CREAM PUFFS OR CHOCOLATE ECLAIRS

I have done a post on mini eclairs, earlier sometime, but those were with a different topping.  This is the more traditional recipe but in the shape of cream puffs

Choux Pastry:

1 cup plain flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 cup water

4 large eggs

Cream filling:

250ml whipping cream

1 tbsp icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping 

100 gms cream

200 gms chocolate

Preheat the oven to 200C. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a melt the butter with the water. Bring to the boil.

Dump the entire flour and salt into the butter and water mix and beat with a spoon until it forms a dough and leaves the side of the pan. 

Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly

Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition till the mixture forms a shiny and thick paste.

Spoon the pastry mix into a piping bag pipe small rounds onto the baking sheets. 

Leave room in between each one to allow them to expand

Bake the puffs for 20 minutes at 200 C and then turn down the over to 170 C and bake another 10 min. until they have risen and are crisp and golden. 

Remove from the oven, then using a skewer, make a small hole in each end of the eclairs so that the steam can escape. 

Leave to cool

In the meantime, whip the cream along with the sugar and vanilla until you have soft peaks. 

Fill a piping bag with the cream and then once the eclairs are completely cool pipe the cream into each one, Pop them into the fridge to chill while you make up the icing.

Scald the cream and turn of the heat.  Mix in the chopped chocolate and stir till it is smooth.

Leave to cool to room temperature and till it coats the back of the spoon.

Dip the top of the cream puff into the chocolate to coat.
Serve chilled

LINZER COOKIES

Makes about 20 cookies

Have updated the recipe with cup measurements.  Please note these are Indian cup sizes.

Ingredients

• 240 gms flour - 2 + 1/4 cup
• 230 gms soft butter - 1 + 1/2 cup 
• 140 gms cup sugar - 1 cup
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 100 gms finely ground almonds - 3/4 cup
• 1/2 cup strawberry jam
• 1 egg
• Icing sugar

Instructions

1. Lightly toast the almonds in a 180 C oven till fragrant - approx 8-10 mins.  Leave to cool
2. Once cooled, grind them with 2 tbsp sugar.
3. Whisk alongwith the flour and set aside.
4. Powder the sugar.  In a large bowl beat the butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy then add egg and vanilla; mix well.
5. Add flour mixture just until it is incorporated.  It will just about come together.
6. Divide dough into two small discs and cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate about 2 hours or until it becomes firm enough to roll.
7. Preheat oven to 180 C.
8. For the bottom of the cookie, roll out the dough to 1/4" using a 2" cookie cutter cut the dough.  The extra dough should be reused.
9. For the tops cut another 20 rounds and with the smaller circle cut in the centre.
10. Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes until light brown; cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes then remove paper squares onto a wire rack and let cool completely. 

Lightly dust the tops with powdered sugar. Spread a thin layer of jam on the bottom surface of the full cookie (top of cookie will face out). Place the cut-out cookie on top and gently sandwich them together. Using a small spoon or a piping bag, fill the cut-out with a little more jam.

I cut out some additional shapes, only to use the cutters, and just dusted some of them with icing sugar and dipped some in chocolate ganache.

BEIGNET

Pronounced "Bin - Yay" this is just fried choux pastry topped with powdered sugar and tastes like a fried doughnut.

The recipe calls for choux pastry [click here], oil and some powdered sugar

Heat the oil

Gently add a tablespoon of dough at a time to the hot oil. 

Don't overcrowd the pan. You should probably avoid frying more than six at a time.

Fry for 2 to 3 minutes, turning occasionally.

Drain on paper towels.

Once any excess oil has drained from the finished beignets, toss them in sugar and cinnamon  while they're still warm.

LINZER COOKIERS, ECLAIRS, BEIGNET

Sunday baking led to lots of goodies.

My sister gave me a cookie cutter set and I wanted to use it. 

 

Most of the cookies I have made don't need rolling or cutting and I absolutely wanted to use them.  Started out by looking for a sugar cookie recipe but found Linzer Cookies.  Have never baked these earlier and wanted to try something new. The end result was absolutely worth it.

The dough is extremely buttery and fragile and needs to be refrigerated for a couple of hours to be able to roll it out.   For the recipe go here

Then I made some Chocolate Eclairs. This was for Shreya, my daughter, who loves them and always complains I don't make these for her ever.  Well darling, now what do you say ?  You better make sure you eat them all and not just one of them.
Recipe links here

After making about 16 puffs I used the balance choux to make Beignet.  Guess they were good enough not too last more than 10 min.  

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CAKE

This was voted the best cake ever, by everyone who ate it.  Better than the Tiramisu cake, which was the favourite till now.

I had this on my To Do list forever.  Saw it in a magazine and saved it for trying out at another time.  You know how these things work, they just get pushed to the side for another day.  Then came Monish's birthday.  That man can live on chocolate.  Since this was a mousse cake I figured it would work.  Actually was expecting it to be a lot like the molten lava cake since that also uses minimal flour, but the texture was different.  It was rich, decadent and the best was it is not too heavy as there is no oil or cream.  The cake also uses a hefty amount of coffee powder, which I personally loved, as it cuts down the sweetness of the chocolate.

The only issue I had was the cake did not cut into neat slices as it was soft.  I have to figure out what was the issue.

I wish I had tried this earlier - I can so see myself making this over and over again.

100 Gms granulated sugar 

110 gms packed dark brown sugar

180 ml water

1 Tablespoon instant espresso powder

70 gms Dutch-process cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

60 gms semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

60 gms unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped

2 tablespoons Kahlua 

3 large egg yolks 

30 gms cake flour 

6 large egg whites, at room temperature 

70 gms granulated sugar 

confectioners' sugar, to garnish

Preheat oven to 150 C. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large saucepan, stir together the granulated sugar, the brown sugar, water, and coffee powder. 

Set the pan over medium heat and, stirring occasionally, bring the mixture to a boil. 

Remove the pan from the heat and add the cocoa powder, salt, chocolates and whisk until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. 

Mix in the Kahlua and the egg yolks just until combined then stir in the flour until incorporated. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, beat the egg whites until foamy, then (with the mixer still running) gradually add the remaining 1/3 cup of granulated sugar. 

Continue to beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. 

Add 1/4 of the egg white mixture to the chocolate mixture and gently fold in using a rubber spatula. 

Fold in the remaining egg white mixture in three additions. 

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. 

Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached. 

Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool completely in the pan. 

Remove the sides of the pan and dust the cake with confectioner's sugar before serving.

TIRAMISU SWILL ROLL

In keeping with my love for all coffee flavoured cakes and tiramisu - here is a vanilla swill roll, filled with tiramisu cream and covered with chocolate ganache.

My photography and neatness skills need a lot of work, yeah I know that, but there was nothing lacking in the taste. Thank you Aakash, for making the effort to get up from your bed, walk out of your room, to come and tell me the cake was yumm.  Makes my day.

Ingredients - Swiss Roll - Rachel Allens' recipe

• 4 eggs at room temp
• 125 gms castor sugar
• 125 gms flour
• 2 tbsp warm water
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

Prepare a swiss roll tray, line with paper, lightly grease the sides and dust the tray.

Preheat oven to 190 C

Beat the eggs and sugar till light and fluffy.

Add in the warm water and vanilla essence.

Sift in the flour in 3 lots and fold carefully.

Pour into prepared tin and bake for 12-15 min or till top slightly springy to touch

Take a towel and dust with icing sugar.

Invert the cake onto the towel, and while still warm roll up the cake, tight.

Keep to cool.  Once cooled you can unroll the cake, fill with the tiramisu mix and roll again.  

Chill and cover with chocolate ganache.

Tiramisu Mix

• 200 gms mascarpone cheese
• 100 gms whipped cream
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp coffee powder dissolved in a little water

Mix the cheese and sugar till incorporated.

Fold in the coffee mix

Fold in the whipped cream 

Chocolate Ganache - see this blog