Cheesecake puffs
cheesecake choux puffs

Choux pastry is quick to make but takes an attentive eye – and ideally not to be made on a 30 degree day.

I attempted this recipe on the hottest day of the year so far and it was tough to get the right puff rise….and the piping for the cheesecake filling took a few runs to and from the fridge. But this dessert turned out like such a delicious treat, especially refreshing on a hot day. So I would urge you to try it!

I have made choux pastry and profiteroles before but this time I wanted try something that would take a more generous filling. I immediately thought of cream puffs, which in my mind was a bigger, creamier version of the profiterole, its choux dainty cousin. But it turns out it was all lost in translation so what I actually baked were just super sized and super filled profiteroles.

choux cheesecake puff
cheesecake cream puffs

But how is that a bad thing, eh? Of course you don’t have to pipe the choux pastry as big as I did, but if you do prepare yourself to be licking your fingers and lips with cheesecake filling. That’s why I ate mine under the covers, by myself, cheesecake all over my face. It was blissful.

Strawberry cheesecake puff (makes 10 large)

Cheesecake filling

170g icing sugar

40g sour cream

150ml double cream

300g cream cheese

Strawberries to serve

Choux Pastry

230ml water

230ml milk

224g butter

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp caster sugar

260g flour, sieved

6 large eggs, at room temperature

Sugar Glaze

100g icing sugar

25ml milk

1 tbsp melted butter

Food colouring, optional

Choux Pastry

  1. Preheat oven to 200C and line a large baking tray with silicone sheet of parchment paper
  2. Bring the milk, water, butter, sugar and salt up to a full simmer over medium high heat. Take pan off head and stir in the flour with a wooden spoon, stirring vigorously until the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the pan
  3. Place the dough into a large bowl and beat with an electric whisk for a couple of minutes to cool it a little.
  4. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
  5. Fill a piping bag and cut a generous hole at the tip. itted with a large plain tip with the choux paste. Pipe 10 large puffs, about 5 inches across, making sure they have space between them (you may need 2 trays). Wet your finger in cool water and tap down any points on the batter.
  6. Bake the puffs for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 150C and continue to bake for another 35 minutes. 
  7. Once cooled, cut the top of the puffs off with a serrated knife.

Filling

  1. Using an electric whisk beat the double cream and icing sugar. Whisk in remaining ingredients. Let it cool in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  2. Fill a piping bag with a medium plain tip with the cheesecake to fill each puff with the cream. Chill until ready to glaze with chocolate or sugar glaze.

Sugar Glaze

1. Whisk the icing sugar and milk together until smooth, and then stir in the melted butter. Add food colouring if you wish and use immediately.

2. Dip the tops of the puffs  in the glaze and set them on a cooling rack to dry for a few minutes before serving or chilling to serve later.

The unfilled choux pastry can be made up to a day ahead and stored in an airtight container or frozen (unfilled) and thawed.