Kat of The Bobwhites was our August 2012 Daring Baker
hostess who inspired us to have fun in creating pate a choux shapes, filled
with crème patisserie or Chantilly cream. We were encouraged to create swans or
any shape we wanted and to go crazy with filling flavors allowing our
creativity to go wild!
You’ll find recipes for vanilla, chocolate and coffee Crème Patisserie
from May 2010 Daring bakers challenge, Croquembouche.
PATE A CHOUX
Ingredients:
All-purpose flour - 1 cup
Water - 1 cup
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Sugar - 1 tbsp
Eggs - 4 or 5 large (add depending on the consistency of the
batter)
Butter - 6 tbsp
Preparing batter:
1. Combine water, butter, salt and sugar in a saucepan over
medium heat. Bring to a boil and stir occasionally. At boil, remove from heat
and sift in the flour, stirring to combine completely.
2. Return to heat and cook, stirring constantly until the
batter dries slightly and begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.
3. Transfer to a bowl and stir with a wooden spoon 1 minute
to cool slightly.
4. Add 1 egg. The batter will appear loose and shiny.
5. As you stir, the batter will become dry-looking like
lightly buttered mashed potatoes.
6. At this point that you will add in the next egg. Repeat
until you have incorporated all the eggs.
Piping:
1. Using a ¼” (6 mm) tip on a pastry bag, pipe out about 36
swan heads. You’re aiming for something between a numeral 2 and a question
mark, with a little beak if you’re skilled and/or lucky.
2. Remove the tip from the bag and pipe out 36 swan bodies.
These will be about 1.5” (40 mm) long, and about 1” (25 mm) wide. One end
should be a bit narrower than the other.
Baking:
1. Bake the choux at 425◦F/220◦C degrees until well-puffed
and turning lightly golden in color, about 10 minutes.
Lower the temperature to 350◦F/180◦C degrees and continue
baking until well-colored and dry, about 20 minutes more.
2. Bake the heads and bodies until golden and puffy. The
heads can be baked in the lower temperature to 350 F for 20 minutes. The heads will be done a few minutes, so keep
a close eye on the baking process. Remove to a rack and cool.
VANILLA CREME
Ingredients :
All-purpose flour - 2 tablespoons
Sugar - ½ cup
Egg yolks - 4 large well beaten
Milk - 1 cup
Vanilla extract - 1 cup
Unflavored gelatin - 1 tablespoon
Heavy Whipping cream - 1 cup
Method:
1. In a medium saucepan combine gelatin, flour, and sugar.
Mix very well.
2. Add milk and egg yolks and turn heat to medium-low.
3. Stir almost constantly until mixture is thick enough to
cover the back of your spatula or spoon. This should take about 10 minutes.
4. Once thick, immediately dump into a bowl, straining the
mixture if you are concerned about lumps of cooked egg.
5. Add the vanilla, and mix in well.
6. Cover the surface to prevent a skin from forming, and
chill for about 45 minutes.
7. You do not want the mixture to set, just to continue
thickening.
8. Now is a good time to begin your choux paste.
9. In a large bowl, beat cream until light peaks form.
10. Carefully fold the vanilla mixture into the whipped
cream until the mixture is well-blended and fairly smooth.
11. Refrigerate mixture if not using immediately.
Assembly:
Take a swan body
and use a very sharp knife to cut off the top 1/3rd to ½.
Cut the removed
top down the center to make two wings.
Dollops a bit of
filling into the body, insert head, and then add wings.
ENJOY THE LIGHT AIRY DESSERT!!!!
