Caramel Cream Puffs With Chocolate Peanut Butter Sauce Food

CLASSIC CREAM PUFFS WITH CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Steps:

• Make the pastry cream: In a medium saucepan, whisk together the granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk in the egg yolks until combined, then whisk in the milk. Heat over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until it starts to thicken, 4 to 5 minutes. Immediately remove from the heat.
• Whisk in the butter and vanilla bean paste. Transfer to a bowl, then press a sheet of plastic wrap on the surface of the pastry cream. Let cool, then refrigerate until chilled through, at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
• Start the cream puff dough: In a medium saucepan, bring the milk, butter and salt to a simmer over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture comes together. Cook until the mixture starts to pull away from the sides of the pan into a ball and looks dry, 3 to 5 minutes more.
• Finish the cream puff dough: Using a wooden spoon, beat in the eggs, one at a time, waiting until they are fully incorporated before adding the next. Mix until the batter is shiny and stiff. Alternatively, you can use a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-low speed to incorporate the eggs. Transfer the batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round pastry tip.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Form and bake: On the prepared baking sheet, pipe rounds of dough that are 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide and about 1 inch high, allowing 1 inch between each. Alternatively, measure out a scant 1/4-cup dough for each puff. Wet your finger and press down any pointed tops on the cream puffs. Bake for 15 minutes. Lower the oven to 350 degrees F and bake until firm to the touch, another 15 to 20 minutes.
• Finish baking: Shut the oven off. Let the puffs dry inside the oven for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool.
• Assemble: Using a paring knife, hollow out a hole in the bottom of each of the puffs. Pipe the pastry cream into the hole. Alternatively, you can cut the top off each puff and remove any undercooked dough in the center, then fill with the pastry cream and top with the top again. Hold in the refrigerator until ready to garnish and serve.
• Make the chocolate sauce: In a small pot, heat the cream. In a small bowl that fits over the pot of cream (without the bottom of the bowl touching the cream), combine the chocolate with the cinnamon. Use the pot of cream as the bottom of the double boiler and melt the chocolate over the cream. When the chocolate is melted, add the heated cream to the bowl with the chocolate and whisk to combine. Keep warm.
• Top the cream puffs with a sprinkle of confectioners' sugar and some of the chocolate sauce.

CARAMEL TOPPED CREAM PUFFS

Steps:

• Make the Cream Puffs: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Combine the water, butter, salt, and sugar in a large saucepan and bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. When it boils, immediately take the pan off the heat. Stirring with a wooden spoon, add all the flour at once and stir hard until the flour is incorporated, about 30 to 60 seconds. Return the pan to the heat and cook, stirring, 2 minutes to evaporate some of the moisture.
• Scrape the mixture into a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or use a hand mixer or mix by hand.) Mix at medium speed. With the mixer running, add 3 of the eggs, 1 at a time, stopping after each to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix until the dough is smooth and glossy and the eggs are completely incorporated. The dough should be thick, but should fall slowly and steadily from the beaters when you lift them out of the bowl. If the dough is still clinging to the beaters, add another egg and mix until completely incorporated.
• Using a pastry bag, pipe the dough in bite-size "kisses" (about 1 1/2 inches across) onto 1 of the cookie sheets.
• Dip your finger in flour and push down the points to smooth out any bumps. Bake 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375 degrees F and bake until puffed up and light golden brown, about 25 minutes more. Try not to open the oven door too often during the baking. Let cool on the baking sheet.
• Make the Caramel: Pour the sugar into the center of a deep saucepan. Carefully pour the water around the sugar, trying not to splash any sugar onto the sides of the pan. Do not stir; gently draw your finger through the center of the sugar to moisten it. Over high heat, bring to a full boil and cook without stirring, swirling the pot occasionally to even out the color, until amber-caramel in color, 10 to 20 minutes. When the mixture is done, remove the pot from the heat and rest the bottom in the ice bath for 15 seconds to stop the cooking.
• Dip the top of each cream puff in the caramel and place it caramel-side down, with the base sticking straight up, on the other greased cookie sheet. The caramel will pool slightly around the puff and will harden and develop a foot. (When you turn the puffs over later, this will be a smooth flat "lid" for each profiterole.) Let cool until set, at least 10 minutes.
• When ready to serve, carefully turn the puffs over and cut each 1 horizontally in 1/2 using a long serrated knife. Fill each with a small scoop of ice cream or sweetened, flavored whipped cream. Place the lid on top and serve immediately.

PEANUT BUTTER CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• In a dry heavy saucepan cook sugar over moderate heat, without stirring, until it begins to melt. Continue cooking sugar, stirring with a fork, until melted and cook, without stirring, swirling pan, until a deep golden caramel. Remove pan from heat and add cream (caramel will bubble and steam). Return pan to heat and simmer, stirring, until caramel is dissolved. Add peanut butter and simmer, stirring, until smooth. Sauce may be made up to 1 week ahead and kept in an airtight container, chilled. Warm sauce before serving. Serve sauce over ice cream.

EASY CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER SAUCE

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring 1 cup water to a boil.
• Whisk in cocoa powder and sugar; cook whisking constantly until the mixture forms bubbles around the edges of the pan.
• Simmer until sauce thickens slighty, whisking constantly (this should take about 3-4 minutes).
• Reduce heat to low and whisk in peanut butter; simmer until sauce thickens and is smooth (another 3 minutes longer).
• Remove from heat and add in vanilla; cool slightly.
• If not using immediately, cool completely and transfer to a glass bowl, cover and refrigerate.
• Just rewarm slightly before using.

PEANUT BUTTER CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• In a heavy saucepan cook sugar over moderate heat, without stirring, until it begins to melt. Continue cooking sugar, stirring constantly, until melted, then cook, swirling pan(without stirring,)until a deep golden color.
• Remove pan from heat and add cream (caramel will bubble and steam). Return pan to heat and simmer, stirring, until caramel is dissolved. Add peanut butter and simmer, stirring,until smooth.Serve sauce over ice cream, or as desired.

MALTED PEANUT BUTTER BROWNIE WITH SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and line a 20cm square cake tin with baking parchment. Melt the chocolate and butter together in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, or do this in short bursts in the microwave.
• Beat the eggs and sugar together in a large bowl using an electric whisk for 3 mins until light and fluffy. Sift over the cocoa, then add the flour and malted milk powder. Fold everything together quickly, then scoop half of the mixture into the tin. Dot over spoonfuls of the peanut butter, then scoop the rest of the brownie mixture over the top and gently ripple the two together using a cutlery knife or skewer. Bake for 30 mins until the brownies are set and slightly cracked on top. Leave to cool completely in the tin.
• If you're making the sauce, tip the sugar and cream into a small pan and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring until you have a thick toffee sauce. Season with a pinch of sea salt. Cut the brownies into squares and serve with ice cream and the warm sauce, if you like. Will keep in an airtight container for up to three days.