Graham Cream Puff Food

HOW TO MAKE CREAM PUFFS

Steps:

• For the pastry cream:In a large bowl, whisk 1/4 cup milk, cornstarch, flour, and egg yolks. Set aside.Combine remaining 2 3/4 cups milk, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Split the vanilla bean and scrape out the seeds. Add seeds and vanilla pod to the pan. Heat over medium-high heat until boiling. Remove from heat. Gradually whisk about half of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture. Pour the egg mixture back into the pan. Heat on medium heat, constantly stirring, until the mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 30 seconds then remove from heat. Pour the mixture through a fine sieve placed over a bowl. Once the cream has gone through the sieve, stir in the butter until melted and combined.Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the cream and refrigerate until chilled, several hours. Whisk before using. For the cream puff shells (choux pastry):Preheat oven to 425ºF. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a medium saucepan, heat water, butter, and salt until mixture comes to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Remove pan from heat, add flour all at once, and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon. Once all of the flour is incorporated, place the pan back over medium-high heat. Stir continuously for 2-3 minutes until dough is smooth, shiny, and is pulling away from the edges of the pan. Place dough into a bowl of an electric mixer and let cool for 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl each time. Beat until egg is fully incorporated. After the third egg, the mixture will start to look fluffy when beaten. Before adding the fourth egg, check the batter. Lift a silicone spatula with the batter over the bowl. If the batter hangs off the spatula in a V-shape, there's no need to add the final egg. If not, add the egg and beat until fluffy. Transfer the batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip. Pipe the batter into 12 rounds on the prepared cookie sheet. With a wet finger, tap down any peaks on top. Bake for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 350ºF and bake for 15 minutes more. The batter should have risen and puffed. Turn off the oven, crack the door, and let the puffs rest in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove the puffs from the oven, gently lift off of the sheet, and place on a wire cooling rack. Pierce the side of each with a paring knife to allow steam to release. Let cool completely before filling.For the sweetened whipped cream:Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and continue whipping the cream until stiff peaks form. To assemble the cream puffs:Whisk the cooled pastry cream. Fold in the whipped cream until combined. Place cream in a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Cut the cream puffs in half. Pipe the cream generously on the bottom half. Place the top half on the cream. Dust with powdered sugar. (Alternately, spoon the cream into the cut shell.)Best served soon after filling, cream puffs may be stored in the refrigerator. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.

CLASSIC CREAM PUFFS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine butter, sugar, salt and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil and quickly stir in the flour with a wooden spoon. Continue to stir until a film forms on the bottom of the pan.
• Remove from heat and transfer contents to a bowl to cool slightly, about 3 minutes. Add 4 eggs, one at a time, stirring vigorously to entirely incorporate egg after each addition.
• For the egg wash, whisk together the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon water. Set aside.
• Transfer the pate a choux to a large pastry bag fitted with a 5/8-inch plain tip. Pipe 1-1/2-inch rounds onto each prepared pan. Gently smooth the pointed peaks with a moistened finger, rounding tops to ensure even rising. Brush tops with reserved egg wash. Bake until puffs rise and are golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Puffs can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 day.
• Transfer pastry cream to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/8-inch plain round tip. Insert the tip into the opening of each pastry, and pipe to fill with pastry cream. Serve immediately.

GRAMMY'S GIANT CREAM PUFFS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Melt butter in boiling water in a large saucepan. Add flour and salt. Stir until mixture forms a ball, then remove from heat and transfer to mixer. Beat to cool slightly, then add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each, until smooth.
• Transfer dough to a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip; pipe 2-inch puffs 4 inches apart on lined baking sheet. Bake until golden brown and puffed, about 1 hour.
• Let cool completely, then split in half and remove any uncooked dough from center. Fill with Grammy's Cream Puff Filling and dust with powdered sugar.
• Pour heavy whipping cream into a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Beat on high speed until light and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a round tip.

CREAM PUFF DESSERT

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring the water and butter to a boil over medium heat. Add flour all at once; stir until a smooth ball forms. Remove from the heat; let stand for 5 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until mixture is smooth and shiny. , Spread into a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Bake at 400° for 30-35 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely., For filling, beat the cream cheese, milk and pudding mix in a large bowl until smooth. Spread over puff; refrigerate for 20 minutes., Spread with whipped topping; refrigerate until serving. Drizzle with the chocolate and caramel toppings; sprinkle with almonds. Refrigerate leftovers.

CREAM PUFF DESSERT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat melt butter in water until bubbly. Dump in flour all at once and stir vigorously until mixture forms a ball. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until smooth and glossy. Spread in prepared pan.
• Bake in preheated oven 30 to 35 minutes, until puffy and golden. Let cool completely on wire rack.
• While puff is cooling, beat together cream cheese, milk and pudding mix. Spread over cooled puff. Chill 20 minutes.
• Spread whipped topping over chilled filling and drizzle with chocolate and caramel sauces. Sprinkle with almonds. Freeze 1 hour before serving.

CREAM PUFFS

Steps:

• To make the cream puffs: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a large saucepan, bring the water, butter, salt, and granulated sugar 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 all the flour is incorporated, 30 to 60 seconds. Return the pan to the heat and cook, stirring, 30 seconds to evaporate some of the moisture.
• Scrape the mixture into a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix at medium speed. With the mixer running, and working 1 egg at a time, add 3 of the eggs, stopping after each addition 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 the remaining egg and mix until incorporated.
• Using a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip, pipe the dough onto the baking sheet, in 2-inch diameter rounds or balls. Whisk the remaining egg with 1 1/2 teaspoons water. Brush the surface of the rounds with the egg wash to knock down the points (you may not use all the egg wash). Bake 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375 degrees F and bake until puffed up, and light golden brown, about 20 minutes more. Try not to open the oven door too often during the baking. Let cool on the baking sheet.
• To fill the cream puffs, place a pastry tip on your finger and poke a whole in the bottom of each puff. Whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla until stiff. Pipe whipped cream into each cream puff and chill until ready to serve, no more than 4 hours.
• Notes about the recipe: The moisture in the eggs turns to steam and puffs the batter to try to release itself. You can fill them with anything.

GRAHAM CRACKERS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, cream together the shortening and brown sugar. Stir in the vanilla. Combine the whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, stir into the creamed mixture alternately with the milk. Cover and chill dough until firm.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into rectangles. Place 1/2 inch apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, or until crisp. Edges will be golden brown. Remove from baking sheet to cool on wire racks.