Elegant French miniature sweets featuring choux puffs, lemon tartlets, and raspberry macarons in a festive style.
# Components:
→ Mini Choux Puffs
01 - 1/4 cup water
02 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
03 - 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
04 - 1 large egg
05 - Pinch of salt
→ Chocolate Ganache Filling
06 - 3 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
07 - 1/3 cup heavy cream
→ Mini Lemon Tartlets
08 - 1 sheet shortcrust pastry
09 - 2 large eggs
10 - 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
11 - 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
12 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
13 - Zest of 1 lemon
→ Raspberry Macarons
14 - 1/2 cup almond flour
15 - 3/4 cup powdered sugar
16 - 2 large egg whites
17 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
18 - Pink food coloring, a drop
19 - 1/4 cup raspberry jam
→ Garnishes
20 - Fresh berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries)
21 - Edible flowers
22 - Mint leaves
23 - Powdered sugar, for dusting
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. In a saucepan, bring water, butter, and salt to a boil. Add flour, stirring vigorously until a dough forms; cook 1–2 minutes. Remove from heat, cool 2 minutes, then beat in the egg until smooth. Pipe 16 small mounds onto a parchment-lined baking tray. Bake 20 minutes until golden and puffed. Cool completely.
02 - Heat cream just until boiling and pour over chopped chocolate; let sit 1 minute. Stir until smooth. Cool slightly, then pipe ganache into cooled choux puffs.
03 - Cut pastry into 8 rounds; press into mini muffin molds and prick with a fork. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes until lightly golden. Whisk eggs, sugar, lemon juice, butter, and zest; pour into baked tart shells. Bake another 10 minutes or until set. Cool completely.
04 - Sift almond flour and powdered sugar together. Beat egg whites to soft peaks, gradually adding granulated sugar until stiff, glossy peaks form. Fold in dry ingredients and pink food coloring gently. Pipe 16 small rounds onto parchment-lined trays. Let sit 20 minutes, then bake at 300°F for 12 minutes. Cool, then sandwich with raspberry jam.
05 - Place choux puffs, lemon tartlets, and macarons artistically on a large serving platter. Garnish with fresh berries, edible flowers, mint leaves, and lightly dust with powdered sugar to evoke the floating, festive spirit of a Montgolfière.
