Chocolate Glazed Raspberry Cream Puffs

I made these with my best friend, Celina, last week for my coworkers.  You wouldn't expect for cream puffs to be so simple to make, but it really is.  Granted, it might be time consumning pipping each single puff out and then filling it with flavored-whipped cream goodness, the wait is worth the while.   You can stuff the puffs with almost anything you like, just change the jelly/preserve/jam to whatever flavor your hearts' desire. These are crowd pleasures, sure to disappear within two hours at a party or a gathering.  It is best to chill the cream puff before you serve them. 

There's no clear story to the origins of cream puffs.  Some claim its from the French and others claim its from the Brits.  Either way, give thanks for these delicate & wondrous pastries.

This recipe came from Food Everyday September 2010 Issue.

PASTRY PUFF RECIPE
Yields:  110 small puffs (1 teaspoon batter each) or
             60 medium (1 1/2 teaspoons each) or
             40 large (2 teaspoons each)

Ingredients:
- 1 cup of water
- 1/2 cup (1 stick of UNSALTED butter)
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- 1 cup of all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
- 4 large eggs

1)  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment.
2)  In a small saucepan, bring water, butter, and sugar to a boil over high.
3)  Immediately remove from heat.
4)  With a wooden spoon, stir in flour.  Continue to stir until mixture pulls away from sides of pan, about 2       minutes. 
5)  Let cool for 2 minutes.
6)  Add eggs, ONE AT A TIME, mixing after each addition until batter comes together.
7)  Transfer batter to a large zip-top bag; twist and squeeze bag so batter is in one corner.  With scissors, snip a 1/2 inch opening in corner (or use a pastry bag with a 1/2-inch round plain tip).
8)  Pipe batter into desired size mounds, 1 inch apart, onto sheets.
9)  With a wet finger, smooth pointy tops.
10) Bake for 10 minutes. 
11) Reduce Oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake until puffs are golden brown and feel light and hallow inside, 20-30 minutes.
12) Let cool on sheets on wire racks.

CHOCOLATE GLAZE RECIPE RASPBERRY FILLING RECIPE:
Yields:  40 
 

Ingredients:
- 1 cup of heavy cream
- 1/2 cup of raspberry jam
- 1 tablespoon of brandy (optional)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 4 ounces of semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped


1)  Use a toothpick or skewer to make a 1/4 inch wide hole in bottom of each puff.
2)  In a medium bowl, whip heavy cream to firm peaks.  (This might take a while depending on how powerful your mixer is but the key is FIRM PEAKS)
3)  Fold in raspberry jam and brandy.
4) Transfer mix to a large zip-top bag and snip a 1/4 inch opening in one corner.
5)  Place cut corner of bag in hole in puff and squeeze to fill puff with cream mixture.
6)  Place filled puffs, hole down, on a rimmed baking sheet.
7)  Refrigerate puffs while you are making the glaze.
8)  In a medium heatproof bowl, combine chocolate and light corn syrup.
9)  In a small saucepan, bring heavy cream to just a boil.
10) Immediately pour over chocolate and let sit 2 minutes.
11) Stir until mixture is smooth.
12) Dip top half of each puff into chocolate glaze (or pour on top).
13) Place puff glazed side up on baking sheet.
14)  Refrigerate uncovered for 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
15)  EAT ALL NOW - just kidding.