Very Best Cream Puffs & Pudding Fillings
Nov 23, 2012 22:22:33 GMT -5
Post by PrisonerOfHope on Nov 23, 2012 22:22:33 GMT -5
Very Best Cream Puffs
1 cup water
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. sugar
1 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
4 extra large eggs at room temp.
Line two cookie sheets with parchment (or use nonstick cooking spray that doesn't contain oil or butter).
Place the water in a heavy saucepan. Cut the butter into small pieces and add it to the water; sprinkle in the sale and sugar.
Turn burner on medium to melt the butter.
While butter is melting, measure out the flour and put it in a bowl; add the baking powder and stir.
When the butter has melted, turn up the heat and bring the water to a full rolling boil. Turn the burner to low and dump in the flour mixture, stirring in quickly with a wooden spoon. After a few moments of vigorous stirring, the dough will begin to "ball up" (about 30 seconds). Remove the saucepan from the heat and let dough cool 20 minutes.
When the dough has cooled, break an egg and beat it in with a wooden spoon; repeat with remaining eggs until all are incorporated and dough is smooth.
Test your dough by lifting out a spoonful and dropping it on top of the rest of the dough; if it stay on top and keeps its shape, it's ready to bake. If not, beat it some more.
Drop the dough by large spoonfuls onto the cookies sheet making 12 mounds of dough. (If you want mini puffs, drop small spoonfuls on the sheets - 15 to a sheet.)
Bake at 400 degrees for 45-50 minutes for the large puffs; 30-35 for the minis. DO NOT OPEN OVEN! Finished puffs should feel firm to the touch and be golden brown.
Remove the puffs from the oven and pierce the side of each one with the point of a sharp knife. Cool on baking sheet, keeping away from drafts.
Cut off the top third of each puff and remove and filaments of dough inside the bottom. Fill the pulls with sweetened whipped cream, vanilla custard, chocolate pudding, ice cream, or any flavor of pie filling, overfilling a bit so lids sit on top of filling. Dust with powdered sugar and serve; you can drizzle a bit of chocolate sauce over the top.
Makes 12 large puffs or 30 minis.
Vanilla Custard
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
1/3 cup flour
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
2 beaten eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 oz. (1 tbs.) butter
Combine the sugar, salt, nutmeg, and flour in a saucepan; stir well.
Gradually stir in the milk and cream, blending everything together (heat is still off).
Turn the burner on medium nigh and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened - about 10 minutes.
Remove sauce pan from heat, but leave burner on.
Break the eggs into a small bowl and quickly beat with a whisk until well mixed.
Stir several tablespoons of the hot mixture into the bowl with the eggs; whisk until incorporated.
Slowly pour the eggs into the saucepan with the hot mixture, whisking constantly.
Return saucepan to heat and stir for 2-3 minutes until very thick.
Remove saucepan from heat; stir in vanilla and butter.
Let the mixture cool and use for filling for cream puffs, or pour into bowls.
Makes 4 servings of pudding or filling for 6-8 cream puffs.
Chocolate Pudding
2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup sugar
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
9 egg yolks, beaten
2 tsp. vanilla
2 oz. butter
Beat egg yolks and set aside.
Combine the milk, cream, and sugar in a heavy saucepan and add in chocolate.
Heat over medium high heat, stirring constantly until little whiffs of steam start to escape and it looks like it's about to boil.
Remove saucepan from heat, but leave burner on.
Stir the eggs again, and add about 2 tbs. of the chocolate mixture, stirring it in quickly.
Slowly pour the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture in the saucepan, stirring all the while. When fully incorporated, put saucepan back on heat.
Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a full boil; remove from heat.
Quickly stir in the vanilla and the butter, stirring until the butter is melted.
Let the pudding cool and use it to fill cream puffs, or pour into 8 bowls.
Makes enough to fill 12-18 cream puffs, 8 servings of pudding, or a chocolate pie.
1 cup water
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. sugar
1 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
4 extra large eggs at room temp.
Line two cookie sheets with parchment (or use nonstick cooking spray that doesn't contain oil or butter).
Place the water in a heavy saucepan. Cut the butter into small pieces and add it to the water; sprinkle in the sale and sugar.
Turn burner on medium to melt the butter.
While butter is melting, measure out the flour and put it in a bowl; add the baking powder and stir.
When the butter has melted, turn up the heat and bring the water to a full rolling boil. Turn the burner to low and dump in the flour mixture, stirring in quickly with a wooden spoon. After a few moments of vigorous stirring, the dough will begin to "ball up" (about 30 seconds). Remove the saucepan from the heat and let dough cool 20 minutes.
When the dough has cooled, break an egg and beat it in with a wooden spoon; repeat with remaining eggs until all are incorporated and dough is smooth.
Test your dough by lifting out a spoonful and dropping it on top of the rest of the dough; if it stay on top and keeps its shape, it's ready to bake. If not, beat it some more.
Drop the dough by large spoonfuls onto the cookies sheet making 12 mounds of dough. (If you want mini puffs, drop small spoonfuls on the sheets - 15 to a sheet.)
Bake at 400 degrees for 45-50 minutes for the large puffs; 30-35 for the minis. DO NOT OPEN OVEN! Finished puffs should feel firm to the touch and be golden brown.
Remove the puffs from the oven and pierce the side of each one with the point of a sharp knife. Cool on baking sheet, keeping away from drafts.
Cut off the top third of each puff and remove and filaments of dough inside the bottom. Fill the pulls with sweetened whipped cream, vanilla custard, chocolate pudding, ice cream, or any flavor of pie filling, overfilling a bit so lids sit on top of filling. Dust with powdered sugar and serve; you can drizzle a bit of chocolate sauce over the top.
Makes 12 large puffs or 30 minis.
Vanilla Custard
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
1/3 cup flour
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
2 beaten eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 oz. (1 tbs.) butter
Combine the sugar, salt, nutmeg, and flour in a saucepan; stir well.
Gradually stir in the milk and cream, blending everything together (heat is still off).
Turn the burner on medium nigh and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened - about 10 minutes.
Remove sauce pan from heat, but leave burner on.
Break the eggs into a small bowl and quickly beat with a whisk until well mixed.
Stir several tablespoons of the hot mixture into the bowl with the eggs; whisk until incorporated.
Slowly pour the eggs into the saucepan with the hot mixture, whisking constantly.
Return saucepan to heat and stir for 2-3 minutes until very thick.
Remove saucepan from heat; stir in vanilla and butter.
Let the mixture cool and use for filling for cream puffs, or pour into bowls.
Makes 4 servings of pudding or filling for 6-8 cream puffs.
Chocolate Pudding
2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup sugar
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
9 egg yolks, beaten
2 tsp. vanilla
2 oz. butter
Beat egg yolks and set aside.
Combine the milk, cream, and sugar in a heavy saucepan and add in chocolate.
Heat over medium high heat, stirring constantly until little whiffs of steam start to escape and it looks like it's about to boil.
Remove saucepan from heat, but leave burner on.
Stir the eggs again, and add about 2 tbs. of the chocolate mixture, stirring it in quickly.
Slowly pour the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture in the saucepan, stirring all the while. When fully incorporated, put saucepan back on heat.
Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a full boil; remove from heat.
Quickly stir in the vanilla and the butter, stirring until the butter is melted.
Let the pudding cool and use it to fill cream puffs, or pour into 8 bowls.
Makes enough to fill 12-18 cream puffs, 8 servings of pudding, or a chocolate pie.
