Chocolate Cream Puffs with Hazelnut Filling
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 large eggs
- Homemade Hazelnut Spread, recipe follows
- 2 cups sliced fresh strawberries, for garnish
- 1 cup chopped hazelnuts, for garnish
- Fresh mint leaves, for garnish
- 3 cups hazelnuts
- 1/ 2 cup confectioners' sugar, divided
- 5 ounces milk chocolate, melted
- Pinch salt
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the water, butter, and salt.
- Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat.
- Using a wooden spoon, beat in the flour, cocoa, and cinnamon, stirring constantly until the mixture forms a ball.
- Remove the pan from the heat and let cool 5 minutes.
- Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, at medium speed with an electric mixer until the mixture is smooth.
- Spoon or pipe the dough into 10 (2-inch) mounds onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake until puffed and golden brown, 30 to 33 minutes.
- Set aside to cool.
- Cut the cream puffs in half horizontally.
- Remove the soft dough from inside.
- Spoon the Homemade Hazelnut Spread into the bottoms of the cream puffs.
- Top each puff evenly with strawberries and sprinkle with hazelnuts.
- Cover with the tops of the cream puffs.
- Garnish with fresh mint leaves, if desired.
- Toast the hazelnuts at 350 degrees F until golden brown (more color means a stronger flavor).
- This may take 7 to 10 minutes.
- Immediately place the toasted hazelnuts in a food processor with 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar.
- Grind the hazelnuts until liquefied.
- This process will take approximately 5 minutes and must be stirred half way through to insure proper release of their oils (the mix will be very hot, use a metal spatula).
- Continue grinding until a liquid has formed.
- Once in liquid form, add the milk chocolate, salt, and remaining 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar.
- Continue grinding for 1 minute until completely mixed.
- Let the hazelnut spread cool completely.
- Once cooled, place the hazelnut paste in a mason jar for immediate or future use.
- The product will not spoil if left unrefrigerated.
water, butter, salt, flour, dutch, ground cinnamon, eggs, hazelnut, fresh strawberries, hazelnuts, mint, hazelnuts, sugar, milk chocolate, salt
Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/chocolate-cream-puffs-with-hazelnut-filling-recipe.html (may not work)