Swan Cream Puffs Food

SWAN PUFF, CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Steps:

• First sift the flour onto folded paper. Put the milk, butter, salt and sugar into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the flour all at once into the pan, stirring all the time with a wooden spoon or spatula. Cook this until the paste comes away from the side of the pan and forms a lump, then take the pan off the heat and let it cool a little. Put the paste into a bowl and stir in one egg, which must be completely blended in before the next egg is added, and so on until all the eggs have been incorporated. The paste is ready when it has a silky sheen and is supple and easy to pipe. When preparing swan shapes which need volume, preheat oven with steam to ensure an excellent rise and bake for 15 minutes to 20 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit. To Shape Swan: Fill the piping bag with choux paste and pipe 6 large cream puff, the size of a small egg, then 6 very thin 5-inch long "S" shape which will form the head and the neck of the swan. When it is cooked and cooled, cut the top of the cream puff one-fourth of the way down. Fill the cream puff with chantilly cream (whipped cream). Cut the top of cream puff in two, placing the two pieces on either side of the cream to form the wings of the swan. Then place the bottom of the "S" shape in the chantilly cream. The swan is ready. Serve on plate with chocolate sauce.

SWAN CREAM PUFFS ON A CHOCOLATE POND

Steps:

• 1. In a saucepan, bring the water, butter and salt to a boil. Add flour all at once and stir vigorously until a smooth ball forms. Remove the sauce pan from the heat. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition until incorporated. Beat until smooth and shiny.
• 2. Cut a small hole in the corner of a heavy-duty freezer resealable plastic bag (like ziplock.) Fill bag with about ½ cup of batter. On a greased baking sheet, pipe 10-12 three inch long "S" shapes for the swan necks. Make a small dollop at one end of each S for the head. Bake at 425° for about 5-8 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven to cool. Don't over bake and get overbrowned.
• 3. For swan bodies, put large spoonfuls of batter onto greased baking sheets. With a spoon spread each out to form an oval about 3 ½ inches long and 2 ½ inches wide. (There should be 10-12 using all the batter). Bake at 425 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Do NOT UNDERBAKE. NOTE: Don't overbrown. The tops of the puffs should be hard to the touch when ready. If they are too soft they will collapse. If necessary at this point turn off oven and let sit in oven for a half hour. Remove from oven and cool on wire racks. NOTE: This can be done a day in advance.
• 4. Meanwhile put pudding mixes into a medium to large bowl. Add the milk and mix well. Set aside to 'set' about 5 minutes. Whip the cream adding the sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Carefully fold in the whipped cream into the pudding. Chill.
• 5. Carefully slice off top third of swan bodies; set tops aside. Remove any soft dough inside. Spoon or pipe pudding mixture into bottoms of puffs dividing mixture evenly. Cut reserved tops in half lengthwise to form wings; set wings at an angle in filling. Dust with powdered sugar. Meanwhile tie a ribbon around the neck of each swan underneath the head making a bow with small streamer. With a small dab of white corn syrup or frosting, 'glue' the green candy holly leaves and red candy berries on the knot of the red bows. Carefully put a neck in each swans body at the top of the angled wings into the filling. If desired, dust with confectioners' sugar again.
• 6. Pour the chocolate sauce or warmed hot fudge onto a round or oval platter. Carefully set seven of the Swans in a circle facing out on the outward edge of the chocolate 'pond.' Arrange strawberries in center of the 'pond.' Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.
• 7. Makes 10-12 Christmas Swans on a chocolate pond. Expect raves. These are delicious and make a 'Wow' presentation. Both kids and adults love them.

SWAN CREAM PUFFS

Steps:

• 1. For full instructions come to my blog: http://www.craftsalamode.com/2013/12/swan-cream-puffs.html

SWAN PROFITEROLES

Steps:

• Pate a Choux: Place an 11-by-17-inch piece of parchment lengthwise on work surface. Using a pencil and ruler, draw sets of parallel lines to make a grid that will be the guide for piping out the swans: Starting 3/4 inch up from the bottom edge, draw a line across the paper. Draw a second parallel line, 2 1/2 inches above the first. Draw a third parallel line, 1 inch above the second line, and a fourth line 2 1/2 inches above the third. Draw another line 1 inch above the fourth line, and a sixth line 2 1/2 inches above that. This should leave a 3/4-inch border at the top. Place parchment, pencil-side down on an 11-by-17-inch unrimmed baking sheet. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a medium saucepan, heat butter, granulated sugar, salt, and 1 cup water over medium; bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Using a wooden spoon, quickly stir in flour. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture pulls away from sides of pan and a film forms on bottom, about 3 minutes.
• Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on low speed until slightly cooled, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. With mixer on low speed, add 4 eggs, one at a time, beating until each is fully incorporated and a soft peak forms when you touch dough with your finger.
• Fit a large 18-inch pastry bag with a 1/2-inch round tip (such as Ateco #806). Fill with a generous three-quarters of the dough. Fit a small pastry bag with an 1/8-inch round tip (such as Ateco #11). Fill with remaining dough. Using the large pastry bag, squeeze out 18 large teardrops of dough onto prepared baking sheet, spacing 1 inch apart and staying between the lines. Form the heads: On a separate parchment-lined unrimmed baking sheet, using the small pastry bag, squeeze out 18 small S shapes, like question marks but with the second end slightly curved as well. Make a pointed beak by pulling up the tip at the edge of the head.
• Brush beaten egg over swan bodies and heads. Bake bodies 10 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees and add heads. Continue baking until golden and airy, about 25 minutes. Transfer sheets to wire racks and let cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Assembly: Gently slice off top of bodies with a sharp serrated knife. Cut tops in half. Working quickly, fill each body with a small scoop of ice cream. Place both pieces of the top back on ice cream to simulate wings; place a head into the ice cream at the point where the two wings meet. Transfer swans to a baking sheet and freeze until ready to serve.
• Place chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat cream over medium; pour over chocolate. Let stand 5 minutes; stir until smooth. Let cool at room temperature until ready to use. Spoon a pool of chocolate sauce on each plate and top with a swan. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Serve immediately.