Ginger & Sour Cherry Puffs
The level of sweetness in this dessert is subtle, even with the sugary coating on the crystallized ginger and the light sprinkling of sugar on top. I find this an appealing contrast to the proliferation of highly sweet treats at the holidays. Ensure the dried cherries you use have a bright sour tang for best results. Also be sure you have the ginger, cherries and spices ready before you start to make the pastry. And as for the pastry-making process, back in the day I used to make the choux pastry entirely by hand; yep, just my biceps and a wooden spoon. These days I use my stand mixer.
These puffs are best served soon after they're made, so just bake what you need. The rest of the unbaked dough balls will keep very well in the freezer.
Ingredients
For the Puffs
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 cup water
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 large eggs
- 1/3 cup / 79 ml coarsely chopped crystalized ginger (or about 2 oz / 60 gr by weight)
- 1/3 cup / 79 ml roughly chopped dried sour cherries (or about 2 oz / 60 gr by weight)
- 1/4 cup / 59 ml chopped walnuts )or about 1 oz / 30 gr by weight)
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Egg Wash & Sprinkling
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tbsp water
- 2 tsp turbinado or other coarse cane sugar, for sprinkling
How To Make This Recipe
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If baking right away, pre-heat the oven to 375℉. Line one or two baking trays, as required, with parchment paper.
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Stir together the flour, salt and sugar and have on hand next to the stove. Bring the water and butter to a lively boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Dump in the flour mixture all at once, reduce the heat to medium and stir with a wooden spoon until well incorporated. The dough will pull together into a ball or two and a slight crust will form on the bottom of the pan. Continue stirring for another full minute to dry out the dough somewhat. At this stage it looks similar to play dough.
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Put the dough into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on low speed for a couple of minutes to release some of the heat. Add the whole eggs one at a time, beating in until incorporated. At first the dough will look split, but it will come together into a smooth paste at which point you add the next egg.
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Once all the eggs have been incorporated, scrape down the bowl and then stir in the ginger, cherries, walnuts and spices.
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Using a 1 tablespoon ice cream scoop, a pastry bag with a large plain tip, or a teaspoon, dollop small rounds of the dough onto the prepared baking trays. If you're going to bake them right away, place the dough mounds about 1-1/2 inches apart. If you're going to freeze the dough, space them closely together so that all 50 fit on a single large tray.
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In a small dish, whisk the egg yolk with the tablespoon of water. Lightly brush onto the tops of the pastry mounds. Sprinkle delicately with coarse sugar; I used turbinado but a finer cane sugar would work well too.
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Place the tray on the middle rack of the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 350℉. These will take about 35 minutes to bake, but check them after 30 minutes. If you're baking two trays at a time, rotate them between the upper and lower oven racks after 15 minutes to ensure even baking. When done the puffs will be a glistening golden brown colour, and sound hollow when you tap them on the bottom. Set the trays on wire racks. You can let the puffs cool on the rack, or place them on serving trays as soon as you can handle them.
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If freezing the puffs unbaked, place the tray in the freezer. Once frozen, seal the pastry mounds into a freezer bag or other container. They will keep for several months. When it's time to bake them, just arrange them on a parchment lined baking tray about 1-1/2 inches apart and let them sit while the oven is pre-heating to 375℉. Once in the oven reduce the heat to 350℉ and bake as directed above. They may take a minute or two longer; their appearance and sound when tapped are your guide to doneness.
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Serve warm or at room temperature. Wow Factor: Eggsquisite!