Whipped White Chocolate Ganache and Strawberry Cheesecake Cream Puffs

Step 1

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients and mix with rubber spatula until smooth.

Step 2

Roll out the craquelin dough to 1/8-inch in thickness. Use a cookie cutter and cut out 12 2-inch circles. Set aside.

Step 3

Preheat oven to 350F.

Step 4

In a saucepan, combine the water, milk, sugar, salt, and butter. Bring to a light boil, remove from heat, and immediately add in all the flour. Quickly stir in the flour, using a rubber spatula, and return saucepan back over medium-high heat.

Step 5

Continue to stir the mixture, without stopping, until the paste is smooth, about 1-2 minutes. It will pull away from the sides of the pan and leave a thin coating of cooked paste on the bottom when ready. The texture should resemble dry mashed potatoes.

Step 6

Transfer the paste to a stand mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low for the choux to cool down.

Step 7

While the mixer is running on medium, gradually stream in the lightly beaten eggs. Mix until well combined.

Step 8

Transfer the pâte à choux to the prepared piping bag with a round tip. Pipe out 12 choux mounds onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving roughly 2 inches between each puff. If you are making choux with a craquelin top, this is when you want to add the craquelin to the choux mounds.

Step 9

Place the baking sheet in the oven and immediately bake choux puffs for 35 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet and turn down the oven to 325F, then bake for 10 minutes more until choux are deeply golden. Remove from oven and set on cooling rack to cool.

Step 10

Finely chop the white chocolate and place into a bowl.

Step 11

In a saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a boil. Once mixture has boiled, pour milk mixture over the chopped chocolate and let sit for 1 minute.

Step 12

Whisk the chocolate mixture until thoroughly melted and combined. Set in the refrigerator to chill, at least 4 hours.

Step 13

Once chilled and ready to use, transfer the ganache to the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment. Whip ganache to medium-stiff peaks. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a medium round pastry tip to pipe into choux pastries once baked.

Step 14

In the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, whisk cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, 2 -3 minutes.

Step 15

Add heavy cream, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla bean seeds and whip until it reaches to medium-stiff peaks.

Step 16

Transfer the whipped cheesecake cream to a piping bag fitted with a large star pastry tip.

Step 17

Keep whipped cheesecake cool until ready to use.

Step 18

With a sharp serrated knife, cut choux as you would a sandwich.

Step 19

Pipe the choux cavity with whipped ganache until it reaches the brim of the bottom choux half.

Step 20

Pipe two layers of whipped cheesecake on top of the whipped ganache.

Step 21

Top cream puff with other choux half like a hat.

Step 22

Optional: drizzle a simple glaze and top with dried rose petal.