Easy Desserts – Profiteroles, Cream Puffs and Choux A’la Normande
We have already covered the versatility of choux paste. The best cheese puffs ever are made from choux paste. It shouldn’t surprise you then that plenty of easy desserts can also be made from choux paste. The famous profiteroles, delightful cream puffs, and a lesser known but totally delicious lighter cousin, choux a’la normande (which I have taken the liberty of interpreting into the dessert below), not to mention eclairs!
With cheese puffs, the choux paste dough is savoury, but to accommodate the dessert aspect of the easy desserts we want to make, the dough needs to be sweetened. A simple addition of sugar is all we need. Indeed, if we did not want to stuff the choux pastry, we could simply bake and eat the pastry as a sweet puff cookie of sorts. These would probably qualify as very easy sweet desserts.
The fillings are where the magic happens, but it does not have to be complicated. Fresh whipped cream will do fine. Profiteroles are classically stuffed with ice cream and doused with chocolate. And an apple compote is used to stuff the little choux pastes for choux a’la normande. The apple goes well with a nice caramel sauce instead of chocolate.
Here is how to make the sweet choux paste for these easy desserts. Following this recipe are a few recipes that will make great fillings.
Sweet Choux Pastry for Profiteroles or Cream Puffs
2015-11-18 07:44:32
Yields 24
Sweet puff pastry for easy desserts.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
27g
Yields
24
Amount Per Serving
Calories 57
Calories from Fat 26
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 3g
5%
Saturated Fat 2g
8%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0g
Monounsaturated Fat 1g
Cholesterol 37mg
12%
Sodium 42mg
2%
Total Carbohydrates 6g
2%
Dietary Fiber 0g
1%
Sugars 2g
Protein 2g
Vitamin A
2%
Vitamin C
0%
Calcium
2%
Iron
1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of milk
- 4 tbsp of butter
- 1/4 tsp of salt
- 2 tbsp of sugar
- 1 cup of flour
- 4 eggs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- In a medium pot, add the milk, salt, sugar and butter. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat.
- When the mixture is boiling and the butter is melted, pour in all the flour at once and stir with a wooden spoon. Lower the heat to low. Keep stirring until the mixture comes off the side of the pan and comes together as a dough - about 1 minute. Keep stirring for another minute to cook the floury taste from the dough.
- Turn off the heat.
- Add one egg directly into the pot stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon to incorporate the egg into the dough. After the egg is added, the dough will be clumpy and sticky, but will come back together when the egg is fully incorporated. Repeat this step until all the eggs are incorporated and the dough is a thick paste. A hand mixer can be used to incorporate the eggs instead of a wooden spoon.
- Let the dough cool and transfer it to a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch plain or star piping tip. A plastic bag with a corner cut off and a piping tip inserted can also be used. A tablespoon can also be used to portion the paste instead of a piping bag.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Pipe or spoon tablespoon dollops of the paste onto the parchment paper.
- Bake the puffs in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until they are deep golden brown and have puffed up. They should sound hollow when tapped.
- Serve warm or cut the puffs in half horizontally and fill with a small scoop of ice cream, apple compote or whipped cream.
Notes
- The baked puffs can be frozen in zip bags or other airtight containers after baking. When ready to use the puffs, thaw them and reheat in the oven.
The Culinary Exchange http://www.theculinaryexchange.com/
Whipped Cream
2015-11-19 02:43:12
Easy Whipped Cream!
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
265g
Amount Per Serving
Calories 921
Calories from Fat 774
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 88g
135%
Saturated Fat 55g
274%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g
Monounsaturated Fat 25g
Cholesterol 326mg
109%
Sodium 91mg
4%
Total Carbohydrates 30g
10%
Dietary Fiber 0g
0%
Sugars 23g
Protein 5g
Vitamin A
70%
Vitamin C
2%
Calcium
16%
Iron
1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of heavy whipping cream
- 3 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1 tsp of vanilla
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in a medium bowl and mix until combined.
- Using a whisk or hand mixer, beat the cream mixture until peaks form.
The Culinary Exchange http://www.theculinaryexchange.com/
Salted Caramel Sauce
2015-05-20 05:25:27
Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
15 min
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
430g
Amount Per Serving
Calories 1693
Calories from Fat 893
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 102g
156%
Saturated Fat 64g
319%
Trans Fat 2g
Polyunsaturated Fat 4g
Monounsaturated Fat 28g
Cholesterol 316mg
105%
Sodium 4182mg
174%
Total Carbohydrates 203g
68%
Dietary Fiber 0g
0%
Sugars 200g
Protein 3g
Vitamin A
70%
Vitamin C
1%
Calcium
10%
Iron
1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of sugar
- 2 tablespoons of water
- 5 tablespoons of butter, cut into pieces
- 1/2 cup of heavy cream
- 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of sea salt
Instructions
- Place the sugar and water in a medium, heavy-duty pot. Cook the sugar mixture over high heat, shaking the pan every couple of minutes so the sugar cooks evenly. Cook about 7 minutes, until the sugar mixture turns light to medium brown in color.
- Meanwhile, measure the butter, heavy cream, and sea salt.
- When the sugar has darkened from light-brown to a medium-brown color, carefully add the butter, cream, and salt, stirring as the mixture foams (and it will). Remove the pot from the heat as soon as the butter melts, about 1 minute.
- Transfer the caramel to a heatproof container, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan where all the salt will cluster. Let cool.
- Keep the caramel refrigerated. To use, warm the caramel in the microwave about 30 to 60 seconds.
Adapted from From Knickerbocker Glory: A Chef's Guide to Innovation In The Kitchen and Beyond
The Culinary Exchange http://www.theculinaryexchange.com/
Apple Compote
2015-05-20 05:35:31
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
25 min
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
447g
Amount Per Serving
Calories 1011
Calories from Fat 420
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 48g
74%
Saturated Fat 30g
148%
Trans Fat 2g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 12g
Cholesterol 122mg
41%
Sodium 270mg
11%
Total Carbohydrates 153g
51%
Dietary Fiber 12g
50%
Sugars 118g
Protein 4g
Vitamin A
51%
Vitamin C
76%
Calcium
6%
Iron
53%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) of butter
- 2 cups of diced, peeled granny smith apples
- 1/3 cup of sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
- 2 shots of Applejack or Calvados (optional)
Instructions
- In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter.
- Add the apples to the pan. Sauté in the butter until the fruit softens, about 5 minutes.
- Add the sugar, spices, and lemon juice, stirring to combine until the fruit is completely cooked.
- Remove the pan from the stove and add the Applejack or Calvados off the heat (Be careful!!). Place the pan back on the stove over medium-high heat and flambé. It’s very important to be as careful as you can so you don’t burn yourself or the fruit.
- Remove the compote from the heat and let cool.
Notes
- Optionally, you can put all the ingredients in a foil pouch and place them on the grill to cook as you would for grilled vegetables.
Adapted from From Knickerbocker Glory: A Chef's Guide to Innovation In The Kitchen and Beyond
The Culinary Exchange http://www.theculinaryexchange.com/
I hope you enjoy.
Keep Eating! Keep Innovating!
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