:::For the Fillings:½ cup seedless raspberry jam:::
1 cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
:::For the Frosting:1½ cups confectioners' sugar:::
1½ tablespoons seedless raspberry jam
1½ tablespoons boiling water
Assorted Valentine's Day candies, for garnish
Directions
Make the pâte à choux: In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, water, butter, sugar and salt, then bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and immediately add all of the flour at once. Using a wooden spoon, stir the mixture until smooth. Return the heat to medium and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until a thin film of dough sticks to the bottom of the pan, 4 to 5 minutes.
Transfer the hot batter to the bowl of a stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed for 2 minutes to cool slightly. With the motor running, add the eggs into the batter, one at a time, scraping the bowl between each addition. The batter should be smooth and glossy. Cover the batter with plastic wrap, the wrap touching the surface of the dough, and chill for 1 hour, then transfer to a piping bag fit with a ¼-inch plain round pastry tip.
Preheat the oven to 375° and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Pipe 2-tablespoon mounds of dough (1¼ inches in diameter) about 1½ inches apart from each other. Dip your finger in some water and gently flatten out any peaks of batter that form while piping. Bake, rotating the trays halfway through, until golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool completely.
Meanwhile, make the fillings: Transfer the jam to a pastry bag. In a medium bowl, whisk the heavy cream and vanilla to stiff peaks. Transfer the whipped cream to another pastry bag.
Make the frosting: Place the confectioners' sugar in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, mix together the jam with the boiling water until smooth. Strain the mixture into the bowl with the confectioners' sugar, then whisk until smooth. Set aside.
Using the pastry tip, punch holes in the bottom of each cream puff for filling. Pipe about ½ teaspoon of jam into each puff, then fill the rest of the space with the whipped cream.
Once all of the cream puffs have been filled, dip their tops into the frosting, being careful to prevent dripping. Top with various candies and serve.