We recently discovered Jon’s, a local chain of family owned international markets, and I’m, literally, in love. The deals on meat and fresh produce are unbelievable! A few weeks ago Drew snagged 15 limes for $1!! We usually get 3 for $1 at Ralph’s or Trader Joe’s. Three pounds of Roma tomatoes for $1!!! Can you believe these prices?
Anyway, I digress. The bargain-hunter in my can’t resist the deals. But we recently got a bunch of fresh peaches for pocket change, and unfortunately, because we’re both so busy, we totally forgot we had them and they started to get soft. These peaches were so beautiful and juicy, I couldn’t waste them. I had recently caught an episode of Paula Deen’s cooking show on Food Network, and although most of her food is very rich and fatty, this one was simple and let the peaches stand out. The recipe is available here, and I followed it to the letter, except for the glaze (I thought the filling was enough to complement the peaches, and didn’t want to overpower them with too much fluff).
Don't let fresh fruit spoil--dress it up in dessert!
While there are no step-by-step instructions since this recipe isn’t my own, I do want to take a second to rant about a hidden torture inherent in cooking. I already love shopping for shoes and jewelry, but add a fetish for fine cookware and a yearning to expand my kitchen’s capabilities, it’s impossible to not want every awesome piece of bakeware, every kind of pan and pot that exists, and every cool gadget that seems useful but turns out dispensable. This recipe made me think I need a removable-bottom tart pan! Paula’s made it look so easy on TV, and I’ll admit it was a pain to roll out the crust in a cookie sheet and attempt, unsuccessfully, to shape it to something decent looking. There’s a reason there are no pictures of the tart whole–it was not pretty! My filling spilled everywhere and burnt onto the cookie sheet, although the crust that remained exposed was delicious, and the overall effect was fantastic! It just wasn’t something I’d serve for company. I catch myself thinking, if I had that fabulous tart pan, I’d be a better cook, but then remind myself the challenge is half the fun, and the silly look of a tart on a cookie sheet inspired me to invent a pizza-looking dessert (with a tart crust, custard “sauce” and fruit) that would be both fun and tasty (stay tuned!). Adversity makes us resourceful and smart, and even the little challenges in the kitchen can make you not only a better cook but also a creative one! One day, I will have every fancy gadget, pot and pan possible, but for now I’ll stick to a minimalistic approach (fittingly, in my small apartment kitchen) and try to invent solutions to my setbacks… Let’s see how it goes!
The lonely last slice... this disappeared quickly!
(Ignore the cheesy Marie Callender’s motto for a headline–I just couldn’t resist!)
Obviously, cream puffs and other pastries are not typical weeknight dinner fare, but when the College Girl’s kitchen entertains, I like to up the ante and make something really special. The recipe is quite easy, but meticulousness is crucial, because every step must be followed by the book to ensure a perfect pastry. I made these when welcoming a friend home from months abroad, and I hope the homey touch of handmade pastries for her dinner was just the warm welcome she expected from America! Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion, commemorating a big event, or just indulging, these puffs and éclairs are crowd-pleasing treat!
my first éclair! Not beautiful, but definitely tasty!
The chocolate éclairs turned out so dreamy! I used the same choux pastry dough as for the cream puffs, which is actually much more versatile than I thought! This basic puff pastry dough can also be used to make savory appetizers, bite-sized little treats filled with a variety of dressings to play off the soft, plain but still stellar pastry. The recipe for this dough can be found here.
BUT back to the éclairs! I don’t have a large pastry bag to pipe beautiful tubes to fill, so I just used a spoon and clean fingers to shape somewhat tube-shaped forms, about 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet. I baked at 400 degrees for about a half hour, and as Candy from SoupBelly emphasizes, you must absolutely resist the urge to open to oven to peak at them until at least 5 minutes before the cook time is over, or your puffs/éclairs will collapse and be droop pastry instead of puff pastry.
As they bake, prepare the filling and glaze (custard cream and chocolate ganache, respectively).
I scoured the internet far and wide to find a tasty from-scratch custard cream, and found this recipe from another blog, and the post itself is very helpful in assembling éclairs if it is your first time with this kind of pastry! Never underestimate the power of photos to help walk you through something new!
The custard cream is fairly simple, but mine didn’t work quite right for some reason–it just wasn’t as rich or decadent as I would’ve liked. I think the big mistake was substituting extra all-purpose flour for the cornstarch (2 parts flour for each part cornstarch requires)–while this is a common technique used when you don’t have cornstarch on hand, I found that it just washed down the rest of the flavors. Sure enough, I picked up some cornstarch this weekend so I won’t end up short handed with mediocre custard cream!
The last touch is the chocolate icing on the éclairs– the rich chocolate ganache just puts the perfect spin on an already well-balanced dessert. This part is by far the easiest, so I would encourage if you’re going to cut corners with anything else (for example, getting prepared puff pastry dough, or using vanilla instant pudding for the filling), definitely keep the ganache authentic–you’ll be glad you did!
What’s brilliant about ganache is that it’s so multi-purpose–the leftovers can be used to ice a cake, or for chocolate-dipped strawberries! The possibilities are endless!
Chocolate Ganache Icing
1 cup heavy cream (although I’ve successfully substituted milk and half-and-half if I don’t have heavy cream on hand)
1 tsp. vanilla extract (or almond if you want a more nutty flavor)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (more if you want a rich sauce, just be careful!)
Pour the chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, heat the milk or cream and vanilla over medium heat until small bubbles form on the outside of the cream. DO NOT let the cream boil! Once it’s heated through and the bubbles get bigger, slowly pour the cream mixture over the chocolate chips.
With a fork, work quickly to smash and blend the chocolate chips. The sauce will first look like chocolate milk with dark chunks (pale brown with visible dark chunks of chocolate), and as you blend, will eventually darken and smoothen to become a dark, solid, silky sauce. Set aside until ready to assemble the éclairs. DO NOT refrigerate until after you’ve assembled the éclairs, as the ganache will harden quickly once put in the fridge. It will stay viscous enough to coat if you leave it at room temperature.
The Finished Product
Now to assemble the éclairs.
Remove the tubes from the oven after they’ve baked to golden-brown goodness. Let them cool about 10 minutes, then poke holes in the butt end (either end works, really) with a sharp knife. Using a pastry bag (or even a ziploc bag with the corner snipped off), pipe the custard cream into the inside. These are a bit larger than my mini cream puffs, so make sure to pipe enough filling into each tube to fill it sufficiently. Once they’re all filled, stir the ganache to make sure no lumps have formed. Dip the top of each éclair into the bowl with the ganache (you may have to transfer to a smaller, shallower dish) to coat the top, and set on a wax-paper lined plate to catch the drips. Let cool for about 15 minutes and ENJOY!
I garnished mine with a little powdered sugar, but they were just as tempting without it! I made large (about 4 inches long, 2 inches wide when baked) éclairs, but you can definitely get a higher yield if you make them minis!
I had lots of pastry dough, so I made another batch of the puffs since I had extra whipped cream left over. I used the leftover caramel sauce from my beignets and drizzled this batch of puffs for an extra sweet kick. Here are the puffs:
cream puff decadence
I wish I had a bridal or baby shower or some kind of elegant event to bring these to! I’m sure they would be a crowd pleaser!
Tonight I’m going to make a summery pasta salad with some leftover roast chicken from the weekend. I don’t have a set recipe, but I definitely want to throw some sweet roasted peppers in, maybe with a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of Parmesan just to capture the essence of summer. I’ll let you know how it goes!
It’s no mystery that I have a sweet tooth. While my preferences might change based on my moods, there’s very little that will deter me from a sweet little something at the end of my meal.
The boyfriend and I went to dinner at Grand Lux Cafe, which has the most amazing baked-to-order desserts. We sprung for the beignets, channeling my current pastry obsession, and they reinvigorated the part of me that loves baking!
I tried making my own this weekend with my multi-purpose dough (which I will write more about soon!) but they turned out a bit dense–although still scrumptious! I enlisted the boyfriend as my sous chef, and he brilliantly rolled then, fresh out of the pan, in cinnamon sugar, and we served them with a warm chocolate sauce and a gooey caramel sauce for dipping. Not restaurant-caliber, but boy did we enjoy the treat on a Sunday night!
That endeavor prompted me to try cream puffs- my absolute favorite pastry around. Weird little back-story: my family sees a Bulgarian dentist in Glendale (which is quite a drive from the South Bay for my parents), which is predominantly an Armenian area. The dentist and his assistant wife tipped us off years ago to the most decadent pastry shop/bakery just a few minutes away, and we make it a ritual to go after every visit (to make the drive do double-duty!). They have lots of syrup-laden treats similar to those popular in Bulgaria, and lots of gourmet desserts–my favorite growing up, no doubt, were the cream puffs and éclairs. Several years and a minor obsession later, I decided to make my own.
I can’t take credit for this recipe, but I strongly suggest everyone checks out Soupbelly, one of the most fun and inspiring cooking blogs I’ve seen!
I didn’t have a chance to take pictures, because I was entertaining some friends, but by following the directions to a T, they came out literally… PERFECT! I used a cheapo pastry bag (which I bought at the 99 cents store and broke on my first try–do not recommend!) to fill them with delicate whipped cream, and although they weren’t as stuffed with cream as I like, the result was nothing short of phenomenal! I will definitely be trying it again, and maybe even shooting for éclairs!
Now on to discover a delicious custard filling recipe–I’ll report back (with pictures!) if I do venture out to make the éclairs soon!
Delicious, delicate cream puffs!
