Strawberry Buttermilk Whipped Cream Puffs

Strawberry Buttermilk Whipped Cream Puffs are bright, delicious twist on the old classic. Buttermilk Whipped Cream adds a whole new level of flavor!

It was about time for a good dessert around here!

I was born a bookworm and I’m always reading at least two or three books at a time. Always. The past few months I’ve read a lot of heavy books:

• I read Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, which was a stark, heartbreaking look at a very broken system that keeps poverty painfully alive.
• I listened to Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right and I enjoyed it (though I would recommend getting a hard copy of this book because the audiobook got confusing), but politics are always heavy.
• I read A Little Life, which was maybe one of the saddest books I have ever read. Beautiful, but I finished that book sobbing.
• Lab Girl was great on audiobook, and I love brave, deeply personal memoirs, but it wasn’t light reading.
• Most recently, I finished the YA book The Hate U Give, and Zadie Smith’s newest novel, Swing Time. Both took on the big topics of race and Zadie Smith added gender and colonialism into the mix too.
• Then I moved on to The Blood of Emmett Till, which is powerful and intense.

There were a lot of good reads, but I’m ready for something a little, or a lot, lighter.

A few days ago, I tried to start Lincoln in the Bardo. I’ve been anxiously awaiting George Saunders’ first novel because I’m a big fan of his short stories (and I’m not really a short story fan). And I think it’s going to be good, but I had to put it down. After all of the heavy reading I’ve done lately, I just needed something lighter than Lincoln at his son’s grave.

So, Sophie Kinsella it is. I started My Not So Perfect Life last night and I think I’ve found the right ride for now. Which brings me to cream puffs.

Strawberry Buttermilk Whipped Cream Puffs

These Buttermilk Whipped Cream Puffs are so fun! They are light and only lightly sweetened too. Adding cultured buttermilk into freshly whipped cream was one of the best ideas I ever had. The idea to stuff it into a fluffy cream puff was a close second in genius.

The buttermilk adds new dimensions of flavor to a simple whipped cream, making it one of the most delicious things I’ve ever tasted. Buttermilk Whipped Cream is both tangy and sweet, which is a delectable combo. Strawberries, with their own bright, tangy sweetness make these a heavenly treat.

These are easy to whip up. I promise! Don’t be scared of making cream puffs – it’s easier than it seems. I mostly follow Dorie Greenspan’s recipe for perfect cream puffs and they work every time. Then you’re only a few minutes away from buttermilk whipped cream. These Strawberry Buttermilk Whipped Cream Puffs may look fancy, but they’re really pretty simple behind the scenes.

They’re also pretty easy to eat. In fact, you’ll have a hard time only eating one. But they’re so good, you really won’t regret the second or even the third.

Yield: 24 to 32 depending on size

Strawberry Buttermilk Whipped Cream Puffs

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Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pint strawberries, hulled and cut into small pieces
• 2 teaspoons sugar

For the Cream Puffs

• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 4 large eggs, room temperature

For the Buttermilk Whipped Cream

• 3/4 cup whole buttermilk
• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar (or more to taste)
• a pinch or two of cream of tartar

Instructions

1. Sprinkle the two teaspoons of sugar over the cut strawberries and set aside while you proceed.
2. Arrange oven racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, butter, sugar and salt and bring to a rapid boil. Add the flour all at once and immediately lower heat to medium-low and begin stirring with a wooden spoon (don't use a whisk!). The dough will come together into a big shiny lump and a thin crust may form on the bottom of the pan, stir vigorously for a minute to dry the dough. It will be very shiny when done. Remove from heat.
4. Place dough into a large mixing bowl. Let it sit for 1 minute.
5. Add the eggs one at a time, using an electric hand mixer to completely incorporate each egg before adding the next. When the last egg is finished, the dough will be thick, smooth, and shiny. Use the dough immediately.
6. To bake smaller puffs, like the ones pictured on the top tier of the stand above, drop one tablespoon of dough for each puff onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches space in between. To make larger puffs, as pictured on the lower two tiers of the stand above, use a heaping tablespoon of dough - almost, but not quite, two tablespoons.
7. Slide the baking sheets into the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 12 minutes, then rotate the pans from front to back and top to bottom. Bake for another 12 to 15 minutes or until puffs are golden and firm. (If you remove them too soon, they will collapse as they cool). Let them cool completely on the baking sheets without disturbing them.

For the Buttermilk Whipped Cream

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and whisk on high speed with an electric mixer until cream is thick and forms soft peaks. Use a pinch or two of cream of tartar to help stabilize.

To assemble Cream Puffs

1. Using a serrated knife, gently cut off the top third of each puff. Spoon the buttermilk whipped cream into the puff and top with strawberries. Place the top of the puff back on and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Notes

Cream Puff dough adapted from Dorie Greenspan (link in post above)