Pâte à Choux

Pâte à choux dough is a very easy and fun to make dough that can be piped and baked into cream puffs (as my pictures display), eclairs or even paris-brest.  They are best filled with pastry cream, custard, chiboust cream... or even just sweetened whipped cream if you are short on time like me. :)

Recipe:

8 oz. Milk (1 cup)

8 oz. Water (1 cup)

Pinch of Salt

8 oz. Butter, cubed (1 cup- 2 sticks)

12 oz. Bread flour

1 lb. Eggs

Bring the milk, water, salt and butter to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Once the butter is melted add the flour all at once and vigorously stir and break up all the flour chunks in the mass of dough as it cooks. Once the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan (about 3 minutes) turn off the heat. 

Transfer dough to your mixer. With the paddle attachment mix the dough for a few minutes to cool it down. Add the eggs, 2 at a time, and beat them until smooth before adding each addition. 

Scoop dough into your pastry bag (outfitted with a tip that has a large opening). Line a few baking sheets with parchment paper. Pipe the dough into cookie dough sized balls for cream puffs, thick lines for eclairs and thick rings for paris-brest. 

Bake at 400º F until golden brown- about 15-20 minutes depending on your oven and how many pans you have in at the same time. 

Cool completely before filling with cream of your choice. 

Baked cream puffs before filling

I used a pastry bag with a large tip to fill the cream puffs. I pushed the tip into a weak spot on the side of the cream puff and I gently filled until cream started to pop out of the opening

You can dip tops in chocolate, drizzle some on the tops, or leave them plain if you prefer 

Chocolate Ganache and Caramel Macadamia Nut Tart

This delicious beauty is easier then you think. I know it looks fancy. And, that's half the point, right? ;) But, coming from a crazy person who is always frantically throwing something together last minute... you can trust me when I say that it really isn't as complicated as it looks.

Recipe:

Tart dough-
7 oz. All purpose flour
1/2 oz. Cocoa powder
4.5 oz. Butter, softened
2.5 oz. Granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. Vanilla extract
1 Egg, room temperature

Sift together flour and cocoa powder. Cream the butter and sugar until smooth and light in color, scraping down the bowl periodically. Combine vanilla and egg separately and add gradually until fully incorporated. Add the dry ingredients all at once and mix just until blended. Do not overmix. Wrap dough tightly in seran wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Roll dough out onto light floured surface into a large enough circle to line tart pan. Lay over pan and press lightly into the bottom and into all the creases along the sides. Using a knife gently trim and scrape excess dough along the top edge of the tart pan.

Line the shell with parchment paper and fill the bottom with a single layer of beans or pie weights. Bake at 375ºF for about 15 minutes until lightly golden brown. Remove beans and parchment and continue to bake another 5-10 minutes until no longer shiny and baked all the way through. Cool completely.

Ganache-
2 oz. Bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
3 oz. Heavy cream

Place chopped chocolate in a bowl. Heat cream in a heavy bottom sauce pan and bring to a simmer. Pour the cream over the chocolate. Allow to stand for 5 minutes before stirring. Then stir gently until all chocolate is melted and smooth. Cool while you make caramel.

Caramel-
4 oz. Granulated sugar
4 oz. Heavy cream, hot
1 oz. Butter

2 oz. Macadamia nuts, lightly toasted

Heat a heavy bottom pan. Add sugar in very small increments, stirring frequently and making sure the sugar is completely melted before adding more. Cook mixture to a golden caramel color. Remove the pan from the heat and slowly stir in the hot cream. Then stir in the butter. Cool slightly.

Assembling:

Pour half of the caramel into the tart shell and spread it evenly over the bottom. Scatter half of the macadamia nuts over the caramel. Pour all of the ganache over the caramel and nuts and spread evenly. Freeze the tart for 1 hour.

Pour the remaining caramel onto the center of the tart and spread evenly over the ganache. Garnish the tart with the rest of the macadamia nuts and whipped cream. Refrigerate until fully chilled.

Cranberry Walnut Scones with Sweet Lemon Glaze

Recipe:

Scones:

All Purpose Flour- 13.5 oz.

Sugar- 2.4 oz.

Baking Powder- 1 oz.

Salt- 0.2 oz.

Cold, Unsalted Butter- 3.2 oz.

Currants or Craisins- 2.5 oz.

Walnuts, chopped- 2.5 oz.

Heavy Cream- 13 oz.

Glaze:

Butter, melted- 2 oz. (1/4 cup)

Powdered Sugar- 1 cup

Lemon Juice- 1 T. or more according to taste and desired consistency.

Sift dry ingredients together onto counter.

Cut cold butter into dry ingredients until butter is pea-sized.

Stir in the craisins and walnuts

Make a large well with dry ingredients and pour cream into center. Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients as you gently stir by hand in a circular motion. Be careful not to take too much from sides at a time or cream might spill out of well. Continue stirring by hand until all dry ingredients are mixed in. Fold mixture a few times.

Press the mixture into a small sheet pan (or fill half of a large sheet pan). Chill in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight if making a day ahead.

Cut into even squares and then into triangles. Place onto parchment lined baking sheets. Brush tops with egg wash (egg whites whisked with a little water).

Bake at 350ºF for 15-20 minutes. While scones are baking make the glaze by combining melted butter with powdered sugar. Add lemon juice until the glaze is thin enough to spread but not runny. Glaze scones while still warm.

Cajun Red Beans and Coconut Rice

Living on a strict budget can be so hard!! So, to save money I try to cook with simple (and cheap) ingredients and avoid using meat a few nights a week. The perfect way to do this? Beans and rice.

For anyone who has lived abroad.... you know that beans and rice are a staple for a lot of countries. Because of that I got really used to eating beans and rice and now it's one of my family's favorite things to eat. But, beans and rice can get super boring if you don't switch it up. That's why I came up with this recipe. It's still made up of inexpensive ingredients but it tastes delicious! My husband and I joke about it being a meal for poor people with sophisticated palettes. haha! And, that's just what it is.

Recipe:

Cajun beans:
2 cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
3 cups water
1 T. chicken bouillon
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/2 t. cumin
1/2 t. coriander
1/2 t. oregano
1/2 t. paprika
1 t. cajun seasoning
dash cinnamon

*adjust all spices according to preference and taste.

Combine all ingredients in saucepan. Bring to a boil. Turn heat to low and cover with lid. Simmer for 20-30 minutes. Use a potato masher or fork to mash beans against the bottom and sides of pan. Mash about 90% of beans. Add more water if beans are too thick or mash more if too thin.

Coconut rice:
1 1/2 cups white rice
1 1/2 cups water
1 (14 oz.) can coconut milk
1 t. salt
1 t. white vinegar
3 t. sugar
dash of pepper

Combine all ingredients in large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cover with lid and turn heat down to very low setting. Allow to cook for about 20 minutes. Turn off heat and let rice rest (still covered) for 5 minutes.

Serve large scoop of coconut rice with a bowl of cajun beans.

Classic Cinnamon Rolls

Classic. Cinnamon-y. Frosted to perfection.

These cinnamon rolls don't get any better. I've made cinnamon rolls, orange rolls, raspberry rolls, etc. and always liked them. But, never really LOVED them the way I love these. I finally came up with a great recipe that includes aspects of all the others... creating the PERFECT cinnamon rolls! Mmmm...

Recipe:

Dough:

1 cup milk

4 T. shortening

3 1/2 cups sifted flour

2 1/4 tsp. instant yeast

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 egg at room temperature

Place milk and shortening in a microwave safe bowl and microwave until shortening is mostly melted. Stir and set in the refrigerator to cool it down. 

Mix 2 cups flour, yeast, sugar and salt together in a large mixing bowl. When milk/shortening mixture has cooled down to about 105ºF (still really warm but not hot enough to kill the yeast) add it to the flour mixture. Add egg. Stir until well combined (about 1 minute) and scrape sides periodically.

Switch to the dough hook on your mixer. Add remaining 1 1/2 cups flour and mix. The dough should be soft but still a little sticky. Run mixer on medium speed for 5 minutes. Allow dough to rest while you prepare cinnamon filling.

Filling:

1/2 cup softened, unsalted butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp. cinnamon

Combine cinnamon and sugar. Mix with softened butter.

Roll dough out into a large rectangle shape of about 12in. x 14in. Spread cinnamon sugar filling on top of rectangle. Roll long side all the way up. Use a piece of dental floss to mark the roll into 12 even pieces. Then slide the dental floss under the roll, bring both ends together on top of roll, cross ends and pull until the floss cuts all the way through the roll. 

Place each piece in a greased 9x13 glass pan. Cover with clean kitchen towel and place on top of your preheating oven. Allow rolls to rise for about 30 minutes or until they have risen enough to fill up the whole pan. 

Bake at 350ºF for 20 minutes or until lightly golden brown on tops. 

Frosting:

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Combine ingredients to make a frosting. Add a little milk if necessary to make the frosting thin enough to spread over warm rolls. Cool in the refrigerator while rolls are baking. When rolls are done baking spread frosting on top. 

BEST EVER Chicken Potpie

Flaky pie crust. Warm, creamy filling packed with moist chicken and perfectly cooked veggies. Once you try this potpie you will never go back to your old recipe or, heaven forbid... your frozen potpie from the grocery store!

This recipe is originally from my fabulous mother-in-law who taught me so much about cooking when I first married into her family. I don't know if I would have grown to love cooking as much as I have without her. She got me into making homemade bread every week, keeping fresh baked cookies on the table as often as possible and taught me how to make fast, delicious dinners with really basic ingredients. I owe so much to her.

Anyway, her Chicken Potpie recipe is just about the best comfort food in my book. I love it. I've made a few alterations to this flaky, flavorful potpie and it turns out every single time.

I cut mine open too soon. If you let the pie rest for 10 minutes before cutting the filling will be thicker.

My boys were too hungry to let it rest. :)

Recipe:

Filling:
2 cups cooked chicken
2 cups cooked vegetables (carrots, potatoes, peas, etc.
2 T. butter
2 1/2 T. flour
2 cups milk
2 tsp. chicken bouillon

1 tsp. salt

dash pepper

dash dried sage

Melt butter in saucepan. Add flour and whisk. Whisk in milk until smooth. Add bouillon, salt, pepper and sage. Turn heat to medium and continue stirring until thickened- about 10 minutes or so. Turn off heat. Add cooked chicken and vegetables. Set aside until pie shell is ready to be filled. 

Pie Shell:

2 cups sifted flour

1 1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 cup shortening

1/3 cup ice water

Combine flour and salt. Cut in the shortening with pastry cutter or a large fork. Add ice water. Mix until barely incorporated. DO NOT over mix or pastry will end up being tough. Separate dough in half.

Lightly flour countertop. Take each half and roll out until circle is about 1 inch larger then your pie pan. Place first half in pie pan. Pour filling inside. Place second round on top. Tuck edges under the first round and gently pinch together to seal it shut. Cut two slits in the top of the unbaked pie to allow steam to release during baking.

Bake at 425ºF for 25 minutes or until the center is no longer shiny and the edges are golden brown. Allow pie to rest for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Harlequin Pinwheel Cookies

These are my husband's all time favorite cookies! They are crispy but also fudge-y with a bit of crunch from the walnuts and not too sweet (so you can eat lots of them!).

Maybe I shouldn't even talk about them because I can't give out the recipe. Yes. That's right. I'm terribly sorry. But, this recipe is so good that it is a family secret. My in-laws were gracious enough to let me have it but I'm sworn to secrecy and not allowed to share it.

HOWEVER... I can share with you a few links to similar cookie recipes that I found online. So, if you are feeling adventurous and want to try something a little fancier than your average cookie recipe then try one of these delicious recipes:

Classic Chocolate Pinwheels

Christmas Pinwheels

Patriotic Pinwheels