"E" is for Eclairs

I worked as a pastry cook for Dessert Works Bakery when I came out of culinary school back when we lived in Boston, Massachusetts. Each week I was responsible for mini pastry. There were about 14 different types on the menu and everything was made from scratch - good stuff! Eclairs and cream puffs are made from pate a choux or choux paste (pronounced shoe). At the bakery, I would make this in large batches and then pipe out different shapes depending on what we needed that week. It's also used in a Gateau St. Honore - but that's a whole other blog of fantastically gorgeous, pastry beauty....I'll have to make one just to do a blog post!

The recipe here is a small batch and was one of the recipes we would have to know off the top of our heads - not just to be able to write down or recite, but able to execute properly. Yield all depends on how big or small you pipe the paste - about 12 large eclairs, or 30 small; or about 20 medium cream puffs.

For "E" day for our school project, we made small eclairs for the students, about 2-3 bites each. Perfect size the anyone.


Pate a Choux

Ingredients:
1 cup cold water
1/2 cup butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup flour
4 eggs*

Directions:
Bring water, butter and salt to boil in saucepan over medium heat. Butter needs to be completely melted. Take off heat and add flour. Stir with wooden spoon and return to medium heat to "dry out". Stir constantly as you lift mix off bottom of pan so it does not stick and burn. Cook for about 3-5 minutes until paste starts to get shiny from small beads of butter.

Place in electric mixer bowl and allow to cool slightly (about 10 minutes at room temperature). Add eggs* one at a time and beat on high to incorporate. There will most likely be steam coming from your bowl because batter is still a little hot - that's okay. The mixing will cool it down. Pastry should a little thick and "flop" off spoon - not just fall off (then it is too wet and you added too many eggs). It should stick to spoon but come off when you tap spoon on side of bowl.






*Depending on humidity, you may need more or less eggs, but you will always need at least three. The best thing to do after you have added your 3rd egg, is crack the 4th egg into a small bowl and mix. Slowly add that to the batter because you may not need all of it. If, after the 4th egg, you find that you still need a little more, repeat process with a 5th egg. You should not need to add a 6th egg.

Place paste in pastry bag. I use a #9 pastry tip for small eclairs and medium cream puffs. Pipe onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. If you are making different sizes or shapes, you will need to use different cookie sheets because they will cook at different rates.

Eclairs - preheat oven to 475 degrees. Place cookie sheet of piped eclairs in oven and reduce oven to 375 degrees. Bake 15 minutes (do not open door) until puffed, slightly colored and firm to the touch. Reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake for another 10 minutes to dry out the insides.

Cream Puffs - preheat oven to 475 degrees. Place cookie sheet of piped cream puffs in oven and reduce oven to 375 degrees. Bake 30 minutes (do not open door) until puffed, slightly colored and firm to the touch. Reduce heat to 300 degrees and bake for another 10 minutes (15 minutes if larger sized) to dry out the insides.

Whatever you decide to make, you want to use an egg wash. I usually cut my egg wash with a little bit of water so it's not as thick when brushing on. Brush on lightly before putting in oven.

Allow pastry to cool completely before filling. Paste will keep up to 3 days in refrigerator before piping. Store in air tight container with saran wrap right on top of paste so it does not dry out. Bring to room temperature before piping.

Once eclairs or cream puffs are made, you can store in fridge for up to 4 days before filling, or up to 4 months in freezer. They need to be wrapped tightly (in refrigerator or freezer). Allow to thaw from freezer before filling (literally only takes a few minutes). You can put in oven for about 2 minutes at 350 degrees to crisp up, but you will want them to cool before filling.

Stayed tuned for blog post on pastry filling and ganache......

"D" is for Donuts

This gave us the perfect opportunity to finally open (and use) the deep fryer we bought about 3 years ago. We just had to have the fryer, but it has sat on a shelf since then, box perfectly sealed.

This is really a recipe for beignets but we told the students they were New Orleans donuts. This was a slightly selfish project - we wanted to make beignets and we wanted to use the deep fryer. And who doesn't like something deep fried, especially something sweet and covered in powdered sugar.

Ingredients:
1 cup warm tap water, about 105-115 degrees
1/4 cup sugar
1 (1/4oz) packet of active yeast
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp salt
2 Tbs butter
4 to 4 1/2 cups flour
Oil to coat a bowl, and for frying
Confectioners sugar for dusting

Directions:
In small bowl, combine water, sugar and yeast. Let sit for ten minutes to activate yeast. Meanwhile, in another small bowl, lightly beat egg, and add vanilla. In a double boiler, warm evaporated milk, salt and butter. Once butter has melted, slowly add egg/vanilla mixture.

In large bowl suitable for use with a dough hook, add 2 cups of flour, yeast mixture, warm milk mixture. Slowly mix until incorporated. Then add 1/2 cup of flour at time until incorporated and a soft dough comes together. You will add about another 2 to 2 1/2 cups, in 1/2 cup increments. Do not over work dough. Turn out dough into oiled bowl and cover bowl with cloth or plastic wrap. Refrigerate a minimum of 2 hours, preferably overnight.

Turn out dough onto well floured surface and knead 5 or 6 times. Depending on surface space, cut dough into 2 to 3 large pieces/balls. Roll dough balls out, one at a time, into 1/2 inch thick rectangle shape. Cut to desired sized squares, usually about 2 inches.

Pour oil into Dutch oven or fryer and heat to 375 degrees. Depending on size of oven or fryer add 4 to 6 pieces at a time. Leave space between pieces so that they are not hitting one another or overcrowded in the fryer. Cook one minute on each side, or until golden brown. Drain pieces and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Keep sprinkling. They will soak up a lot of sugar while they are hot, but you do want to do it while they are hot. The sugar won't stick once they have cooled. And then, just enjoy the deep fried goodness.

I remember going to Cafe du Monde in my former life when I worked for someone else and traveled all the time. Had many visits to New Orleans, and I remember the beignets being 3 for $1. Wonder how much they are now.