CREAM PUFFS, plus their FILLINGS & ICINGS

Submitted by: jej
Last Updated: 7/30/2006

From Luigi Carnacina's Italian Cookbook, "Great Italian Cooking." See the "Cream Puff Tree" recipe for more info on the source.

I. The DOUGH and CREAM PUFFS
A) Cream Puff Dough
B) Custard Cream Puffs
C) Chocolate Cream Puffs
D) Mocha Cream Puffs
E) Whipped-Cream Filled Cream Puffs
F) Zabaglione Cream Puffs

II. The FILLINGS and ICINGS
A) Pastry Cream
B) Cold Zabaglione
C) Chocolate Icing
D) Fondant Icing

III. The CAKE and GARNISHES for CROQUEMBOUCHE
A) Genoise Base for Petits Fours
B) Glaceed Strawberries

I. The DOUGH and CREAM PUFFS

A) CREAM PUFF DOUGH (pasta per choux fine)
1 cup cold water
1/2 cup butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
optional: 1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
4 eggs

Place the water, butter, salt, and optional sugar in a heavy saucepan and bring to a rapid boil over high heat. When the butter has melted remove the pan from the fire and dump in the flour, all at once. Stir briskly with a wooden spoon until the flour has been thoroughly incorporated and return the pan to the stove, reducing the heat to very low, and continue stirring until the mixture forms a ball and leaves the sides and bottom of the pan.

Remove the pan from the stove, let it cool for 5 minutes, and then add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating vigorously after each addition (an electric mixer is a help here). After the last egg has been added, beat the mixture until it becomes smooth and glossy. When this has been accomplished, the dough is now ready for a variety of uses: cream puffs, ?clairs, etc.

SHAPING AND BAKING:

The dough may be placed in a large pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip, or dropped by spoonful onto a lightly greased baking sheet. The dough expands to twice its size when baked, so this should be your guide when spacing the puffs on the baking sheet.

Place in a 425-degree oven for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 300 degrees and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes. They should be well puffed by now and no traces of moisture should be left on the surfaces. One may make a test at this point by cutting one open and seeing if the inside is dryish. It will not be totally dry, however.

Remove the puffs from the oven, cut a slit in the side of each, and allow them to cool thoroughly on a cake rack. Do not cover them while the least bit warm, as this will make them soggy. Also, do not fill until just before serving. Makes 12 large puffs or 24 small ones.

NOTE: Care should be taken that the oven is not too hot, for then the dough will rise too rapidly and subsequently collapse. If the puffs are large, split them open, scrape out any moist parts clinging to the insides, and dry them in a 350-degree oven for 10 minutes. Never fill a hot puff with a cold mixture and vice versa. Baked puffs may also be frozen, unfilled.

B) CUSTARD CREAM PUFFS (choux alla crema vanigliata) 24 small or 12 medium puffs.

1 recipe Cream Puff Dough flavored with 1 T. orange flower water
1 recipe Pastry Cream
3 T. unblanched almonds, sliced paper thin (See Note A below)
3 T. vanilla confectioners? sugar (See Note B below)

Prepare the dough as indicated, adding the orange flower water just before the flour is dumped in.

Lightly butter a large baking sheet, place the dough in a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip (or just use the nozzle of the bag) and pipe on 12 medium balls of dough or 24 small ones. Bake as directed.

Before cooling, pierce the bottoms with the tip of a small sharp knife. When cool, place the pastry cream in a pastry bag fitted with a medium plain tip, and fill each puff with the cream.

Mix the almonds and sugar together and dust the surface of each puff with the mixture.

Note A:

SHREDDED, SLIVERED, OR SLICED ALMONDS (Mandorle sfilettate)

1/2 pound freshly blanched almonds
1 quart boiling lightly salted water

Place the freshly blanched almonds in the boiling water and cook them for 10 minutes.
Remove pan from stove and leave the almonds in it until the water is cool. Take them out, a few at a time, and with a very sharp paring knife cut them in thin slices, lengthwise slivers, or then shreds. Place these in a single layer in a baking pan and dry them out in a 200-degree oven for 1 hour, turning from time to time with a spatula. They should not brown. If they do, lower the oven to 150. When dry, spread them out on paper towels to cool, and when totally cool store in tightly covered jars, which may be kept in the refrigerator if the weather is warm. Makes about 2 cups.

Note B: VANILLA SUGAR (Zucchero vanigliato)

Vanilla sugar provides a more concentrated and fresher vanilla flavor in desserts than vanilla extract. It keeps for a long time, in fact, the longer the better. The vanilla beans will have to be replaced after about 6 months.

2 pounds sugar
2 vanilla beans, split and cut in 1-inch lengths

Mix sugar and vanilla beans together. Pour into a jar with a tight-fitting cover and let stand for 3 days before using. As sugar is used, replace it with fresh sugar, mixing it with the sugar remaining in the jar. Store in a dry place.

Confectioners? Vanilla Sugar: Use sifted confectioners? sugar.

Superfine Vanilla Sugar. Use superfine sugar.

C) CHOCOLATE CREAM PUFFS (choux alla crema al chioccolato) (24 or 12, as above)

1 recipe Cream Puff Dough
1 recipe Pastry Cream, flavored with 2 squares melted bitter chocolate
1/2 cup Chocolate Fondant Icing (See Fondant Icing)

Prepare and bake puffs as indicated.
When filled, glaze the top of each puff with a little of the fondant icing.

D) MOCHA CREAM PUFFS (24 or 12, as above)

1 recipe Cream Puff Dough
1 recipe Pastry Cream
2 T. powdered instant coffee (or 1/4 cup triple-strength brewed coffee), 1 T. cocoa, and 2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup Fondant Icing

Prepare and bake puffs as indicated.
When filled, glaze the top of each puff with a little of the Fondant Icing.

E) WHIPPED-CREAM-FILLED CREAM PUFFS

1 recipe Cream Puff Dough
2 cups heavy cream
6 T. vanilla superfine sugar (See Custard Cream Puffs, Note B.) OR 6 T. superfine sugar and 2 tsp. vanilla extract
Confectioners? sugar, sifted

Prepare and bake puffs as indicated.
When cool, fill with the following: Whip the cream in well-chilled bowl until it is thick. Beat in the vanilla-flavored sugar OR the superfine sugar and vanilla extract.
Fill as indicated in Cream Puff Dough recipe, and dust the top of each puff with the confectioners? sugar.

F) ZABAGLIONE CREAM PUFFS (Choux allo zabaione) (24 or 12, as above)

Recipe Cream Puff Dough
1 recipe Cold Zabaglione
1/2 recipe Fondant Icing

Prepare and fill as indicated in Cream Puff Dough recipe.
When filled, glaze the top of each puff with the white fondant.

II. The FILLINGS and ICINGS

A) PASTRY CREAM

3/4 cup superfine sugar
6 or 7 egg yolks
1/3 cup sifted flour
Pinch salt
2-inch piece vanilla bean OR 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups milk, scalded

Beat the sugar with the yolks until pale and fluffy. Slowly add the flour and then the salt.
Scald the milk with the vanilla bean, and stir into the egg mixture. Pour into a heavy saucepan.

Place saucepan over low heat, and stir constantly with a wire whisk until thick and lumpy. Remove from stove, discard vanilla bean, and whip vigorously with whisk (do NOT use a rotary or electric beater, as it will ?break down? the flour and thin the mixture) until smooth.

Return to stove and stir constantly with whisk, scraping bottom often to prevent scorching, until it begins to bubble slowly. Turn down heat as low as possible, and continue beating and stirring for 3 more minutes.

Remove from stove (beat in vanilla extract at this point, if vanilla bean was not used) and pour into a bowl. Cover with plastic self-adhesive (this prevents a crust from forming). Chill in refrigerator until cold and stiff.

B) COLD ZABAGLIONE (Zabaione ghiacciato al Marsala) (Serves 8)

Since regular Zagalione will not stand without separating, this is an excellent recipe for those who wish for the taste and texture of Zabaglione but desire a cold dessert. It makes an excellent filling for small cream puffs or ?clairs, and might even be used to fill a cake.

7 egg yolks
3/4 cup superfine sugar
1 cup sweet Marsala wine
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Grated peel of 1/2 lemon (no white part)
Pinch cinnamon
1 cup heavy cream, whipped

Place the first 3 ingredients in the top of a double boiler (it should be a round-bottomed container, but if non is available, use a heat-proof bowl that will fit into the top of a pot) and place over hot (not boiling) water. The bottom of the container holding the eggs should never touch the water. Beat with a wire whisk, scraping the sides and bottom, constantly until the mixture begins to foam up.

Gradually add the Marsala in a steady trickle. Continue beating until the mixture forms very soft mounds (as opposed to soft peaks in a meringue). Remove it immediately from the stove and continue beating until cool. Here an electric beater may be used, although a whisk must be used in the basic preparation, since it is far more efficient in scraping the sides and bottom of the pan, and incorporates much more air into the preparation.

When cooled to room temperature, add the vanilla, lemon peel, and cinnamon. Place the bowl in a larger bowl filed with cracked ice, and continue beating until the mixture is chilled through. Beat the cream in a chilled bowl until stiff and fold it into the ice-cold Zabaglione. Pour into tall glasses (or into a glass serving bowl) and chill until ready to serve.

C) CHOCOLATE ICING (Ghiaccia al cioccolato)

4 squares bitter chocolate, grated
1/3 cup heavy cream
4 cups (more or less) sifted confectioners? sugar
Pinch salt
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Place the grated chocolate and cream in a small bowl. Place over boiling water until chocolate has melted. Mix well until blended.

Place 3 cups of the sugar and the pinch salt in a large bowl and gradually add the melted chocolate. Beat until blended. If too thin to spread, add more sugar; if too thick, add warm cream by the teaspoonful until desired consistency is reached. Beat in vanilla.

Spread at once with a spatula dipped from time to time in hot water.
Makes enough to fill and ice 2 8-inch layers.

D) FONDANT ICING (Ghiaccia al fondante)

2 cups superfine sugar
2/3 cup warm water
Pinch cream of tartar (or 1 T. white corn syrup)

1) Mix all ingredients together and stir for at least 10 minutes until the sugar dissolves (or place in blender and whirl at high speed for 2 minutes). This MUST be done previous to cooking, as the syrup must never be stirred once it is placed on the stove?if it is stirred at that point, the sugar will crystallize and the fondant will be impossible to make.

2) When the sugar is dissolved, place it in a small, heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over moderate heat. When it comes to a boil, cover the pan to allow the steam to wash down any sugar crystals clinging to its sides. Remove cover after 2 minutes and continue cooking until syrup reaches the soft ball stage (238 F. on the candy thermometer).

3) Pour it out immediately onto a lightly oiled marble slab or a large platter. Let it cool until it is cool to the touch and does not stick to the fingers. Then take a spatula and knead the paste over onto itself until it turns opaque white (this takes about 3 minutes). Gather the mass into your hands and knead it until it becomes white and creamy (it must be done in the hands as body heat is vital here).

4) Shape it into a roll or ball and place it in a jar with a screw top. Cover tightly and allow it to ripen in the refrigerator for 2 days before using.

5) TO USE AS ICING, treat it as follows: take the amount needed and place it in a small, heavy enamel saucepan. Place the pan on an asbestos pad over medium heat and thin the fondant with a little boiling milk or water to the proportion of about 1 or 2 drops to 1/2 cup fondant. Remove from stove and stir until lukewarm. If still too thick, add a few more drops of hot liquid. Flavor and color as follows:

CHOCOLATE Fondant: 1 T. grated bitter chocolate added to fondant while melting; add no liquid.

COFFEE Fondant: Use strong coffee in place of milk or water in thinning fondant.

GREEN (Pistachio) Fondant: 2 drops green vegetable color and 1/2 tsp. almond extract.

PINK Fondant: 1 or 2 drops red vegetable color and 1/2 tsp. almond extract.

LEMON (Yellow) Fondant: 1 or 2 drops yellow food coloring and 1/2 tsp. lemon extract.

ORANGE (Fondant: 1/2 drop yellow food coloring and 1/2 drop red food coloring, plus 1/2 tsp. orange extract or 1 tsp. orange flower water.

The color choices are unlimited. Liqueurs of your choice may be used as flavoring. Do not, however, over-flavor or over-color. Deep blue might have a distressing effect, not because of its taste, but because of its psychological effects. The same applies to any color not pastel in shade. The amounts given above are for 1/2 cup fondant and 1 tsp. (or more) hot liquid.

WARNING: Do not overheat fondant or it will lose its gloss. Do not add cold liquid to the fondant or it might revert to clear sugar syrup.

III. The CAKE and GARNISHES for CROQUEMBOUCHE

A) GENOISE BASE for PETITS FOURS (Pasta genovese per biscotti e per petits fours)

This is the classic base. It is very delicate, and the butter lends it added richness.

8 eggs
1 cup superfine sugar
Pinch salt
1-1/2 cups triple-sifted cake flour
3/4 cup lukewarm Clarified Butter (See Note A, below)
1 tsp. vanilla (or other) extract

Put the eggs, sugar, and salt into a large, deep bowl (preferably of unlined copper), and place the bowl over hot (not boiling) water. Beat with a wire whisk until pale and lemon colored and greatly increased in volume. When the batter falls from the beater in a slowly dissolving ribbon, remove from heat. Continue beating until the mixture is cool.

Gradually stir in the flour (do not beat, but stir, blending it in well) and finally stir in the clarified butter gradually, a tablespoon at a time, mixing only until no trace remains. Flavor as desired.

Butter a baking pan of the size most suitable (See Note B, below), line it with wax paper, butter that, and dust with flour, tapping out the excess. Pour in batter and bake in a 350-degree oven for 35 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean. Turn out onto a cake rack, carefully peel off paper, and use as desired.

NOTE A: CLARIFIED BUTTER (Burro chiarificato or epurato)

Clarified butter is butter reduced to pure fat, purified of all milky particles and sediment. It is frequently used for saut?ing foods, since the pure fat will not burn as quickly as butter that contains milk solids. It is also used in many delicate cakes and pastries and for greasing cake pans where the milk content of ordinary butter might make dough or batter stick.

Melt any given quantity of sweet butter in a heavy saucepan over very low heat (or in a low ?200 degree?oven) until white foam rises to the top. Skim off the foam and continue cooking until no more foam rises and all particles in the butter sink to the bottom of the pan. Be very careful not to allow the butter to color too much, especially when using for cakes or pastries, as it will acquire a nutty flavor. Pour off the clear, purified butter from the top into a container or remove it with a bulb-baster. The residue may be used as a final enrichment for sauces and soups. Both may be stored for as long as a week in the refrigerator or kept frozen for several weeks.

Clarified butter may be used as is, or with the addition of lemon juice, salt, and pepper, as a simple sauce for a wide variety of vegetables.

NOTE B: PAN SIZES:

A 9- by 12-inch baking tin is suggested for single layer petit fours.
A 10- by 14-inch pan is used for making petit fours in 2 layers.
For a thinner cake, a wider pan may be used.

(No further suggestions are given. I don?t know what kind of ?rise? this recipe produces, but I?d be inclined to do a ?trial run? first, using the size round baking pan needed for the height of ?cream puff tree? I wanted to make. I?d use two round pans, at least, or maybe consider dividing the ingredients by two, to make only a half recipe, still aware that I don?t know how high the cake will rise. Hope this helps.)

B) GLACEED STRAWBERRIES (Fragole caramellate)

3 dozen extra-large, perfect strawberries (wit long stems attached, if possible)
3 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 T. white corn syrup

Place the sugar, water, and corn syrup in a small, deep, heavy saucepan. Place over medium heat and stir until sugar is dissolved. Allow to cook until it almost reaches the caramel stage (290 degrees on candy thermometer), turn off the heat, and place the pan in a larger pan filled with boiling water. (This arrests the cooking process, yet keeps the syrup to and liquid.)

Dip the berries, holding them by their stems. Serve as soon as coating is cool.

Note: Ordinary strawberries, hulled, may be dipped into the syrup with tongs.