An elegant selection of French mini sweets featuring choux puffs, lemon tartlets, and raspberry macarons.
# What You'll Need:
→ 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 oz 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
19 - 1/4 cup raspberry jam
→ Garnishes
20 - Fresh berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries)
21 - Edible flowers
22 - Mint leaves
23 - Powdered sugar, for dusting
# Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. In a saucepan, bring water, butter, and salt to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in flour until dough forms and pulls from sides. Cook over low heat for 1–2 minutes, then cool for 2 minutes. Beat in egg until smooth. Pipe 16 small rounds on parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes until golden and puffed. Cool completely.
02 - Heat heavy cream to just boiling. Pour over chopped chocolate; let stand 1 minute. Stir gently until smooth. Allow to cool slightly before piping into cooled choux puffs.
03 - Cut pastry sheet into 8 rounds and press into mini muffin molds. Prick bottoms with fork. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes until lightly golden. Whisk eggs, sugar, lemon juice, melted butter, and lemon zest together. Pour into baked shells and bake an additional 10 minutes until set. Cool completely.
04 - Sift almond flour and powdered sugar together. Beat egg whites to soft peaks, gradually adding granulated sugar until stiff and glossy peaks form. Fold in dry ingredients and a drop of pink food coloring. Pipe 16 rounds onto parchment-lined trays. Let rest 20 minutes. Bake at 300°F for 12 minutes. Cool and sandwich halves with raspberry jam.
05 - Arrange choux puffs, lemon tartlets, and macarons artfully on a large serving platter. Garnish with fresh berries, edible flowers, mint leaves, and a light dusting of powdered sugar to evoke the festive, floating spirit.
