Sugared Puffs Food

SUGARED PUFFS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Liberally grease a nonstick popover pan, or a muffin pan with 1/2-cup indentations, with softened butter.
• For the puffs, put the 2 tablespoons melted butter, eggs, milk, salt and sugar in a blender and whiz for a few seconds.
• Add the flour and whiz for 5 to 8 seconds, just until smooth.
• Divide the batter among 9 greased molds, filling each 1/2 to 2/3 full.
• Bake for 35 minutes, until the puffs are deep brown.
• Remove from the oven, wait a few minutes until cool enough to handle, then remove the puffs from the pans. You may need a small knife to help pry them out.
• Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Thoroughly brush each puff all over with melted butter, then dredge in sugar and cinnamon mixture to coat completely. Let cool on a baking rack.

SWEET POTATO PUFFS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, mix together the mashed sweet potato, mascarpone, cinnamon, ginger and vanilla using a rubber spatula. Set aside.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out a sheet of puff pastry to 10-by-13 inches. Using a 3- inch round cutter, cut out 12 rounds from the first sheet of puff pastry. Working one at a time, use your fingers to slightly flatten and widen each round. Spoon a heaping teaspoon of the mashed potato filling into the middle of the round, brush a small amount of egg on one edge and stretch the pastry over the filling to make a half moon. Crimp the edges with your fingers to seal and place on the prepared baking sheet. Continue with the remaining rounds and half the filling, leaving 1 inch between puffs, and then cut and fill 12 rounds from the second sheet of puff pastry.
• Brush the tops of each pastry with some beaten egg and sprinkle with some cinnamon-sugar. Use the tip of a knife to poke a hole in the center of each of the puff. Bake until golden brown and puffed, about 15 minutes. Serve hot.

MINIATURE SWEET PUFFS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Bring the water, butter, salt, and sugar to a boil in a saucepan, over medium-high heat. Pull pan from the heat, add the flour at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until all the flour is incorporated, about 1 minute. Return the pan to the heat and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes to evaporate some of the water and "cook" out the flour. The dough will get a bit shiny and stick to the pan a little.
• Transfer the mixture into an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix together on medium speed, and, while the mixer is running, add 1 egg. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Repeat, adding the other egg. Mix until the dough is smooth and glossy and eggs are uniformly incorporated.
• Using a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip, pipe the dough onto the baking sheet, into 1/4 to 1/2-inch balls. (Use a damp finger, to dab down the points of the dough to make perfect balls.) Sprinkle with the turbinado sugar, if desired. Bake 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375 degrees F (without opening the oven door), and bake until puffed up, and a rich golden brown, about 15 minutes more. Remove and poke with a toothpick. Bake an additional 10 minutes to dry the insides of the puffs. Cool on a rack.
• Cut puffs in half and fill with Raspberry Cream, ice cream or your favorite filling. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve.
• Mash the berries and sugar in a small saucepan with a wooden spoon. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring frequently until the berries break down and get juicy, about 5 minutes. Strain mixture through a fine-meshed sieve into a bowl; discard the seeds. Cool. Adjust the sweetness or tartness of the sauce with more sugar and lemon juice, as needed.
• Beat the cream until it holds a light peak. Sift the confectioners' sugar into the cream. Continue beating until the cream holds a holds a soft, but firm peak. Gently fold raspberry sauce into the whipped cream until blended. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until needed.

PUFFS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a cookie sheet. Set aside.
• In a medium saucepan heat butter and water over medium heat until butter melts. Fold in flour all at once, and stir vigorously until a ball forms in the center of the pan. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes.
• Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until fully blended. Mix should be very stiff. Drop by 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon onto prepared cookie sheet.
• Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the moisture disappears. Cool and slit a small opening on one side and stuff with desired filling.

CHRISTMAS SUGAR PUFFS

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients together.
• Roll into teaspoon-sized balls.
• Roll in colored sugar. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheet as they spread out.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 9 minutes.
• Carefully remove to cooling rack. Cookies puff up as they bake but flatten as they cool.