Tangy cherries are layered between sweet fluffy pools of cream cheese goodness, then covered in a dark chocolate ganache. Serve with homemade profiterole "dunkin' sticks".
Ingredients
¾ cup milk, divided
¼ cup + 1 tablespoon butter, divided
dash salt
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into pieces
½ tablespoon lime zest
1 cup fresh (or frozen and thawed) pitted sweet cherry halves
½ tablespoon cornstarch
¼ cup honey
½ tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
¼ cup cold whipping cream
4 ounces reduced fat cream cheese, softened
½ cup + 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425˚ F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or baking mat.
For the profiteroles: In a medium saucepan, combine ½ cup milk, ¼ cup butter and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, add the flour and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon. Cook until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan and forms a ball. Transfer the mixture to a medium mixing bowl and allow to cool for a few minutes. Using an electric mixer, add eggs, one at a time, incorporating each egg before adding the next one.
Spoon the mixture into a plastic bag and snip off a corner. Pipe mixture onto the baking sheet, forming a ½″ x 1½″ log shape. Be sure to leave at least 1 inch in between each of the logs. Dampen a fingertip with water and gently flatten any peaks that may have formed. Bake for 15-20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time. Turn off the oven and leave the profiteroles in the oven for an additional 10 minutes, or until they sound hollow when you tap on them. Cool on a wire rack.
For the ganache: Place the chocolate in a small heatproof bowl and set aside. Chop the remaining tablespoon of butter into small pieces. Heat the remaining ¼ cup milk and butter in a medium sauce pan (or microwave) until boiling. Remove from heat and pour over chocolate. Allow to stand for a few minutes without stirring. Stir gently (to prevent air from getting into the ganache) with a spoon or whisk until smooth. Mix in lime zest and chill.
In a small saucepan, combine cherries, cornstarch, honey and lime juice. Combine well. Bring mixture to a boil and cook a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Remove from heat and set aside to cool (mixture will thicken more as it cools).
In a small chilled metal bowl, whip cream until stiff peaks form. In another small bowl, cream together cream cheese and powdered sugar. Add vanilla and fold in whipped cream.
To assemble, spoon half of the cream cheese mixture into a serving bowl. Add cherries (save a little for garnish), followed by the other half of the cream cheese. Then top with chocolate ganache. Garnish with cherries and lime wedges. Serve with profiterole dunkin' sticks, graham crackers and/or shortbread cookies.