Sweets recipe courtesy Franz Gilbertson, Honoré Artisan Bakery

(One of four local chefs we challenged to make NW-centric sweets recipes.)

You’ll need two days to re-create Gilbertson’s whimsical take on the classic French dessert for which his Ballard bakery was named. To simplify, use a high-quality frozen puff pastry dough, such as Pepperidge Farm, in place of homemade.

Makes 8 to 10 servings
Prep time 4 hours
Total time 2 days

Ingredients

Frozen puff pastry dough
Pâte à Choux (Cream Puff Dough)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup strong brewed coffee or espresso
4 oz butter
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs
Chantilly
6 oz honey-flavored cheese
8 tbsp powdered sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup viognier
Compote
2 cups raspberries, frozen or fresh
3 tbsp sugar
Pinch salt
3 twists fresh-ground black pepper
2 cups viognier
Zest from half an orange
Caramel
4 cups sugar
1 tsp corn syrup
Garnish
1 cup pistachios, shelled

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Working on a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled puff pastry out until about 1/8 of an inch thick. Using a cake or tart ring, or a bowl with a rim of about 8 inches as a guide, cut out a disk and transfer to a parchment-paper lined baking sheet. Prick the dough all over using the tip of a knife and refrigerate.

Make Pâte à Choux (Cream Puff Dough): Bring the milk, coffee, butter, salt, and sugar to a boil in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Using a wooden spoon stir in flour all at once and reduce heat to medium; cook for 2 to 3 minutes longer, stirring vigorously and constantly. When the dough no longer sticks to the side of the pan, transfer to the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Set mixer to low speed and add the eggs 1 at a time, until incorporated.

While the dough is still warm, pour into a pastry bag fitted with a plain round tip and carefully pipe a spiral on top of a puff pastry disk from the center to the edge. Set aside. Pipe the rest of the batter into 1-inch mounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet. (You’ll have extra puffs after the cake is finished.) Bake the base and puffs for 20 to 22 minutes, until golden brown and you no longer see moisture “sweating” from them. Allow to cool, then store in an airtight container overnight.

Using a rubber spatula, soften the cheese in a bowl and mix in half the sugar. With an electric mixer, whip the cream, wine, and remaining sugar until soft peaks form. Then gently fold that mixture into the softened cheese with a spatula. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Meanwhile, toss all the compote ingredients together in a large bowl and store alongside Chantilly.

Drain any excess liquid from the compote, then set aside.

Using a pastry bag with a very small tip, fill 12 of the pastry puffs with the Chantilly cream. Set aside. Toast and chop a cup of pistachios for the garnish. Set aside.

Fill a medium or large bowl with ice and water and place it nearby the stove. In a small, heavy bottomed saucepan combine the rest of the sugar and corn syrup and enough water to form a thick paste. Wash down the inside of the pot with a little clean water to make sure any stray sugar granules combine with the mix. Over high heat, cook the caramel until it a light amber color forms. Remove from heat and immediately submerge the bottom and sides of the pot in the ice water.

Carefully dip one side of each cream puff in caramel and place on a silicone baking mat or sheet of parchment paper. When cool, dip the other side of each puff in caramel and then quickly glue it to the edge of the puff pastry disk; repeat until the cake is encircled with cream puffs.

Spread half of the remaining Chantilly in the bottom of the cake. Scatter the berry compote evenly over the surface of the cream. Use the remaining Chantilly to decorate the top of the cake. Lightly scatter pistachios over the top. Serve at once or store in the refrigerator for up to 3 hours.