Easy Elegant Miniature Choco-Lite Puffs
Submitted by sjbengtson
Miniature choco-lite puffs are bite-size cream puffs with a lightened twist: crisp choux shells filled with fluffy sugar-free chocolate pudding and whipped topping. An elegant, lower-fat party dessert that looks far fussier than it is.
YIELD
24 puffsPREP
30 minCOOK
25 minREADY
2 hrsCream puffs, lightened up and shrunk down to one-bite size. These chocolate-filled puffs deliver bakery elegance with a fraction of the fat and sugar, thanks to a few smart swaps.
The shells are classic choux pastry, the same dough behind eclairs and profiteroles. Cooking the flour into the boiling water and margarine, then beating in eggs, creates a paste that puffs up hollow and crisp in the oven, leaving room for filling.
A trick of the technique: hollow out the soft dough inside each baked puff so there’s a clean cavity, and let the shells cool completely before filling so they stay crisp.
The filling skips the heavy pastry cream. Sugar-free chocolate pudding folded with light whipped topping makes an airy, chocolatey center that keeps things lighter.
Pipe the filling in, set the little lids back on, and garnish with mint. Keep them chilled and serve just before company arrives.
Chef Tips
- Beat in the eggs one at a time until the dough is smooth and glossy, which gives the puffs their rise.
- Cool the shells completely and scoop out the soft insides before filling so they stay crisp.
- Fill them close to serving time so the shells don’t go soggy.
Variations
- Use vanilla, butterscotch, or pistachio pudding for the filling.
- Drizzle the tops with melted chocolate or dust with cocoa.
- Fill with fresh whipped cream and berries for a fruitier version.
Ingredients
Directions
PUFFS: Combine flour and salt; set aside.
Combine water and margarine in a large saucepan; bring to boil.
Reduce heat to low and add flour mixture, stirring vigorously until mixture leaves the sides of the pan and forms a ball.
Remove from heat and let cool for 3 minutes. Add egg white (at room temperature) one at a time beating after each addition. (dough will be smooth)
Pipe or spoon dough into 24 mounds, 1 inch apart, onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.
Bake at 400℉ (200℃) for 25 minutes or until crisp and golden.
Cool on racks. Cut off tops, set lids aside. Pull out and discard soft dough inside.
CHOCO-LITE FILLING: Make pudding according to pie directions with skim milk. Chill at least 1 hour.
Pipe 1 teaspoon of lite cool whip and 1 teaspoon of pudding mixture into each cream puff, place lid on top. Arrange on platter with mint garnish. Keep chilled until 5 minutes before serving.
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