I have spent the summer making and eating berry and stone fruit desserts. These Bouchon au Chocolat (chocolate "corks") were a welcomed change. I have a busy September ahead of me. My husband and I are taking our first vacation this year; heading to Glacier National on the train! When I return I'll be in my hometown of Amana, Iowa, where I'm having a photo exhibit at the Amana Arts Guild. After that, we'll be in upstate New York for a wedding. I may have some posts in September -- I may not. Whatever happens, I'll be back in October! recipe from Paris Boulangerie Pâtisserie by Linda Dannenberg • 4 large eggs • 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar • 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened • 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder • 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour • 2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips 1. Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. Butter twelve 2-inch timbale molds or a muffin tin with twelve 2 3/4-inch cups. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar together until blended. Add the butter and cocoa and whisk until well blended and smooth. Add the flour and whisk until nearly blended. Stir in the chocolate chips just until the mixture is blended. 2. Spoon the batter into the molds or cups, filling them about three-quarters full. Bake 15 to 18 minutes. Cool briefly and unmold. 3. Eat unadorned, or serve with a lightly whipped cloud of heavy cream -- coarse, orange sugar optional. TAKE a LOOK:
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Waffles... I occasionally make them on weekends when several people are usually around for breakfast. I will either make a traditional American Waffle or Cornmeal Waffles that have a grittiness to them that I like (recipe HERE). Yeast-raised Waffles have been on my "must make" list for some time, and finally today, I did! When I came across the New York Times article, Waffle and a Wink, the French Way by Dorie Greenspan (April 2002), I knew I had found the perfect yeast-raised waffle recipe. It certainly didn't hurt that the recipe was French -- that's always a plus in my mind. But what I found irresistible were the ingredients of crème fraîche and kirsch. And even better, I had both in my kitchen (get the crème fraîche recipe HERE). Dorie Greenspan's article on Parisian waffles mentions that the French do not eat them for breakfast, but for afternoon snacks purchased, many times, from vendors on the street. Also, you will not find the French drizzling maple syrup onto their waffles, opting instead for powdered sugar and jam, whipped cream or Nutella. And this is how I ate my waffles today -- dusted with powdered sugar and placed briefly under the broiler. My husband took his waffles with whipped heavy cream and blueberries. With nothing more than the powdered, confectioners' sugar, I absolutely loved them! The addition of crème fraîche to the batter gives them a subtle tangy-sweetness. I'm hooked... ... and already thinking about inviting friends for a breakfast of Yeast-Raised Waffles; sans maple syrup, bien sûr! My daughter just booked an eight-week trip to Paris, without me -- Je n'arrive pas à le croire! I'm sure she will be eating a French waffle occasionally, and I know I'll hear all about it. adapted recipe from "Exquises Pâtisseries Pour les Fêtes" by Christophe Felder ALLOW 90 MINUTES FOR RISING • 1 cup milk, warmed • 1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) dry yeast • 3 large eggs • 1/2 cup sugar • 3/4 teaspoon salt • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract • 2 2/3 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour • 2/3 cup crème fraîche (or heavy cream) • 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted • 1 tablespoon Kirsch • Powdered, confectioners' sugar 1. Combine milk and yeast; let rest for 3 minutes. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar; add salt and vanilla, and whisk again. 2. Put flour in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Pour the milk mixture, followed by the egg mixture into the center well of the flour; add the crème fraîche. Whisk the liquid ingredients together, then start incorporating the flour into the mixture. When combined, add the melted butter and whisk until smooth. Stir in the kirsch. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set batter aside to rise for 90 minutes. 3. Preheat an electric waffle maker. I used a Belgian waffle maker with deep grids. Spread grids with batter and heat for approximately 2 1/2 minutes. I found that these waffles browned for me faster than other waffles I have previously made. Adjust time accordingly. 4. Once removed from the waffle maker, dust with powdered sugar and place waffles, in a single layer, under your oven's broiler. Broil until the sugar just starts to caramelize. Watch closely. Enjoy -- these are delicious. Makes about 14 waffles • Bon Appetit ! TAKE a LOOK: Enter a patisserie in Paris, and you will most likely see chouquettes -- little choux pastry puffs. Chouquettes have no pastry cream or whipped heavy cream filling like a larger choux pastry Cream Puff will have; just a little sprinkling of very large, coarse sugar. And, chouquettes are addictive! They are not sold individually, but by the bagful, making it easy to pop one of these little gems into your mouth while wandering the city. And why don't I make them at home more often? It took me less than an hour from start to finish. Easy-peasy -- and the most basic of ingredients. Valentine's Day idea: Make the chouquettes, minus the coarse sugar sprinkles on top; after cooling, slice in half and sandwich a small scoop of ice cream between. Place several on a plate or in a bowl and drizzle with chocolate sauce; Voilà, you've got Profiteroles! They never fail to impress. an adapted recipe from Chocolate & Zucchini • 50 g of unsalted butter • 125 ml water • 2 tablespoons sugar • pinch of salt • 75 g flour • 2 large eggs • chouquette sugar or pearl sugar 1. Combine the butter, water, sugar and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, turn off the heat and pour all of the flour in at once. Stir quickly with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together and forms a ball. 2. Place the dough into the bowl of an electric mixer and let cool for 2 minutes. Turn on the mixer and add the eggs, one by one, until totally incorporated. You will have a nice, shiny dough. 3. You can either drop small mounds of dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet, or use a *pastry bag with a 1/2-inch tip. You should have enough dough for approximately 25 chouquettes. Make sure to leave space between the dough mounds so they have room to expand and puff up. Take the coarse sugar and press grains gently onto the top of each chouquette. 4. Bake on the middle rack of a preheated 425˚F oven for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375˚ and continue to bake for another 10 minutes. You want the chouquettes to be golden brown and dry. Take out of the oven and pierce each chouquette with a toothpick or wooden skewer to let the steam escape. * A finger dipped in cold water can smooth the top of the choux mounds before baking. TAKE a LOOK: I am going to tell you something that you may not know -- I am happiest when I'm in my kitchen baking. You're not surprised to hear that, you say -- I do, after all, have a blog called Passions to Pastry. But I loved baking, or at least the concept of a bakery, at a very young age; before I even knew how to bake. I remember when I was about seven years old, searching our property and my aunt's next door, for the perfect "retail outlet". This would be a huge, hollow tree with a large hole in the trunk. I would stock my pies, tarts, cakes, and cookies inside the tree and sell to hungry customers through the walk-up window (i.e. hole). I can still remember my total and utter disappointment at not being able to find anything that met my specifications. To this day, if I ran across the perfect tree, I would probably entertain serious thoughts of setting up shop. I've never told my husband about this either, but I don't think he'd be the least bit surprised. He's always asking me (with great trepidation) what's going on inside my little head. (Oh... he knows me well, and also knows from experience that he will be roped into becoming an accomplice to any plans I have brewing.) Today I was able to spend an entire, happy day in my kitchen baking. These are buttery, brioche-like rolls infused with vanilla (take note of the tiny black specks of vanilla seeds in the yeast dough above). Spread with the easily-made fresh strawberry jam, they are quite a treat. Before baking, the yeast rolls are brushed with milk and sprinkled with sugar. I used strawberry sugar, purchased at G. Detou on my last trip to Paris, but coarse or pearl sugar would be suitable substitutes. Vanilla Cloverleaf Sweet Rolls with Strawberry Jam |
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