Fresh Raspberry Cream Puffs with Almond Choux Pastry
Choux pastry has a reputation for being intimidating but it’s one of those techniques that rewards you enormously once you try it. Light, hollow, buttery puffs that are made for filling – and here they’re filled with fresh raspberry mousse and topped with whole berries and a dusting of powdered sugar. The almond flour and almond extract woven through the dough makes these feel distinctly special, like something from a patisserie window but made in your own kitchen on a summer afternoon. If you love almonds in baking, this rhubarb galette with almond frangipane is another recipe where almonds are the quiet star of the show.
This recipe uses raspberries 2 ways: in the filling and placed whole on top before a dusting of powdered sugar is sprinkled on top.
Make these raspberry cream puffs piled high with fresh fruit and sprinkled with powdered sugar.
Why Fresh Raspberries Work in this Recipe
Here in the Hudson Valley, NY, raspberries are fully ripe by the end of June and ready to be picked and enjoyed.
Use freshly harvested raspberries to make this recipe.
Fresh raspberries are one of the most versatile summer ingredients – they’re just as beautiful freeze dried in these rose white chocolate cookies as they are in this cream puff filling.
Easy Choux Pastry Buns
Classic French inspired patisserie baking at home. This recipe uses farm fresh ingredients to create an indulgent dessert. Pate a choux is a great technique that makes perfectly soft and bitable on the outside pastry puffs, that are hollow on the inside and perfect for filling with cream. These raspberry cream puffs require several steps, but the results are not only glorious, but easily obtainable for the home baker.
The almond filled choux buns are the perfect base for these baked delights! Instead of a laborious stove-top, boiled pudding, this recipe relies on fresh fruit, ricotta cheese and gelatin to set a cold pudding in the refrigerator.
This method is simple, and requires a little mixing and measuring for a tasty, creamy final result. Adding fresh raspberries to the cream creates another level of fruit filled flavor.
Why this Recipe Works:
Raspberries bright, tart flavor notes pair well with almonds smooth taste. This recipe relies on layering these to ingredients throughout the pastry buns and filling for tasty results.
Almond extract and ground almond flour flavor the choux pastry buns, creating a base and top notes of almond taste and scent. Adding the raspberries to the ricotta (sweetened with sugar) as well as freshly placed berries on the top created layers of fruity flavor.
Ricotta is one of those ingredients that works beautifully in both sweet and savory applications – like this asparagus quiche with goat cheese if you’re looking for a savory counterpart.
The raspberry cream sets in the fridge, giving you more time to concentrate on the choux pastry buns. It easily spoons into the puffs, and it’s sturdy texture is the perfect base for a handful of fresh raspberries.
Why did my choux pastry buns collapse?
Opening the oven door to check the buns several times during baking will release the steam used to puff the buns structurally up, so try not to check them until they are done.
The buns did not bake for long enough.
Can I freeze the unbaked dough?
Choux pastry dough does not freeze well, if you want to freeze the buns, do so after baking them.
How to Store Raspberry Choux Buns and Cream:
Store pastry buns in airtight container at room temp for up to 3 days. if you want to store them longer, place in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Keep raspberry pastry cream covered and refrigerated, assemble pastry puffs as needed according to instructions below.
Garnishes and Finishing Touches
Sprinkle powdered sugar over the tops of these fruit filled desserts for a finishing garnish. The powered sugar adds a little more sweetness to the tart raspberries and is a simple, yet elegant finish to this summer dessert with raspberries and almonds.
If you love summer cooking…
If you love French inspired fruit desserts, this chamomile apricot clafoutis is another simple, elegant bake worth adding to your summer rotation.
Almond Choux Puffs with Fresh Raspberry Mousse
Ingredients
Raspberry Mousse
- 2 tsp Powdered Gelatin
- 2 tbsp Water
- 1 cup Fresh Raspberries
- 1 cup Whole Ricotta
- ¼ cup White Sugar
Choux Puff Pastry
- 1 cup All Purpose Flour
- 2 tbsp Almond Flour
- 6 tbsp Butter salted
- 1 cup Water
- 2 eggs plus 1 egg white whipped
- 1 tsp Almond Extract
Garnish
- 1 tsp Powdered Sugar
- 1 cup Fresh Raspberries
Instructions
Raspberry Cream Mousse
- Sprinkle gelatin into a medium bowl.
- Heat 2 tbsp water in saucepan over medium heat until hot (not boiling) or microwave the 2 tbsp water for 30 seconds.
- Pour heated water over gelatin in bowl.
- Place 1 cup raspberries in blender or bowl if using an immersion blender along with ricotta and sugar. Process until blended. Pour the gelatin over blended mixture and incorporate. If using a blender transfer to a bowl and cover.
- Chill in refrigerator for 1 1/2 hours.
Almond Choux Pastry
- Preheat oven to 425℉ Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the 1 tsp almond extract to eggs and stir until smooth
- Sift flour, almond flour into a small bowl, (you will be using a saucepan to mix ingredients, so size does not matter here).
- Place 1 cup water and butter into medium saucepan with heavy bottom. Heat on medium until butter is completely dissolved ( 8 minutes).
- Remove pan from heat and add sifted flour mixture. Mix vigorously until all ingredients are incorporated and the choux no longer sticks to sides of bowl and balls into the middle, about 2-3 minutes.
- Let butter flour mixture cool for 5 minutes
- Slowly stir the eggs into the butter mixture until fully incorporated, the mixture should have a glossy sheen when fully mixed, if the mixture looks dull keep mixing, about 2 minutes should produce these results.
- Place 12 rounded drops of choux batter onto prepared baking sheet.
- Bake in preheated 425 oven for 20-25 minutes. The choux should be puffed up and crisp with a moist center when finished.
- Remove from oven promptly and cool on rack
Assemble Raspberry Cream Puffs
- Slice open each puff and fill with 2 spoonful's of raspberry mousse , top with fresh raspberries and sprinkle powdered sugar over top.
Love the almond in the puffs!
Wow, never had almond flour choux before. Really intrigued! THanks for the recipe.
Love pastries and this one looks so delicious. I will have to make this soon.
I love choux buns but have never made them with almond flour. They look delicious.
These are just so cute and gorgeous. The perfect summer recipe for me!
I am drooling here. Those look amazing!