makes 12 cream puffs
1 cup water
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon lavender vanilla bean sugar [optional]
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 quart organic strawberries, hulled, quartered, and mashed
2 cups whipped cream
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place a Silpat on a baking sheet and set aside. (Alternately, lightly grease the baking sheet with cooking spray.)
2. Add the water, butter, salt, and lavender vanilla bean sugar [optional] to a medium sauce pot.
3. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring to combine the ingredients.
4. Once the mixture begins to boil, add in the flour and stir vigorously. Continue stirring until the dough forms into a ball.
5. Remove from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
6. Stir in the eggs one a time, stirring with a wooden spoon in between additions to fully integrate each egg into the dough.
7. Drop large spoonfuls of dough onto the prepped baking sheet.
8. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the puffs are golden brown and dry to the touch.
9. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
10. To make the strawberry cream puffs, prepare a batch of whipped cream.
11. Cut the tops off of the cream puffs, and remove the dough from the center of the puff.
12. Fill the puffs with a small scoop of fresh mashed strawberries, a dollop of whipped cream, and another small scoop of mashed strawberries. Replace the top of the puff. Sift powdered sugar over the top if desired and serve.