Strawberries
Step 1
Gently combine 1 lb. contemporary strawberries, hulled, minimize into massive items, zest and juice of ½ lemon, 2 Tbsp. sugar, and ¼ tsp. Diamond Crystal or Morton kosher salt in a medium bowl to mix. Let sit at room temperature at the least 1 hour.
Do Forward: Strawberries might be macerated 4 hours forward. Cowl and chill.
Choux and Meeting
Step 2
Place a rack in center of oven; preheat to 425°. Deliver 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, minimize into items, ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, 1 Tbsp. sugar, and ¼ cup plus 3 Tbsp. (105 g) water to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring with a wood spoon to encourage butter to soften and salt and sugar to dissolve. Instantly scale back warmth to medium-low and add ½ cup (63 g) all-purpose flour suddenly. Stir gently till a lot of the flour is absorbed, then prepare dinner, stirring vigorously and breaking apart pockets of flour as wanted, till a skinny movie types on backside and sides of pan and dough comes collectively right into a single mass, 2–3 minutes. (The dough ought to look shiny and really feel buttery-slick to the contact.) Switch dough to a small bowl and unfold up the edges with spoon (this may encourage it to chill quicker). Let sit till cooled barely however nonetheless heat to the contact, about 4 minutes.
Step 3
Pour 1 massive egg, room temperature, crushed to mix, into the middle of bowl with dough. Utilizing a fork, combine till included, then add remaining 1 massive egg, room temperature, crushed to mix, and blend once more to mix. Utilizing a rubber spatula, scrape any dough from fork, then vigorously combine dough with spatula till very easy, shiny, and just a little stretchy (once you carry the spatula out of the dough, the dough falling off the top ought to kind a V form).
Step 4
Utilizing a big metallic spoon, scoop out about 2 Tbsp. dough (you’ll be making 6 choux muffins, so that you need a few sixth of the dough). Utilizing one other massive metallic spoon, scrape dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough to create 5 extra choux muffins, leaving a beneficiant quantity of house round each. Scrape out any bits of dough remaining within the bowl and distribute equally amongst choux muffins.
Step 5
Utilizing a moist index finger, gently easy out any pointy bits of dough (these can burn within the oven). Sprinkle every choux cake with a beneficiant pinch of sugar and bake 10 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 350° and proceed to bake quarter-hour longer. (It’s essential to not open the oven door at any level throughout this time—you want all that trapped warmth and steam to create light-as-air choux muffins.)
Step 6
Crack oven door open and examine choux muffins; in the event that they nonetheless look pale, proceed to bake till golden brown, 2–5 minutes extra. Switch to a wire rack; instantly poke a small gap into the underside of every choux cake with a skewer, chopstick, or paring knife to let the steam escape. Let cool, proper aspect up.
Step 7
In the meantime, whisk 1 cup heavy cream and 1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract in a clear small bowl till agency peaks kind. Cowl and chill till prepared to make use of.
Step 8
To serve, utilizing a serrated knife, gently slice choux muffins in half by way of the equator and organize backside halves on plates. Spoon strawberries together with any juices on the backside of the bowl over every choux cake backside, dividing evenly. Scoop some whipped cream on prime of strawberries and shut up choux muffins.
Do Forward: Choux muffins might be fashioned 1 month forward. Freeze on a baking sheet till stable, then switch to a resealable plastic freezer bag. Bake from frozen, rising baking time to fifteen minutes at 400° and 20 minutes at 350°.
