bubble. Continue cooking for another 1 to 2 minutes to fully hydrate the cornstarch.
6. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter until melted and combined. Pass the crème diplomat through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl.
7. Press a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper directly against the surface of the crème diplomat to prevent it from forming a thick film. Transfer to the fridge until completely cooled.
8. Once cooled, remove the plastic wrap or parchment and use a whisk or hand mixer to beat until smooth and creamy.
9. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk the cold cream to medium-soft peaks. Add about one-third of the whipped cream to the crème diplomat and whisk by hand to combine.
10. Fold the rest of the whipped cream into the crème diplomat until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag and refrigerate until ready to use.

Craquelin

1. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the butter and sugar. Cream together on medium speed until the sugar is dissolved into the butter.
2. Add the flour and mix, starting on medium-low speed, until the mixture is homogenous and gathers into a ball of dough.
3. Lay a sheet of parchment paper on a clean work surface. Transfer the dough to the parchment, then lay another sheet of parchment over top. Press the dough into a disc, then use a rolling pin to roll the dough to a circle about ¼-inch (less than 1-cm) thick.
4. Transfer the dough to a sheet pan and freeze for about 10 minutes, or until firm. Using a 1 ½-inch (4-cm) cookie cutter, cut the dough into circles. Place the circles back in the freezer until ready to bake.

Cream Puffs

1. Preheat the oven to 375-degrees Fahrenheit (190-degrees Celsius).
2. Make the choux (cream puff batter). In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the water, milk, butter, Vanilla Bourbon French Salt, and sugar until the butter is melted.
3. Once melted, bring the mixture to a boil. Remove from the heat, then add the flour and stir until smooth. Return to the heat and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture is smooth and a dry film forms on the bottom of the pan.
4. Transfer the dough to a medium bowl and let cool slightly at room temperature for 10 minutes.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs until smooth. Beat a little of the eggs into the dough at a time until the batter is glossy and drips from the spatula in a v-shape. You may not need all of the eggs, so check the consistency often.
6. Transfer the dough to a piping bag.
7. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Pipe the choux into 1 ¼-inch (3-cm) rounds. For perfect circles, use a pen to trace the rounds directly on the parchment. Flip the parchment over so the pen is facing down, then pipe the choux to fill each stencil.
8. Place a frozen craquelin round on top of each circle of choux.
9. Transfer to the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until the cream puffs are golden brown, hollowed, and risen. Crack the oven door and leave the cream puffs to cool for 15 minutes before removing from the oven.
10. Cut a small hole in the bottom of each cream puff to release trapped steam. Let cool for another 15 minutes.

Strawberry Sugar & Assembly

1. In the bowl of a food processor, blend the freeze-dried strawberries and powdered sugar until pulverized into a sandy, pink sugar. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
2. To fill the cream puffs, pipe a small amount of jam into the center using the small hole in the bottom of each bun. Finally, pipe in enough crème diplomat that the buns expand slightly and the cream begins to come out of the bottom. Wipe away any excess.
3. To finish, dust with the strawberry sugar using a fine-mesh sieve. Finally, pipe a small dot of crème diplomat on the top of each cream puff and add an elderflower blossom or a very small halved strawberry.