I had an idea for making sandwich meringue cookies filled with raspberry curd folded into cream cheese whipped cream. I did not consider the effect of putting wet filling between to layers of meringue. (Bring a spoon.)

Making meringue cookies requires many egg whites. So what do you to with a bunch of egg yolks? Make creme patisserie, of course. What do you do with a bowl of creme patisserie? Make eclairs of course.

I did all of the above.

Choux Pastry

INGREDIENTS
• 250g Water
• 80g Butter cut into small pieces
• 150g Bread Flour
• 6 or 7 Eggs
• 1/8 tsp Salt

METHOD

1. In a saucepan that can hold four times the quantity of liquid to be used, add the water, salt and the butter.
2. Bring the water to a boil over medium heat, stirring from time to time. Be sure the butter is completely melted before the water comes to a boil ; if not, a portion of the water will evaporate, rendering the batter too dry.
3. Remove the boiling water/butter mixture from the heat and add the flour (this is done off the heat to avoid excessive evaporation of the liquid). Make sure the flour is added all at once to avoid lumps.
4. Work the mixture with a spatula, moving slowly at first to avoid splashing the water or spilling out any of the flour. Work with the spatula at an angle to the mixture, to avoid splashing and ensure a smoother mixture. Once the mixture begins to stiffen, work it rapidly until a homogeneous mass is obtained.
5. Put the saucepan back on a high heat while working the batter rapidly with the spatula. Continue stirring until the mixture coats the bottom of the pan with a heavy film.
6. When working the batter over the heat, it is preferable to stop the process early rather than overworking.
7. Transfer the batter to a stand mixer bowl and beat at medium speed until it cools to 115 deg
8. Add one third of the eggs and mix until fully absorbed, then incorporate the remaining eggs carefully, one beaten egg at a time, until the desired consistency is obtained
9. The batter should form a ‘ribbon’. Take a small quantity of the batter on the end of the spatula and hold it 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4 in) above the surface of the bowl, at a 45 degree angle. The batter should fall off slowly without breaking or running off as a liquid.
10. Run a finger through the batter at about 1 cm (1/2 in) depth. The indentation left in the batter should slowly close in on itself.
11. Take a small quantity of the pastry on the tip of the finger and hold the finger upright. The pastry should form a small hook at the end.
12. For large pastries and for individual-sizes, a #12 pastry tip should be used. For ‘petits fours’ pastries, use a #7 tip.
13. Be sure to arrange the pastries in staggered rows, to allow the heat of the oven to circulate among the individual pieces. – Brushing these pastries with egg wash improves their appearance. Be sure to use a very little egg wash. If too much is used, it drips down the sides, hardens during the cooking, and prevents the pastries from rising. Once the egg wash has been applied, lightly streak each pastry with the back of a fork that has been deep in cold water (to prevent sticking). That will even out the shapes of the pastries and break up the bubbles that may be trapped in the pastries, Wich would distort their shape during the cooking.
14. Places the pastries in a very hot oven preheated at 500 F. Turn it off and leave the pastries 15 min. Turn on the oven at 160 C (320 F) and bake the pastries for 15-20 more minutes. The choux must be golden brown and not light
15. The cooking of the pate å choux is complete when it is firm enough to not fall when taken from the oven. The pastries should have a golden brown color on all their surface and should be slightly paler on the sides. As soon as they come out the oven, it is best to remove them to a cake rack to cool. Otherwise, moisture is likely to accumulate on the bases and cause them to dampen and become soft. If, however, they seem too dry, it is best to cover them with a towel after transferring them onto cooling racks.

Meringue Raspberry and Cream Cheese Filled Cookies

1. Preheat oven to 225F (105C) and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt in a large, completely clean, grease-free bowl.
3. Using a stand mixer with the whisk, stir on low speed until mixture becomes foamy then Increase speed to high.
4. With mixer on high, gradually add sugar, about 1 Tablespoon at a time, stirring after each addition until sugar is dissolved (about 15-20 seconds between each addition).
5. Beat until mixture is thick, shiny, and has increased in volume. Mixture should have stiff peaks and sugar should be completely dissolved (you can test this by rubbing a small bit of the mixture between your fingers, if it feels gritty, the sugar isn’t dissolved).
6. Stir in vanilla extract and any other extract you may like to use. If using food coloring, add the food coloring at this stage, too.
7. Fit a large disposable piping bag with a large tip and transfer meringue to prepared piping bag and pipe onto prepared cookie sheet. The meringue cookies can be pretty close to each other as they won’t spread, and you will want to bake all of the cookies at the same time, so make sure you make enough space.
8. Bake on 225F for 1 hour. Turn off the oven once the baking time has passed, and do not open the oven. Leave the oven door closed and allow cookies to cool completely in the oven (1-2 hours) before removing.
9. Meringue cookies should be crisp and can be stored in an airtight container. Keep away from heat and moisture as it can soften your meringues.

Cream Cheese Whipped Cream

INGREDIENTS
• 85g (3 oz) full-fat block RT cream cheese
• 240g (1 c ) heavy cream, cold
• 23g (3 Tbl) confectioners’ sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract

METHOD

1. Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla, and beat until completely smooth (absolutely no lumps!).
2. Add a few Tablespoons of the cold heavy cream, and beat until the mixture loosens and smooths out.
3. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly stream in the remaining heavy cream.
4. Increase to medium high speed and whip until medium peaks form, about 3 minutes. Spread or pipe as desired