Chocolate Bavarois with Grillotes Cherries

Hard to pronounce, but really easy to enjoy, this luscious dessert features layers of puff pastry filled with chocolate pastry cream and brandied cherries. They're truly exquisite!
  • thaw: 40 minutes
  • prep: 30 minutes
  • bake: 15 minutes
  • chill: 30 minutes
  • cool: 10 minutes
  • Serves: 10

Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 2 egg yolk, beaten
  • 13 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1 tablespoon butter, softened
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 of a 17.3-ounce package Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Sheets(1 sheet), thawed
  • 1 jar (21 ounces) cherry pie filling
  • 1/2 cup brandy

Directions

  1. Heat the oven to 375°F.  Beat the egg and egg yolks in a medium bowl with a fork or whisk.

  2. Stir 8 tablespoons sugar and the cornstarch in a 1-quart saucepan.  Add the milk and stir until the mixture is smooth.  Cook and stir over medium heat until the mixture boils and thickens.  Remove the saucepan from the heat.  Gradually stir half the milk mixture into the eggs. Return the egg mixture to the saucepan.  Cook and stir over medium heat for 1 minute.  Remove the saucepan from the heat.  Stir in the butter.  Place plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pastry cream and refrigerate for 30 minutes

  3. Beat the heavy cream, 1/2 cup cocoa powder and remaining sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form.  Fold the pastry cream into the whipped cream mixture.  Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until the mixture is well chilled.

  4. Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface.  Roll the pastry sheet into a 12-inch square.  Cut into 15 (3-inch) circles.  Place the pastry circles onto 2 baking sheets.

  5. Bake for 15 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown.  Remove the pastries from the baking sheets and let cool on wire racks for 10 minutes.  Split each pastry into 2 layers, making 30 in all.

  6. Drain the liquid from the pie filling. Add the brandy  to the chrerries and mix well.

  7. Reserve 10 pastry tops. Spoon about 2 tablespoons cream mixture and 1 to 2 brandied cherries onto each of 10 remaining pastry layers. Repeat the layers and top with the reserved pastry tops. Sprinkle with additional cocoa powder.

Layered Recipe

Watch a how-to demonstration of this recipe technique.

Watch the demo to see how to make this type of recipe, then consult your recipe for specific instructions.

Puff Pastry can puff up to 8 times its original thickness. That means even a sheet rolled to a thin ¼-inch thickness will rise 2 inches.

You can brush an egg-wash glaze (1 egg plus 1 tsp. water) over the Puff Pastry to create a rich, golden sheen when baked.

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