PEPPERMINT CREAM PUFF RING
This is a cream puff in the shape of a ring, with a chocolate glaze and almonds on top for decoration.
1 1/3 cups heavy cream 40 mint leaves PASTRY 1/2 cup each milk and water 1 stick unsalted butter 1 tbs sugar 1/4 tsp salt 1 cup flour 4 large eggs
1/4 cup plus 2 tbs sugar 1/2 cup sour cream GLAZE 2 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped 1 tbs heavy cream 1 tbs corn syrup
3 tbs toasted sliced almonds
Bring cream and mint to a boil. Remove from heat, cover and steep 1 hour. Pour into a bowl, refrigerate 3 hours. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Draw a 8 inch circle on the parchment paper, turn paper over. PASTRY---Bring first 5 ingredients to a boil in saucepan. Add flour, stir until dough comes together. Cook 2 min. Transfer hot dough to a bowl. Beat in eggs until blended. Spoon warm dough into a ziptop bag, cut off 1 corner. Pipe a ring 1 inch thick on circle on parchment paper. Pipe a second ring inside first. Pipe a third ring on top where rings meet. Bake 20 min. reduce oven temp to 375 degrees and bake 25 min. more or until puffed, brown and firm. Let ring cool. Strain peppermint cream into a measuring cup, adding heavy cream to make 1 1/3 cups. Pour into a bowl, add 1/4 cup sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Stir remaining sugar into sour cream, fold into whipped cream. Slice top off of pastry ring, Pull out and discard soft dough inside base, transfer base to a serving platter. Spoon cream filling into a pastry bag. Pipe large rosettes close together into base. Pipe another row of rosettes on first row, piping top rosettes between bottom rosettes. Add pastry top, refrigerate. GLAZE---Microwave chocolate, cream and corn syrup in bowl on high until chocolate melts and glaze is smooth. Spread on top of pastry ring, sprinkle with almonds. REFRIGERATE 1 HOUR BEFORE SERVING.
This recipe makes 12 servings of PEPPERMINT CREAM PUFF RING.*