I first came across ruby kiwis in Taiwan in April, and they fascinated me. Now we have all seen green and probably all seen the yellow/golden kiwis, but reddish-pink ones sounded like an alien concept! The flavor of a ruby kiwi was just a bit sweeter than a regular one, but besides that, it tasted the same. But that gorgeous pink color was something I was mildly obsessed with, so I figured, why not try to highlight these pretty-in-pink delights? When it comes to fresh fruit, I like to usually pair them with cream and a light pastry, be it chiffon cake or pate choux(cream puffs). In this case, I went the choux route, because I had an idea to really contrast that pink colored kiwi against light colored cream and a golden-brown puff. With kiwis of any kind, though, if you want to pair them with fresh cream, you do technically need to cook them, since they contain an enzyme that curdles dairy that needs to be denatured off first. The easiest way to do that is boil the kiwis, since heat will accomplish this. So in this case, my ruby kiwis are being used in a curd for a filling, and sliced into disks and lightly poached in simple syrup to deal with the whole enzyme situation. The end result was super cute, and I was happy with how the pink kiwis lent themselves to a pretty color!

For these choux, I made a craquelin, which is a thin cookie layer that bakes on the exterior of the puffs. This gives them an additional texture and a bit more professional of a look, with that perfectly rounded top with the crackly surface. However, making choux buns with craquelin does add about 5 to 10 more minutes of cooking time to the process, so be prepared for a roughly 25 to 30 minute bake on these choux buns alone. And the baking time cannot be expedited – trying to remove the choux too early will result in them collapsing, and then you can’t really fill them. So ere on the side of caution and give them at least 25 minutes in the oven. For the other components, they actually are pretty easy to make. With the cream, just be careful not to overwhip it, since making it with gelatin does require more time than regular cream, since there is a bit of a tempering process involved. For the curd, so long as it thickens sufficiently to the point where it is no longer runny, you are good to go there – since there are no eggs involved, you don’t run the risk of scrambling the mixture, but if you do over-reduce it, the curd could split and you will have to loosen it by whisking in more water. The poached kiwi slices are very easy to make, but I would recommend using a firmer kiwi, since a softer one may start to fall apart a bit, like some of the ones I photographed.

Makes 6 cream puffs:
For the craquelin:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
a pinch of salt

Mix together until everything barely comes together into a dough – overmixing will result in a tough craquelin that will not spread in the oven! Refrigerate for 10 minutes. Then roll out the dough on a floured surface to about 1/16-inch thickness. Cut out 2-inch disks and transfer those to the freezer. Re-chill and re-roll any remaining craquelin until you have 8 disks still in the freezer – freeze these disks for at least 20 minutes for optimal results.

For the choux:
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup water or milk(you can use prosecco here too, but that might be a waste)
1 tsp granulated sugar
a pinch of salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs

In a pot, bring butter, water/milk, sugar, and salt to a boil. Once the butter is fully melted, add in the flour first, and stir until combined. Take off heat and allow the dough to cool for 2 minutes, then add in the eggs, one at a time to form your dough. Transfer to a piping bag. On a lined sheet tray, pipe the dough into 1 1/2-inch mounds, keeping each 2 inches apart. Place on top of each a piece of craquelin. Bake at 375 degrees F for 15 minutes, then lower the oven down to 325 degrees F and continue baking for another 10 minutes. Transfer the choux into the freezer, as the colder you get them, the cleaner they cut.

For the tonka bean whip:
8oz heavy cream, in 4 parts
1 tsp gelatin powder + 1 tbsp cold water
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
a pinch of salt

In a pot, heat up 1 part of the cream with the gelatin powder and sugar. Once the gelatin is dissolved into the cream, pour that into a mixing bowl and add in the remaining ingredients, stirring until combined. Allow the cream to fully cool down, in the refrigerator, before whipping to stiff peaks. Keep chilled until time to assemble.

For the ruby kiwi curd:
4 ruby kiwis
juice and zest from 2 lemons
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp granulated sugar
a pinch of salt
2 tbsp cornstarch

Peel the kiwis first, then transfer everything, minus the kiwi peels, into a blender. Puree everything until smooth and combined. Then pour the liquid into a pot and whisk everything on medium-high heat until it all comes up to a boil and begins to thicken to the consistency of pudding. Allow the curd to cool before transferring to a piping bag to finish.

For the glazed ruby kiwi:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
a pinch of salt
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 ruby kiwi

In a pot, bring sugar, water, salt, and lemon juice to a simmer. Peel and slice the kiwi into disks and poach them in the liquid for 10 seconds. Allow the kiwis to cool before using.

To assemble:
Poke holes into the bottom of each choux bun. Pipe the puree in first, followed by the cream. Then pipe more cream on top of each choux bun then finish with a piece of glazed kiwi.