Chocolate Bavarois with Grillotes Cherries

1/2 package Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets (1 sheet)
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 cup milk
2 egg yolks, beaten
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup sugar
Brandied Bing Cherries
Unsweetened cocoa powder

THAW pastry sheet at room temperature 30 minutes. Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

MIX 1/2 cup sugar and cornstarch in saucepan. Stir in milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat and gradually stir half of hot mixture into eggs. Return egg mixture to saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in butter. Place plastic wrap directly onto surface of pastry cream and refrigerate 30 minutes.

BEAT cream, 1/2 cup cocoa and 1/3 cup sugar in bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold pastry cream into whipped cream mixture. Cover and refrigerate 1 hr. or until mixture holds its shape.

UNFOLD pastry sheet on lightly floured surface. Roll into 12-inch square. Cut into 15 (3-inch) rounds. Place on baking sheet.

BAKE 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from baking sheet and cool on wire racks.

SPLIT each pastry horizontally into 2 halves. Set aside 10 pastry tops. For each pastry, top 1 pastry round with about 2 tablespoons bavarois and 1 to 2 cherries. Repeat layers and top with pastry tops. Sprinkle with cocoa.

Makes 10 pastries.

TIP: For Brandied Bing Cherries: Drain liquid from 1 jar (21 ounces) cherry pie filling. Add brandy to taste.

Recipe and photograph provided courtesy of Campbell's Kitchen - used with permission.