Gluten Free Cream Puffs with a Pomegranate Cheesecake Filling

Instructions

Cream Puffs

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the white rice flour, sweet rice flour, xanthan gum, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
3. In a medium sauce pan, bring the water and butter to a boil. Once they have reached a boil, pour all of the dry ingredients in at once, and stir with a wooden spoon until the dry ingredients are completely incorporated, and the mixture looks similar to play dough.
4. Place hot dough into a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed for a minute or two to cool the dough down a bit. With the mixer on medium speed, add one egg at a time. Beat dough until the egg is completely incorporated before adding the next one. Repeat until all 4 eggs have been added.
5. Mix on medium-high speed for 1 minute, until the dough is smooth.
6. Spoon the dough (about a 2 tablespoons per cream puff) onto prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2-inches between cream puffs.
7. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Turn off the oven, open the door, and pierce each cream puff with a sharp knife. This will help any steam trapped inside them to escape, giving a nice crisp cream puff. Leave the cream puffs in the oven, with the door open a few inches, until the oven has cooled completely.
8. Once cream puffs have completely cooled, fill them with a sweet or savoury filling. They are best served the same day, but can be stored in an air tight container. To crisp unfilled cream puffs again, place in a 400 degree F oven for 10 minutes.

Pomegranate Cream Cheese Filling

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, simmer the pomegranate juice until only 2 tablespoons remain, making a pomegranate syrup. Allow to cool.
2. Beat the softened cream cheese and 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar together until smooth, scraping down the bowl as necessary. Beat in the cooled pomegranate syrup.
3. In a narrow, deep mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the whipped cream and 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar until soft peaks form. Add the dry pudding mix and continue to beat until the whipped cream stiffens.
4. Fold half of the whipped cream mixture into cream cheese mixture. Continue with the remaining whipped cream.

To Serve

1. Cut cooled Cream Puffs in half, scoop 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese filling into the puff and replace the top. Top with melted dark chocolate and a few fresh pomegranate arils.