Sometimes in the middle of winter and all the delicious comfort food, you just want something that is light and fluffy and reminds you of warm summer days.  Enter. . . the humble cream puff.  Delicious and easy to make, as long as you don’t slam a door and flatten all the air bubbles and puffiness you worked so hard to create.  Ask me how I know this.

This post is sponsored by Dusty Plains Coffee Co. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

When I was a little girl, a cream puff was the go-to item to make if you wanted to impress your guests, or a certain Valentine’s Day someone.  My Mom would often fill hers with a savoury cream cheese and fake crab meat filling.  It was so delicious and I always ate more than my share.

But being a dessert girl, I was always a bit more partial to the sweeter version.  Who can resist a cream puff filled with chocolate ganache and whipped cream?  Not this girl.

But for this recipe I wanted to keep experimenting with a coffee flavoured whipped cream.  I tried making it with real whipping cream, but the addition of coffee compromised the texture of the whipped cream too much, or didn’t leave enough coffee flavour.  So even though I prefer real whipping cream whenever possible, the powdered version is necessary to make this recipe work.

Related: Mocha Cheesecake Bites, the Perfect Iced Coffee, and 3 Coffee-Infused Chia Puddings.

I also wanted a creative way to use up my jam that I had made last summer.  It’s so easy to get excited and make 50 jars of jam, only to be left wondering mid-winter what on earth you are going to do with it all.  A girl can only eat so much bread.

So these coffee and raspberry flavoured cream puffs were born.  A little bit sweet, a little hit of caffeine, and a whole lot of fancy.  Make them to impress your loved one this Valentine’s Day, or just make them for yourself.  You deserve it.

Looking for ways to use up your jam?  Pair it with your favourite cheese and make a beautiful charcuterie board.  You’ll also want to make more jam when you read this recipe for Maple Spiced Crab Apple Butter.