Choux Pastry (Cream Puff)

A simple yet very tasty and can be very luxurious kind of pastry. This is currently the fad in French pastry menu. One of the famous pastry shop in Paris, Popelini, is offering different flavors of this artistic puff.

It is simply cream puff, stuffed and topped with various cream.

Below is the basic procedure in baking cream puff or better known as choux pastry in France. You can stuffed or topped it with any cream of your choice. As per mine, I just used basic chocolate cream.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 large eggs

Procedure:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (210°C).
2. Put the water, butter, sugar and salt in a medium sized saucepan and place on medium-low heat. Remove from heat as soon as the butter has melted and the water is boiling.
3. Using a wooden spoon, stir in all of the flour at once. Mix for at least two minutes and until the mixture is smooth, detaches from the sides of the pan, and forms a ball. The residual heat of the pan dries the dough as you are stirring.
4. Add one egg and beat the mixture with a wooden spoon until the egg is fully incorporated. Add the other two eggs, one at a time, in the same procedure. Each egg takes about a minute to be absorbed into the batter.
5. You can use a pastry bag to form the pastries, or work with two spoons (one to scoop the batter and the other to slide it off the first spoon onto the tray). If you use a pastry bag, a 1/2 inch diameter tip is good for small puffs and a 3/4 inch diameter tip is good for large puffs. When forming the puffs, keep in mind that each one will at least double in size in all directions.
6. Scoop or pipe the puffs onto a baking tray covered with baking paper. If you wish, use a pastry brush to lightly coat the tops of the puffs with beaten egg. This will give the puffs a lovely shiny and slightly crunchy finish.
7. For small puffs, bake at 425°F (210°C) for 20 minutes. For larger puffs, after 20 minutes of baking, lower the oven temperature to 375° F (190°C), and bake 10 to 15 minutes longer. To insure that the inside of the choux pastry does not get soggy after baking, pierce each puff and return the tray to the oven that has been turned off. Leave them in the oven with the door slightly open for 10 minutes.

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Coconut Macaroons

A very easy and common for us Pinoys is Coconut Macaroons. This is best serve with hot tea for snack.

This recipe in usually not with butter since desicated coconut or coconut flakes produce enough grease on it, but I just find it more tasty with butter. =)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups desicated coconut
• 3/4 cup condesed milk
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Procedure:

1. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
2. In a small bowl mix together coconut, milk, flour, and salt.
3. Stir in eggs, butter  and vanilla extract. Mix well.
4. Grease a baking sheet and spoon a mixture by the rounded teaspoon onto the baking sheet.
5. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 18-20 minutes. Allow to cool.
6. Serve and enjoy!

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Chocolate Marble Cake Roll

Yes I am in a mood of doing rolls for my sweets nowadays. It was quite challenging to prepare roll-up cakes but it was indeed worth the try.

I was not feeling well since this morning so I decided to take a day-off from office. But I guess having a wholeday bed rest won't make me feel any better. And to surprise my husband when he come home I've prepared his favourite chocolate cake with a twist from my usual  chocolate baking.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup + ½ cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate chips
• 6 Tbsp.  butter
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 3 Large eggs
• 1 cup self-raising flour
• ¼ cup water
• 200 grams PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar, divided
• 2 cups Whipped Cream

Procedure:

1. Heat oven to 180°C.
2. Grease pan. Line with baking parchment paper and grease it again.
3. Microwave chocolate chips and butter in medium microwaveable bowl on high for 2 minutes or until butter is melted.
4. Stir until chocolate is completely melted.
5. Add granulated sugar; mix well. Set aside.
6. Beat eggs in large bowl with mixer on high speed 3 min. or until thickened.
7. Blend in chocolate mixture.
8. Add 1/4 cup flour; beat just until blended.
9. Add remaining flour alternately with water, beating well after each addition.
10. Spread evenly into prepared pan.
11. Bake for 15 min. or until top of cake springs back when touched.
12. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup powdered sugar. Immediately invert cake onto clean towel and remove pan.
13. Carefully peel off paper. Starting at one short side, roll up cake and towel together; cool completely on wire rack.
14. Beat cream cheese and remaining powdered sugar in medium bowl with mixer until well blended.
15. Pour creamcheese in whipped cream and fold gently.
16. Unroll cake carefully; remove towel.
17. Spread thin layer of cream cheese mixture onto cake, completely covering top of cake. Set aside the left-over to spread to top of cake later.
18. Roll up cake; place, seam-side down, on platter.
19. Microwave remaining chocolate until chocolate is completely melted.
20. Spread onto cake the left-over cream cheese mixture.
21. Add the melted chocolate and make a marble effect.
22. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
23. Serve and enjoy!

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