Choux Paste

by Eddy Van Damme on March 15, 2010

Making choux paste or Pate a choux is not particularly difficult, but it can be frustrating if you end up with big cracks on the surface of the éclairs or other products. I have spent a lot of time on researching and perfecting choux paste and I hope that this article will help, if you too, like to see smoother surfaced éclairs.

For years I would bake the éclairs at a high temperature, (Above 400°F – 200°C) it was what I was taught and it made perfect sense to me at the time. It made the choux paste expand very well and consequently made a large enough inner space for any type of filling. However, the other consequence was the irregular surface, the cracks, which makes it difficult to glaze the éclairs or other choux paste attractively.

To control the cracking, it is important to use the right flour or flour blend.  I have used bread flour, with lower gluten (protein) content with good results, but mixing part bread flour and part pastry flour is very good. Certainly many chefs use all purpose flour. The reasoning for using flour with slightly higher gluten content is to permit more eggs into the paste. More eggs allow good expansion in the oven at lower oven temperatures. Lower oven temperatures help in the reduction of cracking.

Another important factor is the baking process. When baking choux paste products, try to fill the oven quite full (A filled up oven creates more moisture in the oven) and leave the steam escape closed. The initial built up of steam will help with the expansion and reduce cracking as well. Once the products have reached their full size, slightly open the door for steam to escape and allow the choux paste products to dry properly.

Piping your products evenly spaced makes a difference as well and examine which oven temperatures work best for you. Smaller piped items need a lower oven temperature or you will end up with a cracked surface.

Not all flour mills have the identical amount of gluten in their specific bread or pastry flour, so you may have to experiment which flour or blend works best for you.  I suggest to make small changes at a time and observe the results.

Choux paste – Éclair Paste – La Pate a Choux

Yield: All or part of this batter can be frozen and baked at a later time. The recipe can be cut in half for home use.

1 Cup (8 oz) Milk 240 g
1 Cup (8 oz) Water 240 g
2 teaspoon (1/3 oz) Salt 10 g
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp (2/3 oz) Extra fine granulated sugar 20 g
2 sticks (8 oz) Unsalted butter, cubed 240 g
2 Cups (9 oz) 50% bread + 50% pastry flour 270 g
2 Cups (16 oz) Eggs, loosely beaten 480 g
  1. In a saucepan bring to a boil the water, milk, sugar, salt and butter.
  2. Remove from heat and immediately add the sifted flour. Stir well until combined. Return to heat and stir until the dough releases from the sides and bottom.
  3. Place the mixture into a bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, on medium speed gradually add the eggs, one at a time, scraping the bowl often. Once 14 oz (420 g) of the eggs are added examine the batter, it should be smooth and have a light sheen. It should be firm enough to hold it’s shape when piped. Add the remaining egg if needed.
  4. Pipe the batter using a large plain tip on parchment lined sheet pans. Brush with egg wash lightly if desired. Place in the oven at 350F (180C), steam escape closed. When the products are well expanded, open the oven door slightly to let the steam escape. Bake until the products are crisp when pressed on the sides. About 35 minutes for éclairs.
  5. When cool fill with pastry cream of choice and glaze.

Pastry Cream, Vanilla or Pistachio

Flavor the cream by either boiling one plump vanilla bean into the milk mixture or after cooling the cream add natural pistachio flavor of choice.

3 ½ Cups (28 oz) Milk 840 g
½ Cup (4 oz) Whipping cream 120 g
½ Cup (4 oz) Extra fine granulated sugar (a) 120 g
10 (10) Large egg yolks 10 g
6 Tablespoons (3oz) Extra fine granulated sugar (b) 90 g
9 Tablespoons (2.5oz) Cornstarch 75 g
2 Tablespoons (1 oz) Unsalted butter 30 g
  1. In a saucepan bring to a boil the milk, cream and sugar (a) and vanilla bean (If using)
  2. In a separate bowl whisk the egg yolks smooth, add the sugar (b) and whisk quickly and vigorously.  Whisk in the cornstarch.
  3. Add one fifth of the boiling milk into the yolk mixture and whisk. Pour the yolk mixture into the remaining boiling milk and whisk quickly until boiling and is thickened like honey.
  4. Pour into a clean bowl, cover with plastic food wrap (Plastic touching the cream) and set the bowl on ice to chill rapidly.
  5. For pistachio cream add the flavor and if desired also a few tablespoons of Kirsch liquor to enhance the pistachio flavor.  If vanilla pastry cream is made, a few tablespoons of Grand Marnier is also delicious.

{ 8 comments }

Mascarpone Cream Berry Tart

by Eddy Van Damme on March 8, 2010

At times you need desserts which please nearly everyone. When professional pastry chefs make dessert for hundreds of people or a baking enthusiast makes dessert for a party of 10, a dessert is needed which appeals to everyone.

Desserts made with mascarpone cream belong in this class. Nearly everyone likes the sophisticated flavor of mascarpone cheese, making it a perfect choice to use for large groups of people. What is especially nice about mascarpone cream is that it harmonizes excellently with an incredible amount of other flavors. Making it possible for a professional pastry chef to make one batch of mascarpone cream and turn it into a variety of desserts. The baking enthusiast at home can make desserts in a glass by filling verrines (glasses) with mascarpone cream and finish some with one type of coulis and fruit and some with a complete different flavor profile.

For this tart I ordinarily use a hazelnut crust, since I especially like the buttery flavor of the nuts paired with the mascarpone cheese. For some applications I like to add liquors or certain essence to the mascarpone cream to highlight other components in the dessert. However, for this tart, I made the cream aux naturel. The ganache however is complimented with a little cassis or black current liqueur.

Getting it all together!

The hazelnut tart dough can be made weeks in advance if frozen. Defrost the dough overnight in a refrigerator and bake as required. The dough makes double of what you need for one tart, divide the dough in half and prepare one tart ring. Roll the remaining dough about 3 credit cards thick and cut in circles. When baked fill with ganache, lemon curd, crystallized chocolate….The mascarpone cream can be made a week in advance as well and kept in the freezer. Fill one mousse ring with a dimension smaller than the tart ring with the mascarpone cream, about one third full. Fill the rest of the cream in small silicone domes for a decorative element on the surface of the tart. Remove both from the freezer once the tart shell is baked and cooled.

For the red effect, spray the tart with red tinted cocoa butter or use a sieve filled with dehydrated raspberry powder.

Hazelnut tart dough

Yield: Hazelnut tart dough for 2- 8 inch (20 cm) tarts

2 sticks (8 oz) Unsalted butter                , soft 240 g
1 Cup (4 oz) Powdered sugar 120 g
1 (1) Large egg 1
½ teaspoon ( ½ tsp) Salt 2.5 g
1 teaspoon (1 tsp) Vanilla extract 2.5 ml
1 Cup (4 oz) Hazelnut flour 120 g
2 Cups (9 oz) All purpose –pastry flour 270 g
  1. In a bowl mix the butter until creamy and smooth. Add the powdered sugar and combine well. Scrape the bowl and add the egg, salt and vanilla extract. Mix until thoroughly combined.
  2. Mix in the hazelnut flour. Add all the flour at once and mix until just combined. Do not overmix.
  3. Chill the dough until firm. About 30 minutes in the freezer or chill overnight in the refrigerator.
  4. Roll the dough on a floured surface about 3 credit cards thick.
  5. Line the tart ring. Prick the dough with a fork and place in a 375°F (180°C) oven. After a few minutes check the tart, if bubbles develop prick the dough. Bake until golden brown. About 15 minutes and let cool.

Ganache with cassis liquor

¼ cup (2 oz) Heavy cream 60 g
1 Tbsp ( ½ oz) Invert sugar 15 g
3 oz (3 oz) 52-54% chocolate, chopped 90 g
1 Tbsp (.5 oz) Cassis liquor 15 g
  1. In a saucepan bring the heavy cream and invert sugar to a boil.
  2. Place the chocolate in a bowl and add the boiled cream in 5 increments. Stir with a spatula. Add the liquor.

Mascarpone cream

2 (2) Gelatin leaves 2
¾ Cup (6 oz) Whipping cream (34-36 %fat) 180 g
4 (4) Large egg yolks 4
¼ Cup (2 oz) Water 60 g
6 Tablespoons (3 oz) Extra fine granulated sugar 90 g
8 oz (8 oz) Mascarpone cheese 240 g
  1. Place the gelatin leaves in very cold water and set aside.
  2. In a cold bowl whisk the whipping cream to very soft ribbon consistency. Absolutely do not whip to a peak! Set aside.
  3. Fill a saucepan with a small amount of water and bring to a boil and then turn to a low simmer.  In a bowl whisk together the egg yolks and measured water. Add the sugar and whisk well. Place the bowl over the simmering water and whisk constantly until the yolk mixture reaches at least 165°F (74°C). Remove from heat.
  4. Remove the gelatin leaves from the water and squeeze well to remove excess water. Whisk the gelatin into the yolk mixture. Add the mascarpone cheese and vanilla extract and whisk smooth.
  5. Add the soft whipped heavy cream and gently fold into the above using a spatula. Fill into an oiled and sugared ring mold immediately, about one third to half full. Use the remaining cream for small silicone domes.

{ 10 comments }

Black Currant Danish

by Eddy Van Damme on March 1, 2010

Black currant Danish

If I had to name the five most delicious fruit flavors on earth, black currant would without a doubt, be on my list. It’s hard to imagine a flavor more majestic than black currant or cassis. Its mouth watering sweet –tart flavor with hints of violet and its royal color make it an absolute favorite of mine. Add to this it’s amazingly high content of important antioxidants and vitamins and it’s clear to see that black currants are an all around winner.

I have always liked the combination of black currant and almond in desserts and for a while I have been toying how to successfully incorporate black currant into a breakfast item. After several attempts I have finally achieved what I have envisioned, a black currant flavored almond cream, spiraled up in a flakey buttery Danish.  To accentuate the black currant flavor even more, I made a black currant glaze which turns a noble amethyst purple. I bet you know exactly what I would be serving for breakfast, if Price stayed the night at our house….

For the Danish featured on the photo I have used my standard Croissant recipe with proper resting periods. Pretty soon I will publish a full article on croissant making.

When selecting almond paste make sure it contains enough almonds-fruit. The recipe below is based on almond paste containing 63% almonds. If using a higher sugar containing product, reduce the sugar in the recipe.

Black currant Frangipane

1 lb (1 lb) Almond paste (63% almonds) 480 g
½ Cup (4 oz) Extra fine granulated sugar 120 g
1 Stick (4 oz) Unsalted butter 120 g
5 (5) Large Eggs 5
½ Cup minus 1 Tbsp (2 oz) Pastry or cake flour, sifted 60 g
1 Cup (8 oz) Black currant (Cassis) puree 240 g

To avoid stubborn almond paste lumps, follow the directions closely.

  1. In a mixing bowl fitted with a paddle attachment mix the almond paste and sugar for several minutes.
  2. Add a small amount of butter and mix until the mixture becomes smooth. Gradually add the remaining butter waiting for previous added amount to be fully incorporated.
  3. Add eggs one at a time waiting for previous added amount o be incorporated. On low speed incorporate the flour.
  4. Remove from machine and stir in the black currant puree.

Black currant glaze

¼ Cup (2 oz) Black currant puree 60 g
1 ½ Cup (6 oz) Powdered sugar (Confectioners) 180 g
2 Teaspoon (2 tsp) Black currant-cassis liquor (optional) 10 g
  1. Using a whisk, whisk the ingredients smooth.

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Dark Chocolate mousse

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Both types of above mentioned macaroons are made primarily from almonds, sugar and egg whites, however, they do differ a lot in flavor [...]

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