Pie and Pastry Bible (148 page)

To assemble swans:
Use a serrated knife to split the bodies horizontally at an angle, starting higher at the pointed end. (Figure 3) Remove and discard the soft dough from the inside. Carefully cut the top part of the puff lengthwise in half to form the wings. (Figure 4)

Fill the pastry bag, fitted with the number 2D decorating tip with whipped cream. Starting at the rounded lower end of the base, using a back-and-forth motion, ruffle the whipped cream into it, allowing it to mound slightly—32 grams for each, a total of 3 cups of cream, whipped. (Figure 5) Place a wing on either side, leaning it up against the cream. (Figure 6) Insert the neck into the cream at the rounded front.

STORE

Unfilled puffs, in reclosable freezer bags or airtight containers, refrigerated, up to 1 week; frozen, up to 6 months.

UNDERSTANDING

The small amount of sugar in the dough adds flavor and helps in browning.

CORDON ROSE CREAM PUFF PASTRY

R
ound, light, crisp, and delicate, these puffs are perfect for profiteroles. The dough also makes light and crispy éclairs (page 536). It is too delicate, however, for larger pastries such as the Gâteau St.-Honoré (page 538).

EQUIPMENT

Cookie sheet(s) or inverted half-size sheet pan(s); for the puffs or éclairs, a pastry bag and a number 6 (½-inch) plain round tube, plus a second pastry bag and a Bismarck tube for filling the puffs

In a medium saucepan, combine the water, butter, sugar, and salt and bring to a full rolling boil. Immediately remove the saucepan from the heat and add the flour all at once. Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a ball, leaves the sides of the pan, and clings slightly to the spoon. Return the pan to low heat and cook, stirring and mashing continuously, for about 3 minutes to cook the flour.

FOOD PROCESSOR METHOD

Without scraping the pan, transfer the mixture to the bowl of food processor fitted with the metal blade. With the feed tube open to allow steam to escape,
process for 15 seconds. With the motor running, pour in the eggs and whites all at once and continue processing for 30 seconds.

FOR HAND METHOD

Without scraping the pan, empty the mixture into a bowl and add the eggs one at a time, and then the egg whites, beating vigorously with a wooden spoon after each addition.

FOR BOTH METHODS

The mixture will be smooth and shiny and it should be too soft to hold peaks when lifted with a spoon. If it is too stiff, add a little extra water. (The dough can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated overnight. Beat it lightly with a wooden spoon before piping.)

Preheat the oven to 425°F. at least 20 minutes before baking. Set an oven rack in the middle level before preheating.

SHAPE THE PUFFS

Dab a small dot of the dough in each corner of the baking sheet and line the sheet with a Teflon-type liner, pressing lightly to make it adhere; or use foil, or grease and flour the pan. (Do not use parchment, as these puffs will stick. Also, do not use Baker’s Joy, as it makes piping the puffs too slippery.) Fill a pastry bag fitted with the number 6 (½-inch) tube with the mixture.

For cream puffs:
Pipe puffs about 1½ inches in diameter and ½ inch to ¾ inch high about 1 inch apart onto the sheet. (By hand, you can use two greased teaspoons instead of piping. Use one to scoop out the dough and the other, or your fingertip, to push it off onto the baking sheet. If necessary, use your fingertip, dipped first in a little water, to smooth the shape.)

For éclairs:
Pipe 4- by 1½-inch lengths, ½ inch to ¾ inch high, about 3 inches apart onto the sheet. (If you are using a spoon, use a damp metal spatula to spread them into shape, making the ends slightly wider than the centers.) Run the tines of a fork down the length of the tops to encourage the éclairs to crack evenly when they bake.

Bake for 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350°F. and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the puffs or éclairs to racks. (Do not turn off the oven.) Holding each puff gently on either side, invert it and use the tip of a knife to make a ¼-inch slit in the bottom to release steam. (Alternatively, a decorating tube, preferably the Bismarck filling tube, can be used to make a small hole that will be used later for filling the puffs. Twisting it as you push it into the puff helps to cut the hole.) Or, for the éclairs, make 2 or 3 slits in the sides of each. Return the puffs or éclairs to the oven, still on the racks, turn off the oven, and use a wooden spoon or wedge to prop the oven
door slightly ajar. Allow the puffs to dry for 10 minutes. Close the door and leave them in the oven for 1½ hours to dry out completely (or continue baking them for 45 minutes at 200°R).

Test a puff by cutting it open. The dough inside the puffs should not be soft to the touch. If it is, return it to the oven for a little longer. Allow the puffs or éclairs to cool completely on the racks.

TO FILL THE PUFFS

For cream puffs:
Use a pastry bag fitted with a Bismarck tube to pipe filling through the slit or hole into the hollow center of each cream puff. Then dip the tops of the puffs into chocolate glaze.
For profiteroles:
Use a serrated knife to split them horizontally in half. Use a small scoop or spoon to fill them with ice cream. Drizzle hot glaze on top.

For éclairs:
Use a serrated knife to split them in half horizontally. Remove some of the soft dough from the inside. Use a pastry bag fitted with a number 6 (½-inch) round tube (or a teaspoon) to fill each one with a scant ¼ cup of filling.

STORE

Unfilled puffs, in reclosable freezer bags or airtight containers, refrigerated, up to é week; frozen, up to 6 months.

ÉCLAIRS AND CREAM PUFFS (PROFITEROLES)

É
clair,
a French word that means lightning bolt, is also the name, both in French and English, for one of the world’s great pastries. I wonder if it was named for its long straight shape or for the speed with which one consumes it. The only meaning most Americans know, however, is that it is an enduring favorite consisting of an elongated golden cream puff filled with whipped cream or pastry cream, or a combination of the two, and most often glazed with chocolate.

When you take a bite of an éclair, the squish of the airy/creamy filling against the crunchy/soft dough and melding of comforting and tantalizing flavors is unforgettable. It was the only dessert my mother bought. She would have to walk one mile to the famous Eclair Bakery on West 72nd Street in New York City, so it was an occasional treat.

Profiteroles are cream puffs filled with whipped cream or, most often, with ice cream and then sauced with hot fudge or caramel sauce (page 596 or 597). They make an incredible easy dessert. Try it with some of the ice creams starting on page 243. Peanut butter or pistachio ice cream is delicious with chocolate sauce. Caramel ice cream with caramel sauce is over the top.

EQUIPMENT

For puffs, a pastry bag and a number 12 (¼-inch) plain round tube or a Bismarck tube; for éclairs, a pastry bag and a number 6 (½-inch) plain round tube

Make the dough (page 530 or 534). Pipe, shape, and bake the puffs (see page 535).

PREPARE THE CHOCOLATE GLAZE OR SAUCE

Place the chocolate in a small heavy saucepan with a lid. Place 1 cup of the cream in a small saucepan, or a heatproof glass measure if using a microwave, and bring it to the boiling point. Pour it over the chocolate, cover it tightly, and allow it to sit for 5 minutes to melt the chocolate. Gently stir the mixture together until uniform in color, trying not to create air bubbles. Pass it through a fine strainer and stir in the optional liqueur. Allow the glaze to cool until just tepid.