This is the third recipe of my berry series ! The stars this time are blackberries ! They tend to be more tart than other berries but are equally delicious. And instead of a muffin or a pie, I want to make something more fun. My daughter has been asking me to make cream puffs, so why don’t I put the two together ?! Blackberry and cream cheese go so well together. And WOW ! It turned out with such a pretty colour! Choux pastry is so magical, it turns into light and airy puffs without any leavening agents. And you can fill the puffs with any flavour of cream or custard, even just a spoon of whipped cream. Be sure to eat them immediately for best tasting…..but hey, they are so yummy and I guarantee they are not going to last ! 

 Makes about 10-12 puffs 

For the fillings

• 100 g fresh blackberries
• 250 g soft cream cheese
• 60 g icing sugar, sifted

1. Puree blackberries with a blender, strain through a fine mesh to remove seeds, should yield about 60 g of puree
2. Beat cream cheese until fluffy, add icing sugar, beat until smooth
3. Add blackberry puree, mix until blended
4. Store in refrigerator until use 

For the choux pastry puffs

• 200 mL water
• 90 g unsalted butter
• 2 g salt
• 30 g  granulated sugar
• 120 g all-purpose flour
• 3 eggs

1. Heat together water, butter, salt and granulated sugar in a pot over medium heat until just starting to boil
2. Turn heat down to low, add flour all at once
3. Stirring constantly, cook until a thin film of paste formed at the bottom of the pot or about 5 minutes if using a non-stick pot
4. Transfer paste to a bowl and cool down
5. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350ºF and prepare piping bag with desired piping tip
6. Add eggs to paste, one at a time and mix well after each addition
7. Transfer to piping bag and pipe onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper 
8. Bake at 350ºF  for about 15-20 minutes until starting to brown, turn heat down to 325°F and bake for another 25-30 minutes until golden (if puffs are under baked, they will collapse after taken out)
9. Turn heat off, leave puffs inside oven for about 10 minutes with oven door ajar
10. Take puffs out, let cool  
    

    

To assemble

1. Cut puffs in halves with a serrated knife, spoon or pipe blackberry fillings in middle
2. Dust with icing sugar and serve immediately