Recipe Detail Page

1. Bring water and butter to boil in a saucepan. In a bowl, stir together flour, sugar and salt. Add to water mixture and stir all at once with a wooden spoon to combine and form a ball. Cook, stirring over medium heat for about 2 minutes or until mixture has a smooth mashed-potato-like consistency. Remove from heat and transfer to large bowl.

2. Preheat oven to 425ºF (220ºC).

3. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, and peppermint extract using an electric mixer until stretchy, shiny dough forms. Scrape into piping bag and pipe into 2-inch (5-cm) round mounds about 2- inches (5-cm) apart on parchment-paper-lined baking sheets. Using wet finger, smooth tops.

4. Bake in top and bottom third of oven for 20 minutes alternating pans halfway through. Reduce heat to 350ºF (180ºC) and using small paring knife poke small hole on side of each puff. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Let cool completely and slice in half.

5. For filling, whip cream and sugar together. Fold one-third into mascarpone cheese to lighten. Fold in remaining whipped cream. Fold in crushed candy cane. Scrape into piping bag and pipe mixture into bottom halves of puffs. Cover with top halves.

6. Sprinkle puffs with icing sugar and garnish with mint leaves.

Tip
There are a couple of ways to crush your candy canes. For this recipe it is best to use a food processor on pulse to get crushed pieces that have some fine powder and smaller pieces throughout.