Soufflé Of Puff Pastry With Orange Scented Pastry Cream Candied Pecans And Caramel Butter Sauce Food

SOUFFLé OF PUFF PASTRY WITH ORANGE-SCENTED PASTRY CREAM, CANDIED PECANS, AND CARAMEL BUTTER SAUCE

Steps:

• Orange-Scented Pastry Cream
• 1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream to soft peaks.
• 2. Whisk the Pastry Cream until smooth. Gently fold in the orange zest and whipped cream. Transfer the cream to a pastry bag fitted with a medium, plain tip and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Caramel Butter Sauce
• 1. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons (30 g/1 oz) of the water.
• 2. In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, vanilla bean pod and seeds, and remaining 2 cups (470 g/16.5 oz) water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the cornstarch mixture and cook, whisking, for another minute. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter, salt, and rum. Keep the sauce warm until serving, or refrigerate it, covered, and rewarm before serving.
• Candied Pecans
• 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Place the pecans in a medium bowl and set aside.
• 2. In a small saucepan, combine the water and sugar and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring, just until the sugar has dissolved. Pour the syrup over the pecans and toss until combined. Spread the coated pecans on a half-sheet pan and bake for about 8 minutes, tossing once during baking, until browned and fragrant.
• Puff Pastry Rounds
• 1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a half-sheet pan with a silicone baking mat.
• 2. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the puff pastry out to a thickness of 1/2 inch. Using a 3-inch round pastry cutter, cut out 10 rounds from the dough. Arrange the rounds on the prepared sheet pan and top with another silicone baking mat and half-sheet pan; this will allow the rounds to rise evenly. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the rounds are browned and nicely puffed. Remove the top sheet pan and baking mat. Preheat the broiler and dust the rounds liberally with confectioners' sugar. Place the rounds under the broiler until they are caramelized. Assemble the desserts immediately.
• Assembly
• While the Puff Pastry Rounds are still hot from the oven, split them in half. Scoop out any undercooked dough from the center of each half and pipe a generous amount of cold Orange-Scented Pastry Cream on the bottom half of the puff. Replace the top of the puff. Place the dessert on a plate and spoon some Caramel Butter Sauce on top of the warm pastry. Garnish with some Candied Pecans.

ORANGE SCENTED BOMBOLONI WITH PASTRY CREAM AND CHOCOLATE ORANGE DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• For the pastry cream: Bring the milk to a simmer in a small saucepan over low heat. Whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, salt and eggs in a small bowl until pale. Slowly whisk in the hot milk, and then return the mixture to the pan and whisk constantly over medium heat until thickened, about 2 minutes. Add the liqueur and cook for 30 seconds longer. Remove from the heat, stir in the butter, vanilla and orange zest. Cover with plastic wrap and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours. Just before using, fold in the whipped cream until combined. Keep cold.
• For the bomboloni: Combine 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the flour, the water, honey and yeast in the bowl of an electric stand mixer and mix. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature until foamy, about 1 hour.
• Return the bowl to the mixer, fitted with a dough hook. Add the remaining flour, along with the milk, granulated sugar, salt and egg yolks. Mix at low speed until blended, and then add the butter. Knead at medium speed until silky but sticky, about 5 minutes. Keep in mind that the dough will not pull away from the sides of the bowl. Scrape the dough into an oiled bowl using an oiled spatula and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight. The dough will not rise.
• For the dipping sauce: Bring the heavy cream to a simmer in a small saucepan. Put the chocolate in a medium bowl. Add the hot cream and let sit for 1 minute. Gently whisk until smooth; stir in the orange liqueur and vanilla extract. Keep warm.
• For frying: Heat the canola oil in a large saucepan to 360 degrees F. Line a wire rack with paper towels. Fill a shallow bowl with 1/2 inch granulated sugar. Roll out the dough on a lightly-floured surface to a scant 1/2-inch thick. Stamp out 32 rounds using a 1/2-inch-round biscuit cutter; do not re-roll the dough. Fry the rounds, 8 at a time, until they are browned, about 4 minutes. Be sure to keep the oil between 360 degrees F and 375 degrees F. Transfer the bomboloni to paper towels to drain the excess oil, then roll them in the granulated sugar. Continue frying and rolling the remaining bomboloni.
• Fit a pastry bag with a 1/4-inch plain tip and fill with the pastry cream. Gently push the tip three-fourths of the way into the bomboloni and squeeze in the cream, pulling the tip out slightly as you squeeze to fill them as much as possible. Serve warm. Dip into the chocolate-orange sauce and dust with confectioners' sugar.

CREAM-FILLED PUFF PASTRIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.
• Fold a 12-inch square sheet of aluminum foil in half, turn and fold in half again; you should have a small square. Now, fold diagonally and once more again. You will now have a triangle. Wrap it around your index finger and mold into a cone shape. Repeat 9 more times to make 10 molds. (Note: these can be reused.) Lightly spray the foil molds with nonstick spray.
• Lay out the puff pastry sheet on a work surface with one of the long sides facing you. Cut the pastry into 3/4-inch-wide strips from top to bottom to make 20 strips. Wrap 2 pastry strips around each mold, overlapping a little with each wrap. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and bake until lightly browned around the edges, 16 to 18 minutes. Let cool.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the cream cheese and butter in a bowl. Add the confectioners' sugar in batches with the salt. Gently fold in the blackberry preserves (so there is some veining). Transfer to a disposable pastry bag fitted with a large star tip and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to let the filling firm up.
• Pipe the filling into each pastry from the wider end. Serve with a dusting of confectioners' sugar and some blackberries and mint.

CHOUX PASTRY (FOR CREAM PUFFS, ECLAIRS, ETC)

Steps:

• Chop butter, melt in water and just bring to boiling. Immediately add flour, and mix well with wooden spoon, until it forms a dough that leaves the side of the pan (it looks really gross and clumpy at first, but as you keep stirring it fixes itself). Remove from heat and cool 2 minutes.
• For a sweet pastry, add the sugar to the beaten eggs. Stir in the eggs, mixing until it look like dough again (this is gross at first too).
• Now you have many choices: using a pastry bag or spoon, shape the dough as desired (for puffs: use a spoon or pipe a mound, eclairs: pipe a line, rings: pipe a circle, profiteroles: pipe a mound w/star tip) onto a greased cookie sheet. Keep in mind that it will grow to aprox 3xs its size when done.
• Bake at 425 'til it looks crisp and golden, about 30 mins for half dollar sized puffs. Cut in half, or cut a slit in the side to let the steam escape- if you don't do this fairly quickly they get soggy inside.
• They save for a while in tupperware, unless they're filled. You are supposed to fill them with freshly whipped cream that has a touch of powdered sugar and vanilla or almond added in, but I just fill them with buttercream frosting because its cheaper and tastes pretty good too.

PUFF PASTRY

Steps:

• Ok, you get the whole story!
• "Before beginning the adventure with puff paste there is one thing to be explained that will make its compositions comparatively easy.
• (Ha Ha!) The butter used must be washed.
• The purpose of washing it is to make it elastic.
• It should be soft through being kneaded, but in no sense soft through being melted- quite the contrary, it must be soft and cold at the same time.
• In winter turn on the cold water faucet.
• Manipulate the butter with the hands under the stream of cold water until it is creamy and waxy.
• At other seasons, do this in a quart of ice water placed in a bowl of ice.
• The butter may be kneaded with a spoon if preferred.
• The final kneading of the butter is done on a board or it is patted briskly in the hands until no water flies.
• This is the recipe of a professional cook.
• As it calls for egg yolks it differs from the orthodox rule for puff paste.
• However, her results are remarkable and her method is simple, so I am giving it in preference to the usual rather complicated recipes.
• (Ha Ha again, it is complicated!) She stresses 2 points: Keep the hands, the bowl, the board and the rolling pin as cold as possible.
• (Ha Ha, your hands will be frostbitten!) A cold windy day is best for making puff paste.
• "Work with hands,as in the first paragraph, under water, 1 cup of butter.
• Place 1/4 cup butter in a cold bowl.
• Form the remainder into a square and place it where it will keep cold.
• Add to the butter in the bowl, the flour and salt, work these ingredients with a pastry blender, 2 knives or the finger tips.
• Beat and add 1/4 cup ice water and 2 egg yolks, (the yolks may be omitted, in that case use in all, 6 tablespoons of water).
• Work these ingredients well with the hands.
• If necessary add, to loosen the dough from the bowl, a pinch of flour.
• Place the dough were it will be cold but will not freeze, preferably in the open air.
• If it is not possible to do this, fold the dough in a clean cloth and place it in a dripping pan that has been placed between 2 dripping pans filled with ice.
• After 15 minutes, roll the dough into a square on a floured board.
• Roll it one way only, not back and forth.
• A good way is out from the centre.
• Put the square of butter in the centre of the dough and fold the 4 corners to the centre completely covering the butter.
• Permit the dough to stand on a cloth or piece of waxed paper in a cold place for 1/2 hour.
• Turn it once to keep it from becoming dry.
• Roll out the dough again into a square and fold the corners to the centre.
• Permit it to stand again for 1/2 hour.
• Repeat this process.
• The dough must be chilled and rolled at least 4 times in all.
• Chill the dough until you are ready to use it.
• Wrapped in waxed paper it may be kept in the refrigerator for several days.
• Roll it, cut it into shapes.
• Chill it again and bake it.
• One of the secrets of success of puff paste is to have it ice cold when placed in a hot oven.
• The matter of baking puff paste is a moot point.
• In all rules the very cold paste is put into a very hot oven- 500°F.
• In some it is baked at this temperature throughout.
• In this case the pastry is covered with waxed paper after 10 minutes baking.
• In other rules the heat is reduced 50 degrees every 5 minutes until the temperature is 350°F for final baking.
• GOOD LUCK!

PUFF PASTRY

Steps:

• Butter Insert
• Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on low speed until it is pliable. Add the flour and mix until combined. Scrape the mixture out onto a work surface and shape it into a 6-inch square about 1/2 inch high. Wrap the butter in plastic wrap and place it in a cool place (not the refrigerator) until ready to use.
• Enrobing Dough
• Put the water in the bowl of a stand mixer and stir the salt into it. Place the bowl on the mixer stand fitted with the dough hook. Begin mixing on low speed, gradually adding the all-purpose and bread flours. Add the melted butter and mix until a dough begins to form and just comes together; do not overmix. Shape the dough into a tight ball and, using a serrated knife, cut a cross halfway into the ball and wrap it in plastic wrap. Let the dough rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
• Rolling and Folding
• 1. Pull out the corners of the cut edges in the dough ball to make it square shaped. On a lightly floured work surface, using a rolling pin, roll out the opened dough to an 8-inch square. Place the butter square diagonally in the center of the dough and fold over the dough points so that they meet in the center. Pinch the edges of the dough to seal the butter in the dough. Roll the dough out into a 10 by 20-inch rectangle, dusting very lightly with flour, as necessary, to prevent the dough from sticking. Make an impression with the rolling pin in the center of the rectangle. Brush off any excess flour from the dough and, with a short end facing you, fold the two short ends of the dough so that they meet in the center, leaving a slight gap. Fold the dough together as if you were closing a book-this is a double turn. Place the dough on a half-sheet pan, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• 2. For the next turn, place the unwrapped dough rectangle on the work surface so that the folded edges are facing you; the open ends will be on the left and right. Roll out the dough to a 10 by 20-inch rectangle and repeat the folding, rolling, and resting as directed in step 1.
• 3. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place the unwrapped dough rectangle on the work surface so that the folded edges are facing you; the open ends will be on the left and right. Roll it out again to a 10 by 20-inch rectangle, dusting it lightly with flour as necessary. Brush off the excess flour and fold the bottom third of the dough up over the center, then fold the top third over, as if you were folding a business letter-this is a single turn. The dough is now ready to use.

PASTRY CREAM FOR SOUFFLE

Steps:

• Have ready an ice bath. In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks with 2 tablespoons sugar and flour until light and pale; set aside.
• Place milk and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a medium saucepan. Scrape in vanilla seeds; add pod. Bring mixture to a boil. Pour approximately half of just-boiling mixture over reserved egg mixture; whisk to combine. Pour the milk-egg mixture back into the saucepan. Return to a boil, whisking constantly. Cook 2 to 3 minutes.
• Pour pastry cream into a medium bowl, and remove vanilla pod. Set bowl over ice bath until chilled.
• Lay plastic wrap directly on surface of pastry cream, preventing a skin from forming. Refrigerate until ready to make souffle.