Lychee Raspberry Cheesecake Choux Puffs

Here’s a wonderful dessert, with an Asian twist, to satisfy your every sweet craving! I absolutely love the combination of lychee and raspberry. When combined with my favorite baking vessel, the choux puff, they make for a deliciously creamy and light dessert.

• Taste: ★★★★★
• Difficulty: ★★★
• Ingredients: ★★★
• Time: 45 min (assembly) + 30 minutes (baking) = ~1.5 hours total

Ingredients (makes ~6-8 large cream puffs)

Craquelin Crust:

• 3 tbsp butter, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 5 tbsp flour
• 1 pinch salt
• pink food coloring (optional)

Choux Pastry:

• 1/2 cup COLD water
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature

Raspberry Filling:

• 2 tbsp sugar
• 3-4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• lychee puree
• fresh raspberries

Directions

Making the Craquelin Crust

1. Mix butter, sugar, flour, and salt together in a large bowl using a spatula. The mixture should resemble slightly crumbly cookie dough.
2. Place dough between two sheets of waxed paper or inside a zip-loc bag. Press or roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Freeze crust until ready to use.

Making the Choux Pastry

1. Preheat the oven to 450 F (230 C). Line a baking sheet with foil or a silicone mat.
2. Combine water, butter, and salt in a saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add flour; stir with a wooden spoon until mixture comes together into a smooth dough and pulls away cleanly from the bottom of the pan.
3. Transfer to a bowl and spread out with a whisk to speed up cooling. Cool until warm, about 10 minutes.
4. Whisk eggs, one at a time, into the pastry, mixing well after each addition. Scoop pastry into a pastry bag and pipe into 6 to 8 buns on the baking sheet.
5. Smooth out tops with a wet finger.
6. Use a cookie cutter to cut crust into circles about the diameter of the buns. Lightly push crusts onto the buns.
7. Bake for 15 minutes and then reduce heat to 400 F (175 C) and bake for another 15 minutes. Transfer buns onto a cooling rack.

Making the Filling

1. Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer or by hand until light and fluffy. Add sugar and mix thoroughly.
2. Beat the heavy whipping cream and sugar until fully whipped with soft peaks (‘ribbon stage’). Add lychee puree and raspberries and mix until well combined.
3. Fold whipped cream mixture into cream cheese mixture until combined.
4. Cut a small hole in the bottom of each cream puff.
5. Pour the cream mixture into a pastry bag and pipe the cream into the cooled choux until filled.
6. Enjoy!!