Profiteroles

It's finally feeling like summer, and the warm weather always puts me into the mood for ice cream! The hubs and I are not fussy about how we enjoy our ice cream. We'll usually enjoy our frozen treats straight of of the carton or generously scooped on sugar cones.

If I'm feeling particularly fancy and entertaining dinner guests, these delicious profiteroles will make an appearance. Composed of a choux puff that is filled with ice cream and topped with a chocolate sauce, profiteroles are a delicious sweet ending to any meal.

Pate a choux, the basis for these profiteroles, cream puffs, eclairs, and gougeres, is a dough that is first cooked on the stove, then piped on baking sheet. Once in the oven, this magical dough tranform into light and airy pastry puffs that are just slightly crisp on the outside and almost hollow in the middle.

The pate a choux is piped onto a baking sheet. As it bakes the dough transforms into these airy golden clouds.

Once cooled, these pastries are ready to be filled and served.

Here is what the puff looks like once you slice them open. They should be slightly moist inside and almost completely hollow.

Once the choux puffs are ready, all you need is vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce and you're ready for business! One scoop of vanilla ice cream is sandwiched in the puff.

Warm chocolate sauce is drizzled on top.

Now it's ready to eat...YUM!

Profiteroles

Pate a Choux

adapted from The Secrets of Baking by Sherry Yard

makes approximately 24 medium sized puffs

1 C. bread flour

1 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 C. water

1/2 C. whole milk

6 tbsp butter

4 eggs

Preheat oven to 425F degrees. Line baking sheets with silpat or parchment paper

Bring the water, milk, butter, sugar and salt to a boil in a large saucepan over medium high heat.

Once the liquid mixture starts to boil, reduce the heat to medium and add the flour all at once and stir well. Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the dough begins to come away from the sides of the pan (approx 5 minutes).

Transfer the dough to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle and beat at medium speed until the dough cools to approximately body temperature.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. At this point, the dough should be smooth and shiny.

Transfer the dough to a pastry bag with a plain round tip. Pipe mounds that are 1 1/2 inches in diameter and 1 inch high on the baking sheet two inches apart.

Bake until puffed and light golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.

Transfer puffs to a wire rack to cool completely.

Assembling The Profiteroles

1 prepared batch of choux puffs

1 quart vanilla ice cream (I made David Lebovitz's fabulous recipe)

1 cup chocolate sauce (I cheated and used a pre-made jar)

Cut each choux puff in half.

Portion a small scoop of ice cream on the bottom half of each puff and put the top half back over the ice cream.

Place 2-3 profiteroles on each plate and drizzle with a generous amount of chocolate sauce.

Serve immediately and enjoy!

Apple Strudel (DB)

This month's Daring Bakers Challenge is Apple Strudel, and I was definitely excited about this recipe, as I've never attempted making strudel. As a matter of fact, I don't think I've tasted homemade strudel... until now.

The ingredient list is pretty simple, but the challenge definitely comes in making and stretching the dough to create the impossibly thin and flaky layers. I definitely had my challenge in getting the dough paper thin, and didn't even come close to getting the dough stretched to the 2'x3' dimensions indicated in the recipe (mine fell a little short at 18"x 24"). Once the dough was prepped, I made a simplified version of the apple filling (no nuts, no raisins).

At the end of this baking exercise, my kitchen was an absolute disaster area, but the clean up was definitely worth the effort. Who knew how delicious homemade strudel could be! Thanks to Linda of Make Life Sweeter! and Courtney of Coco Cooks for selecting this challenging but delicious recipe.

APPLE STRUDEL
from “Kaffeehaus – Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague” by Rick Rodgers

Apple Filling
2 tablespoons (30 ml) golden rum (omitted)
3 tablespoons (45 ml) raisins (omitted)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (80 g) sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick / 115 g) unsalted butter, melted, divided
1 1/2 cups (350 ml) fresh bread crumbs
strudel dough (recipe below)
1/2 cup (120 ml, about 60 g) coarsely chopped walnuts (omitted)
2 pounds (900 g) tart cooking apples, peeled, cored and cut into ¼ inch-thick slices (use apples that hold their shape during baking)

1. Mix the rum and raisins in a bowl. Mix the cinnamon and sugar in another bowl.

2. Heat 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the breadcrumbs and cook whilst stirring until golden and toasted. This will take about 3 minutes. Let it cool completely.

3. Put the rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large baking sheet with baking paper (parchment paper). Make the strudel dough as described below. Spread about 3 tablespoons of the remaining melted butter over the dough using your hands (a bristle brush could tear the dough, you could use a special feather pastry brush instead of your hands). Sprinkle the buttered dough with the bread crumbs. Spread the walnuts about 3 inches (8 cm) from the short edge of the dough in a 6-inch-(15cm)-wide strip. Mix the apples with the raisins (including the rum), and the cinnamon sugar. Spread the mixture over the walnuts.

4. Fold the short end of the dough onto the filling. Lift the tablecloth at the short end of the dough so that the strudel rolls onto itself. Transfer the strudel to the prepared baking sheet by lifting it. Curve it into a horseshoe to fit. Tuck the ends under the strudel. Brush the top with the remaining melted butter.

5. Bake the strudel for about 30 minutes or until it is deep golden brown. Cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Use a serrated knife and serve either warm or at room temperature. It is best on the day it is baked.

Strudel Dough
1 1/3 cups (200 g) unbleached flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons (105 ml) water, plus more if needed
2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil, plus additional for coating the dough
1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar

1. Combine the flour and salt in a stand-mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix the water, oil and vinegar in a measuring cup. Add the water/oil mixture to the flour with the mixer on low speed. You will get a soft dough. Make sure it is not too dry, add a little more water if necessary.
Take the dough out of the mixer. Change to the dough hook. Put the dough ball back in the mixer. Let the dough knead on medium until you get a soft dough ball with a somewhat rough surface.

2. Take the dough out of the mixer and continue kneading by hand on an unfloured work surface. Knead for about 2 minutes. Pick up the dough and throw it down hard onto your working surface occasionally.
Shape the dough into a ball and transfer it to a plate. Oil the top of the dough ball lightly. Cover the ball tightly with plastic wrap. Allow to stand for 30-90 minutes (longer is better).

3. It would be best if you have a work area that you can walk around on all sides like a 36 inch (90 cm) round table or a work surface of 23 x 38 inches (60 x 100 cm). Cover your working area with table cloth, dust it with flour and rub it into the fabric. Put your dough ball in the middle and roll it out as much as you can.
Pick the dough up by holding it by an edge. This way the weight of the dough and gravity can help stretching it as it hangs. Using the back of your hands to gently stretch and pull the dough. You can use your forearms to support it.

4. The dough will become too large to hold. Put it on your work surface. Leave the thicker edge of the dough to hang over the edge of the table. Place your hands underneath the dough and stretch and pull the dough thinner using the backs of your hands. Stretch and pull the dough until it's about 2 feet (60 cm) wide and 3 feet (90 cm) long, it will be tissue-thin by this time. Cut away the thick dough around the edges with scissors. The dough is now ready to be filled.
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The May Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Linda of make life sweeter! and Courtney of Coco Cooks. They chose Apple Strudel from the recipe book Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague by Rick Rodgers.

Chocolate Eclairs (DB)

No one needed to twist my arm to participate in this month's Daring Baker's challenge --- ECLAIRS. The hosts, Meeta of What's for Lunch, Honey? and Tony Hahhan, selected one of my all time favorite pastries, and I was looking forward to trying a recipe from Pierre Herme, pastry chef extrordinaire.

I think most people never think of making eclairs, as it looks like it would take skill and effort to replicate the pastry at home. Surprisingly, this recipe is really straightforward and not time consuming. Once you get down making the choux and tinkering with baking time, these puffy treats are worth making at home.

Once the choux is baked and cooled, now the fun begins...what do I fill them with? I decided to go with three pastry creams: chocolate, vanilla bean, and raspberry. I've heard many great things about Pierre Herme's chocolate pastry cream recipe, so had to go ahead and make the recipe (I did cut the recipe in half with no problem). Definitely use bittersweet, as it delivers a wonderfully intense chocolate punch! For the vanilla and raspberry creams, I used a basic pastry cream recipe, and enhanced the cream with vanilla bean and chambord.

The chocolate and vanilla bean creams were piped into the choux (no slicing needed, just poke a small hole in the choux and pipe the pastry... the holes have been covered by the chocolate glaze). To complement the charmbord cream, I sliced the choux in half and stuffed it with the cream and fresh raspberries.

The results were unbelievably delicious, and I wholeheartedly recommend the Pierre Herme recipe. To see the delicious creations of the other DB'ers, check out the blogroll.

Pierre Hermé’s Chocolate Éclairs
Recipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé
(makes 20-24 Éclairs)•

Cream Puff Dough (see below for recipe), fresh and still warm

1) Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Divide the oven into thirds bypositioning the racks in the upper and lower half of the oven. Line two baking sheets withwaxed or parchment paper.
2) Fill a large pastry bag fitted with a 2/3 (2cm) plain tip nozzle with the warm cream puff dough.Pipe the dough onto the baking sheets in long, 4 to 41/2 inches (about 11 cm) chubby fingers.Leave about 2 inches (5 cm) space in between each dough strip to allow them room to puff.The dough should give you enough to pipe 20-24 éclairs.
3) Slide both the baking sheets into the oven and bake for 7 minutes. After the 7 minutes, slip thehandle of a wooden spoon into the door to keep in ajar. When the éclairs have been in theoven for a total of 12 minutes, rotate the sheets top to bottom and front to back. Continuebaking for a further 8 minutes or until the éclairs are puffed, golden and firm. The total bakingtime should be approximately 20 minutes.

Notes:
1) The éclairs can be kept in a cool, dry place for several hours before filling.

Assembling the éclairs:•
Chocolate glaze (see below for recipe)•
Chocolate pastry cream (see below for recipe)

1) Slice the éclairs horizontally, using a serrated knife and a gently sawing motion. Set aside thebottoms and place the tops on a rack over a piece of parchment paper.
2) The glaze should be barely warm to the touch (between 95 – 104 degrees F or 35 – 40degrees C, as measured on an instant read thermometer). Spread the glaze over the tops ofthe éclairs using a metal icing spatula. Allow the tops to set and in the meantime fill thebottoms with the pastry cream.
3) Pipe or spoon the pastry cream into the bottoms of the éclairs. Make sure you fill the bottomswith enough cream to mound above the pastry. Place the glazed tops onto the pastry creamand wriggle gently to settle them.

Notes:
1) If you have chilled your chocolate glaze, reheat by placing it in a bowl over simmering water,stirring it gently with a wooden spoon. Do not stir too vigorously as you do not want to createbubbles.
2) The éclairs should be served as soon as they have been filled.

Pierre Hermé’s Cream Puff Dough
Recipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé
(makes 20-24 Éclairs)•

½ cup (125g) whole milk•
½ cup (125g) water•
1 stick (4 ounces; 115g) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces•
¼ teaspoon sugar•
¼ teaspoon salt•
1 cup (140g) all-purpose flour•
5 large eggs, at room temperature

1) In a heavy bottomed medium saucepan, bring the milk, water, butter, sugar and salt to theboil.
2) Once the mixture is at a rolling boil, add all of the flour at once, reduce the heat to mediumand start to stir the mixture vigorously with a wooden spoon. The dough comes together veryquickly. Do not worry if a slight crust forms at the bottom of the pan, it’s supposed to. Youneed to carry on stirring for a further 2-3 minutes to dry the dough. After this time the doughwill be very soft and smooth.
3) Transfer the dough into a bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using yourhandmixer or if you still have the energy, continue by hand. Add the eggs one at a time,beating after each egg has been added to incorporate it into the dough.You will notice that after you have added the first egg, the dough will separate, once again donot worry. As you keep working the dough, it will come back all together again by the time youhave added the third egg. In the end the dough should be thick and shiny and when lifted itshould fall back into the bowl in a ribbon.
4) The dough should be still warm. It is now ready to be used for the éclairs as directed above.

Notes:
1) Once the dough is made you need to shape it immediately.
2) You can pipe the dough and the freeze it. Simply pipe the dough onto parchment-lined bakingsheets and slide the sheets into the freezer. Once the dough is completely frozen, transfer thepiped shapes into freezer bags. They can be kept in the freezer for up to a month.

Chocolate Pastry Cream
Recipe from Chocolate Desserts by PierreHermé•

2 cups (500g) whole milk•
4 large egg yolks•
6 tbsp (75g) sugar•
3 tablespoons cornstarch, sifted•
7 oz (200g) bittersweet chocolate, preferably Velrhona Guanaja, melted•
2½ tbsp (1¼ oz: 40g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1) In a small saucepan, bring the milk to a boil. In the meantime, combine the yolks, sugar and cornstarch together and whisk in a heavy‐bottomed saucepan.
2) Once the milk has reached a boil, temper the yolks by whisking a couple spoonfuls of the hot milk into the yolk mixture.Continue whisking and slowly pour the rest of the milk into the tempered yolk mixture.
3) Strain the mixture back into the saucepan to remove any egg that may have scrambled. Place the pan over medium heat and whisk vigorously (without stop) until the mixture returns to a boil. Keep whisking vigorously for 1 to 2 more minutes (still over medium heat).Stir in the melted chocolate and then remove the pan from the heat.
4) Scrape the pastry cream into a small bowl and set it in an ice‐water bath to stop the cooking process. Make sure to continue stirring the mixture at this point so that it remains smooth.
5) Once the cream has reached a temperature of 140 F remove from the ice‐water bath and stir in the butter in three or four installments. Return the cream to the ice‐water bath to continue cooling, stirring occasionally, until it has completely cooled. The cream is now ready to use or store in the fridge.

Notes:
1) The pastry cream can be made 2-3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
2) In order to avoid a skin forming on the pastry cream, cover with plastic wrap pressed onto the cream.
3) Tempering the eggs raises the temperature of the eggs slowly so that they do not scramble.

Chocolate Glaze
Recipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé
(makes 1 cup or 300g)•

1/3 cup (80g) heavy cream •
3½ oz (100g) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped•
4 tsp (20 g) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature•
7 tbsp (110 g)
Chocolate Sauce (recipe below), warm or at room temperature

1)In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a boil. Remove from the heat and slowly begin to add the chocolate, stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula.
2) Stirring gently, stir in the butter, piece by piece followed by the chocolate sauce.

Notes:
1) If the chocolate glaze is too cool (i.e. not liquid enough) you may heat it briefly
 in the microwave or over a double boiler. A double boiler is basically a bowl sitting over (not touching) simmering water.
2) It is best to glaze the eclairs after the glaze is made, but if you are pressed for time, you can make the glaze a couple days ahead of time, store it in the fridge and bring it up to the proper temperature (95 to 104 F) when ready to glaze.

Chocolate Sauce
Recipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé
(makes 1½ cups or 525 g)•

4½ oz (130 g) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped •
1 cup (250 g) water•
½ cup (125 g) crème fraîche, or heavy cream •
1/3 cup (70 g) sugar

1) Place all the ingredients into a heavy‐bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil, making sure to stir constantly. Then reduce the heat to low and continue stirring with a wooden spoon until the sauce thickens.
2) It may take 10‐15 minutes for the sauce to thicken, but you will know when it is done when it coats the back of your spoon.

Notes:
1) You can make this sauce ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for two weeks. Reheat the sauce in a microwave oven or a double boiler before using.
2) This sauce is also great for cakes, ice-cream and tarts.

Danish Braid (DB)

Let's talk about rolling up my sleeves for my very first Daring Bakers challenge! For me, my goal in joining this fabulous baking group is to work with recipes that are typically out of my comfort zone. I was thrilled to see Danish Braid as this month's selection! I'll admit that I am the type to read these more complicated recipes, admire the pretty pictures, and make some excuse to not make the recipe. Now, I don't have an excuse! :)

Like making croissants and puff pastry, laminated dough is a time and labor intensive exercise. The first time I made croissants and puff pastry was in a pastry class this past winter, and I had to make both doughs one handed (I had broken my wrist a few weeks prior, so was in a cast....I finished a sweaty, floury mess, but the final baked items turned out pretty good! :)) I was happy to dive into this recipe...two handed!

The trick is allocating enough time for the turns, resting and proofing. I started the dough Friday evening (the bonus is cooling temps to work with the dough) , finishing all four turns and preparing the filling before turning in for the evening. The next morning, I assembled the braid and baked it off. The beautiful thing about this recipe is that your hard work is rewarded with a GORGEOUS looking pastry that tastes better than anything you would find at the corner bakery.

This recipe yielded enough dough for two braids. Instead of making a second braid, I opted to make some smaller pastries. With some of the dough, I made triangle twists and used the leftover apple mixture as the filling. I really love the beautiful shape, and the best part was that it was very easy to assemble!I also made bear claws, which was filled with a traditional remonce (almond filling)--- recipe is at the very end of this post). This was my absolute favorite pastry. The smell of the almond filling baking in the oven was intoxicating, and the pastry was light, fluffy and delicious.
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DANISH DOUGH
Makes 2-1/2 pounds dough

Ingredients

For the dough (Detrempe)
1 ounce fresh yeast or 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup whole milk
1/3 cup sugar
zest of 1 orange, finely grated
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
2 large eggs, chilled
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

For the butter block (Beurrage)
1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

DOUGH
- Combine yeast and milk in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed. Slowly add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, and orange juice. Mix well.
- Change to the dough hook and add the salt with the flour, 1 cup at a time, increasing speed to medium as the flour is incorporated. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, or until smooth. You may need to add a little more flour if it is sticky.
- Transfer dough to a lightly floured baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
(Without a standing mixer: Combine yeast and milk in a bowl with a hand mixer on low speed or a whisk. Add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, and orange juice and mix well. Sift flour and salt on your working surface and make a fountain. Make sure that the “walls” of your fountain are thick and even. Pour the liquid in the middle of the fountain. With your fingertips, mix the liquid and the flour starting from the middle of the fountain, slowly working towards the edges. When the ingredients have been incorporated start kneading the dough with the heel of your hands until it becomes smooth and easy to work with, around 5 to 7 minutes. You might need to add more flour if the dough is sticky.)

BUTTER BLOCK
- Combine butter and flour in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle and then beat for 1 minute more, or until smooth and lump free. Set aside at room temperature.
- After the detrempe has chilled 30 minutes, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 18 x 13 inches and ¼ inch thick. The dough may be sticky, so keep dusting it lightly with flour. Spread the butter evenly over the center and right thirds of the dough. Fold the left edge of the detrempe to the right, covering half of the butter. Fold the right third of the rectangle over the center third. The first turn has now been completed. Mark the dough by poking it with your finger to keep track of your turns, or use a sticky and keep a tally. Place the dough on a baking sheet, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Place the dough lengthwise on a floured work surface. The open ends should be to your right and left. Roll the dough into another approximately 13 x 18 inch, ¼-inch-thick rectangle. Again, fold the left third of the rectangle over the center third and the right third over the center third. No additional butter will be added as it is already in the dough. The second turn has now been completed. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.4. Roll out, turn, and refrigerate the dough two more times, for a total of four single turns. Make sure you are keeping track of your turns. Refrigerate the dough after the final turn for at least 5 hours or overnight. The Danish dough is now ready to be used. If you will not be using the dough within 24 hours, freeze it. To do this, roll the dough out to about 1 inch in thickness, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze. Defrost the dough slowly in the refrigerator for easiest handling. Danish dough will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month.

APPLE FILLING
Makes enough for two braids

Ingredients
4 Fuji or other apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch pieces
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Toss all ingredients except butter in a large bowl. Melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat until slightly nutty in color, about 6 - 8 minutes. Then add the apple mixture and sauté until apples are softened and caramelized, 10 to 15 minutes. If you’ve chosen Fujis, the apples will be caramelized, but have still retained their shape. Pour the cooked apples onto a baking sheet to cool completely before forming the braid. (If making ahead, cool to room temperature, seal, and refrigerate.) They will cool faster when spread in a thin layer over the surface of the sheet. After they have cooled, the filling can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Left over filling can be used as an ice cream topping, for muffins, cheesecake, or other pastries.

DANISH BRAID
Makes enough for 2 large braids

Ingredients
1 recipe Danish Dough (see above)
2 cups apple filling, jam, or preserves (see above)
egg wash (1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk)

- Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll the Danish Dough into a 15 x 20-inch rectangle, ¼ inch thick. If the dough seems elastic and shrinks back when rolled, let it rest for a few minutes, then roll again. Place the dough on the baking sheet.
- Along one long side of the pastry make parallel, 5-inch-long cuts with a knife or rolling pastry wheel, each about 1 inch apart. Repeat on the opposite side, making sure to line up the cuts with those you’ve already made.
- Spoon the filling you’ve chosen to fill your braid down the center of the rectangle. Starting with the top and bottom “flaps”, fold the top flap down over the filling to cover. Next, fold the bottom “flap” up to cover filling. This helps keep the braid neat and helps to hold in the filling. Now begin folding the cut side strips of dough over the filling, alternating first left, then right, left, right, until finished. Trim any excess dough and tuck in the ends.
- Egg Wash: Whisk together the whole egg and yolk in a bowl and with a pastry brush, lightly coat the braid.

Proofing and Baking
- Spray cooking oil onto a piece of plastic wrap, and place over the braid.
- Proof at room temperature or, if possible, in a controlled 90 degree F environment for about 2 hours, or until doubled in volume and light to the touch.
- Near the end of proofing, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Position a rack in the center of the oven.3. Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the pan so that the side of the braid previously in the back of the oven is now in the front. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, and bake about 15-20 minutes more, or until golden brown.
- Cool and serve the braid either still warm from the oven or at room temperature. The cooled braid can be wrapped airtight and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or freeze for 1 month.
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Remonce (Almond Cream Filling)
Adapted from The Pie and Pastry Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum

Ingredients
3 tbsp almond paste
1/4 C + 1 1/2 tsp sugar
4 tbsp butter
1 egg, room temp and slightly beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp + 1 1/2 tsp flour

In a food processor, pulse together the almond paste and sugar until it looks like wet sand. Add butter and pulse 3-4 times until incorporated. Add the egg, vanilla, and flour and pulse just until incorporated. It will be a soft cream. Place in a piping bag and refrigerated until it is used (otherwise it may ooze from the pastry when baking)

Eclairs

In conjunction with the TWD selection of Sticky Honey Buns, I had all the best intentions of making Raisin Snails with the remaining brioche dough. I even made a vanilla pastry cream the day before as I was proofing the dough. I thought to myself --- for once , I wasn’t running around like a lunatic trying to pull a recipe together at the last minute (I know you can relate to this!). Being planned and organized isn’t in my DNA, so of course I shelved the snail recipe at the last minute. So, what should I do with the delicious pastry cream that is sitting in the frig…ECLAIRS!













Eclairs are such a special treat, and they are surprisingly easy to make. The trick is getting down the technique for choux paste. The dough is unique as you cook it twice: on the stove then in the oven.













This dough never fails to amaze me, as a pretty simple dough balloons into a beautiful puff pastry. This dough can also be savory, with the addition of cheese and herbs, to make delicious gougeres.