Sassy Southern Cooking with a French Twist

choux pastry

Easy Bake Creamsicle Cream Puffs For Mother’s Day

Sweet, Nostalgic Treats to Spoil Mom on Her Big Day

With the daily onslaught of National-this and National-that days for everything from hot dogs to pets, it’s easy to get a case of celebration fatigue. Don’t get me wrong, I love hot dogs and pets, but in my book, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are HUGE. After all, we all have one of each, even though some of us never knew them or in an increasing number of cases among my friends, they have passed on.

I’m very lucky, I knew both of my wonderful parents, they’re still living, and I have been blessed to have several “extra” mothers in my lives, mothers of my close friends, who helped me feel safe, loved, and nurtured. And, lucky for me, they all loved to cook and were great at it and sharing their goodness with me and my friends. Two of these dear women, Mrs. Unger and Mrs. Neale, passed in recent weeks. Another, Mrs. Kimmel, likely has, as well, but I long since lost touch with my childhood friend Cathy, to whom she was mother. I wrote about her recently in a piece I have not yet published, and since Mother’s Day is approaching, and since much of this could be said about my own mother and my cherished extra mothers, I’m sharing some of it here:

“Petite, pretty, and just slightly plump, Mrs. Kimmel wore her hair in perfectly coiffed, tumbling curls, like Marilyn Monroe’s in ‘Some Like it Hot,’ and often wore a floral dress that looked like it was cut from the giant magnolia blossoms on 1930’s-era wallpaper. When she was in the kitchen (which seemed like all the time), she wore a frilly, chiffon apron over her dress, tied with a crisp bow around her waist. Like Cathy, she work dark pink cat eye glasses that set off her pale blue eyes and corn silk blonde hair.

Her kitchen, the entire Kimmel household in fact, had a very distinct and persistent aroma that forty years later, I can still remember. It was a cross between maple syrup, browned butter, baking bread, and very, very remotely, moth balls. The source of the latter remains a mystery, but as for the food aromas, that’s a cinch. Mrs. Kimmel, a native of Mobile, AL, excelled in cooking all things Southern.  In her country, New England kitchen, I experienced my first White Lily Flour baked biscuits, slathered with butter. Also, crunchy, black walnut-dusted waffles cooked on a folded-top waffle iron and drizzled with warm sorghum molasses, golden, thick-crusted fried chicken fresh from her ancient cast-iron skillet, and green beans from her garden cooked in a pressure cooker.

She could cook anything, and I loved her and Cathy even more for it. In the cold, snowy New England winters, Mrs. Kimmel mixed clean, country snow with sugar, cream, and vanilla extract and served it in bowls for an after-school snack. It the fall, it was hot chocolate chip cookies fresh from the oven. Late summers were spent canning. Throughout the winter her blackberry jams and bread and butter pickles were staples on her kitchen table, which she lined with a plastic, red and white gingham table cloth, the combination casting a flow of eternal summer and warmth upon the entire space, and my early childhood.”

When I started thinking about a recipe to share for you to consider sharing on Mother’s Day, I thought of cream puffs, made from choux pastry.  Like a good, loving mother, it has sturdy, tough walls, indifferent to spoiled or brat behavior, and a tender, airy, delicate interior, like a kind, maternal heart. Also, you have to beat the heck out of the pastry to get it to react that way once it’s in the oven, not unlike the trials and travails I know me and my siblings railed against my mother, not even knowing we were doing it.  The creamsicle flavors of cream and orange are perfect for spring, and remind me of Mrs. Kimmel’s retro flair and childhood ice cream pops. On a practical note, “choux” is easy to prepare and can be prepped ahead and even frozen (then thawed) before filling. This recipe comes from my cookbook The French Cook – Cream Puffs and Eclairs (Gibbs Smith, 2013).

Creamsicle Cream Puffs from The French Cook – Cream Puffs and Eclairs – are the perfect way to spoil Mom this coming Mother’s Day, or any day. Photograph by Alexandra DeFurio.

Creamsicle Cream Puffs

(Yields 24 to 30 petite cream puffs)

For the choux pastry:

1 cup water

3/4 stick unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/2 cup bread flour

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt

4 large eggs, room temperature, beaten together

Egg wash: 1 egg yolk, splash of water, pinch of salt, blended together

Preheat oven to 425F. Line two half-sheet baking pans with silicon mats or parchment paper. Measure all the ingredients and have them ready before starting to prepare the dough.

In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the water and butter together of medium-high heat, stirring once or twice to help the butter melt. Once melted, reduce the heat to medium.

Sift together the two flours and salt over a medium bowl. Add the sifted dry ingredients all at once to the water mixture, and set the bowl nearby. Stir the dough vigorously with a wooden spoon to bring it together. Continue stirring, less vigorously, until the pastry pulls away from the sides of the pan and forms a uniform ball. Turn the pastry into the reserved bowl and let it sit for about 1 minute. Add half of the remaining egg mixture and continue to stir until the pastry is uniform and glossy, about 1 minute. Repeat with the remaining egg mixture.

While the pastry is still warm, pipe or plop into 1 – 2 inch size balls on the prepared baking sheets, leaving space between them to expand. Brush the top of each pastry with a light coating of egg wash, being careful not to let the egg wash drip down the sides of the pan.

Bake until puffy and golden brown, about twenty five minutes. Do not open the oven door until they’re done or very near done. They should feel light in your palm and sound hollow when done.  Set aside to cool. (Note: Once cool, they can be stored in the freezer for several months in an air-tight container. This makes them perfect for instant entertaining, as well as Mother’s Day. Thaw at room temp before filling).

For the filling:

3 tablespoons fresh orange juice (do not substitute concentrate)

1 cup cold whipping cream

Zest of 1 orange, finely chopped (about 1 teaspoon)

1/4 teaspoon orange extract

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup powdered sugar

Reserved reduced orange juice

For the royal icing:

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon orange extract

2 tablespoons heavy cream

Orange-colored granulated sugar

To prepare the filling, in a small saucepan, reduce the orange juice to 1 teaspoon over high heat, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn out into a small bowl and refrigerate to cool. In a large, cold bowl, combine the remaining filling ingredients, including the cooled teaspoon of orange juice. Using a blender, blend on medium speed until the cream is whipped to firm peaks.

Prepare the royal icing by stirring together the ingredients in a small bowl until smooth and incorporated. To fill the choux, cut each in half horizontally. Plop a heaping teaspoon of the cream filling in the center of each. Replace the respective “caps,” trying not to press down too firmly on the filling. Glaze each lightly with the royal icing using your fingertip or the back of a teaspoon. Top with a pinch of the orange sugar. Freeze for at least 30 minutes to set the cream.

Bon appetit!

Wishing you and your Mother, extra mother, memories and families a beautiful Mother’s Day. This column is dedicated to my mother, Mrs. Neale, Mrs. Unger, and Mrs. Kimmel. God bless you all!

Holly

 

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Cream Puffing Around

Thank you to the fine folks at Grilliant Ideas for inviting me to join their show this morning. We covered cream puffs, profiteroles, French cooking, croissants and more and had a lot of fun in the process. Visit the link below to listen in.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/grilliantideas/2013/10/12/grilliant-ideas-radio-show-with-grilliants-foodie-friends

One of the co-hosts was particularly fond of the recipe for Salted Caramel Macadamia Ice Cream Profiteroles with Warm Caramel Sauce and this picture by Alexandra DeFurio on page 90 of  The French Cook: Cream Puffs and Eclairs.

Profiterole with Salted Caramel Macadamia Ice Cream and Hot Caramel Sauce. Photo by Alexandra DeFurio.

Profiterole with Salted Caramel Macadamia Ice Cream and Hot Caramel Sauce. Photo by Alexandra DeFurio.

While we’re talking cream puffs and eclairs, mark your calendars for tomorrow’s Second Sunday on King Street (October 13). We’ll be celebrating the recent release of the book in style at the corner of Wentworth and King Street, downtown Charleston from 1 – 5 p.m. Come by and join me to talk choux pastry and receive your own signed copy of the brand new book, as well as my other books.

Look for the bright pink sign! Hope to see you there.

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Pumpkin Pecan Spiced Cream Puffs

These beautiful little cream puffs actually look a bit like pumpkins, are light as air, and practically whisper “autumn” in every bite.

Creamy sweet marscapone, ginger, nutmeg, ginger and a splash of Cognac recall the classic flavors of pumpkin pie with whipped cream on top. The pastry gets a colorful pumpkin flavor glow from the addition of pumpkin puree to classic choux pastry.  And, finely chopped pecans in the filling deliver an unexpected crunch surprise. On top? A fuss-free,  fluttery dusting of powdered sugar and cinnamon.

What’s  not to love? These would make a lovely,  light ending to any meal and are sure to please. Give them a go for Halloween or Thanksgiving or any time simple and delicious sounds just about right.

(Adapted from The French Cook: Cream Puffs and Eclairs, Gibbs Smith, October, 1, 2013, by Holly Herrick)

Pumpkin Pecan Spiced Cream Puffs

(Makes 22 – 24 “petite” cream puffs)

Pumpkin Pecan Spiced Cream Puffs

Pumpkin Pecan Spiced Cream Puffs

Begin by preparing the pastry.

Sweet Pumpkin Choux Pastry

Special Equipment Needed: 2 silicon baking sheets or parchment paper, 2 half-sheet baking pans, one 12” piping bag, #806 round pastry tip, pastry brush.

1 cup water

3/4 stick (3 ounces) unsalted, cold butter cut into 1/2”-cubes

1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon canned pumpkin puree

1/2 cup bread flour

1/2 cup All-Purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

Generous pinch kosher or sea salt

4 room temperature large eggs (about 1 cup), beaten together

Egg wash: 1 egg, splash water and pinch kosher or sea salt, beaten together

Preheat the oven to 425F. Have everything measured and in place in before starting to actually prepare the choux.

In a medium, sturdy sauce pan, melt the water and butter together over medium high heat, stirring once or twice to help the butter melt. Whisk in the pumpkin puree until blended. Reduce the heat to medium. Sift together the bread flour, AP flour, sugar, and salt together over a medium bowl. Add the sifted dry ingredients all at once to the melted water and butter mixture, reserving the bowl nearby. Stir the mixture (roux) vigorously with a wooden spoon to bring the dough together, initially. Continue stirring, less vigorously, until the pastry starts to pull away from the sides of the pan and forms a uniform ball. This should take about 1 – 2 minutes.

Turn the pastry out into the reserved bowl. Allow to sit for about 1 minute, or until the pastry is cool enough to touch comfortably with your finger for at least 15 seconds. Add 1/2 of the beaten eggs (about 1/2 cup) to the pastry. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the pastry looks uniform and glossy, about 1 minute. Add half of the remaining egg mixture (about 1/4 cup) and continue to stir with a wooden spoon until the pastry is uniform and glossy (about 1 minute). Repeat with the remaining egg mixture.

While the pastry is still warm, pipe and bake the pastry using a 1/2″-round tip (#806)  onto a silicon or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Pipe so that the choux puffs are all the same size, about 1 1/1″ wide (round) and about 3/4″ high. Brush the top of each pastry with a light coating of egg wash, being careful not to allow the wash to drip down the sides of the pastry.

Bake the choux puffs for 22 to 25  minutes, or until puffed and golden brown. Turn off the oven, open the door, and let the pastry stand for 5 minutes. Pierce the bottom of each choux gently with the tip of a knife. Allow to cool completely before filling. (Note: The pastry can be prepared ahead and baked several days before filling. Store in the freezer in plastic freezer bags for up to three weeks).

Creamy Spiced Pecan and Mascarpone Filling

1 cup mascarpone cheese (or substitute regular cream cheese), room temperature

1/2 cup cream cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon best-quality vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon Cognac or bourbon

3 tablespoons whipping cream

Pinch kosher or sea salt

1/4 cup finely chopped pecans

Whisk together all of the ingredients, except the pecans,  in a medium bowl until smooth. Fold in the pecans and blend to combine. Reserve cold until ready to use (Note: The filling can be made a day ahead and refrigerated, covered. Sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes before filling the cream puffs).

Putting It Together – Assemblage

If you’re not inclined to fuss with a pastry bag, simply cut each choux puff in half horizontally with a serrated knife. “Plop” a teaspoon of the filling on the bottom half of each puff and cap each with its respective top. Or, fit a clean pastry bag with a clean #806 round pastry bag, and fill the halved choux, piping about 1 teaspoon of the filling into the center of each, and capping each with their respective choux hoods.

Spiced Sugar Garnish

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Place the sugar and the cinnamon in a small sifter. Sprinkle generously over the top of the filled cream puffs.  Serve immediately and watch ’em swoon. These are first-place-delicious-good.

Bon appetit!

 

 

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No Stopping the Versatile Choux Train

I’ve been having fun in my kitchen testing choux recipes for my upcoming book, The French Cook – Eclairs and Cream Puffs (Gibbs Smith, Fall 2013). I’ve just concluded the savory portion of the book and these little choux gnocchi treats were one of my favorites to eat, and so much fun to make.  I shared a taste with my neighbors, inspiring one of their darling young daughters to declare me “a good cooker.” It’s the little things that make one smile. I thought you might enjoy the recipe. Next stop on the choux train: all things sweet and delicious starting with cream puffs.

Herbed Choux Gnocchi with a Saffron & Butter Sauce

(Yields 10 generous appetizer portions, or 4 to 6 entrees)

Infinitely less complicated than traditional gnocchi, piping choux directly into simmering (but not boiling), well salted water yields little logs of tender, gnocchi-like dumplings. They take the time of preparing the choux and just minutes to cook; roughly 20 – 25 minutes. After the choux hits the water, it drops to the bottom and then pops to the top. A few more minutes of fattening and plumping up, they’re ready to drain, toss with seasoned butter and serve. The ease and bubbling drama of the preparation make it perfect for a dinner party or an evening of casual dining with friends or family. Kids will love them! If you’re not a big saffron fan, just take it out of the mix. These need to be served fairly quickly but can stay warm in the cooking water, off the heat, for 15 or 20 minutes.

Herbed Choux Gnocchi with a Saffron Butter Sauce

Herbed Choux Gnocchi with a Saffron Butter Sauce

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the choux gnocchi:

Master Recipe Savory Choux Pastry (with variations)

1 cup water

3/4 stick (3 ounces) unsalted, cold butter cut into 1/2”-cubes

1/2 cup bread flour

1/2 cup All-Purpose flour

3 tablespoons finely ground cornmeal

1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

4 room temperature large eggs (about 1 cup), beaten together

Plus:

1/4 cup fresh chives, finely chopped

1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped

Zest of 1 lemon

Before starting the pastry, have a large pot of well-salted water on a very low simmer. Fit a pastry bag with the #806 round tip and have the ingredients measured and ready to go before preparing the choux.

In a medium, sturdy sauce pan, melt the water and butter together over medium high heat, stirring once or twice to help the butter melt. Once melted, reduce the heat to medium. Sift together the bread flour, AP flour, cornmeal and salt together over a medium bowl. Add the sifted dry ingredients all at once to the melted water and butter mixture, reserving the bowl nearby. Stir the mixture (roux) vigorously with a wooden spoon to bring the dough together, initially. Continue stirring, less vigorously, until the pastry starts to pull away from the sides of the pan and forms a uniform ball. Turn the pastry out into the reserved bowl. Allow to sit for about 1 minute, or until the pastry is cool enough to touch comfortably with your finger for at least 15 seconds. Add 1/2 of the beaten eggs (about 1/2 cup) to the pastry. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the pastry looks uniform and glossy, about 1 minute. Add half of the remaining egg mixture (about 1/4 cup) and continue to stir with a wooden spoon until the pastry is uniform and glossy (about 1 minute). Repeat with the remaining egg mixture.  Stir in the chives, parsley, thyme and lemon zest.

Fill the prepared pastry bag with 1/2 of the pastry. Pipe the pastry over the simmering water into 1/2” to 3/4” lengths, about 1/2”-thick, cutting with a kitchen scissor or paring knife once the desired length has been met to “plop” it into the water. Continue piping until the pastry bag is empty. The choux will rise to the surface after about 3 to 4 minutes, and will continue to plump and cook another 6 to 8 minutes, or until set. Drain with a slotted spoon onto a clean, cloth towel-lined baking sheet. Fill the pastry bag with the remaining choux and repeat with the second batch.

For the butter sauce:

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into large cubes

1 small shallot, finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon saffron threads (optional)

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Sea or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan, combine the butter, shallot, saffron, lemon juice and seasoning. Melt over medium heat, reduce to low. Reserve warm over low heat.

To serve, arrange the gnocchi on individual plates and drizzle with a generous amount of the seasoned butter sauce. Or, serve on a platter and let everyone serve themselves.

Here’s another fun way to use these darling little choux gnocchi:

Choux Gnocchi Gratinee

(Yields 8 side-dish portions)

The same choux gnocchi (using the master recipe above), dressed with Parmesan and butter and baked off in a hot oven, yields a cheesy, pasta-like delight that is perfect with roasted chicken, pork or a juicy steak. Simply poach the gnocchi as in the previous recipe and arrange the cooked, drained gnocchi in a large baking pan. Top with 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese and a couple pats of butter. Bake at 400F for 20 minutes or until golden and bubbling. Serve immediately. (Note: Any left-over gnocchi from the previous recipe can be stored overnight in the refrigerator and served gratinee style the next day).

Bon appetit!

 

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Somewhere Between Sauces and Choux

I just bought Dansko shoes for the first time in my life. Sexy they are not, but they are highly practical in the kitchen and go reasonably well with the pair of jeans I usually wear when I’m cooking, especially the sassy, oiled red shoe variety pictured below.

The perfect working kitchen shoe – Dansko.

I’ve been cooking for years. So, why now, why today? A giant of a French chef told me years ago in Fauchon’s kitchen that if I didn’t wear the right shoes and stand up straight while I prepped, I’d be crooked by the time I was forty. Maybe that was the impetus, but I think it has more to do with transition.

Some people can leap from one project to another with reckless abandon. I’m not one of them. I need time, if only a few days, to clear the decks, clear the desk, clear my brain, empty the nest, and get pumped up before starting all over again.

So, on this, the literal eve of the official beginning of my next cookbook (cookbook #6!), I’m transisting and taking the brave leap from the nuances of delicate, layered French sauces and into the puffy, stalwart realm of choux pastry. And, I’m kicking it all off with a brand new pair of red shoes.

Unlike tart pastry I manipulated in Tart Love or sauces I created for The French Book: Sauces (Gibbs Smith, March 2013), choux pastry is one tough little nut. It likes to get beat up pretty good to activate the gluten and choux pastry’s unique rising effect – aided only by this, butter and egg yolks. Nutty and savory in flavor, once cooked it can be filled with anything from whipped cream to bacon and eggs. It’s a huge sweet and savory universe all of its own and can also be formed into little balls (cream puffs) or longer tubes (eclairs).

Beautiful eclairs.

Not only delicious, these little treats are amazingly versatile. In the sauces cookbook, my primary task was to reveal the technique and versatility of sauces while adhering to the classic “recettes” for the five French mother sauces. Here, my task load is a little more free-form – to find an excellent, practical technique for making choux pastry itself, and coming up with all kinds of beautiful and delicious flavor pairings.

My head has been adrift for days and weeks with such thoughts: lemon and mascarpone and pumpkin and cream cheese on the sweet side; BLT cream puff sandwiches and French onion choux on the savory. The list goes on and on and I’m ready to have some fun and get some flour dust on my pretty new shoes. Please jump on the band wagon with me and let me know if you have any ideas you would like for me to try out. I’d love to give it a go! And, for restaurant news/review fans, I want you to know that I’m back on track with those too (after a mandatory medical delay) as we wrap up 2012 and prepare for 2013. Charleston has so much exciting and delicious restaurant news happening right now, and I can’t wait to share it with you.

In the meantime, I’m going to leave you with a recipe for fail-proof roasted chicken. It’s the perfect feast for this time year. The techniques work just as well for chicken as they do for turkey. It’s from The French Book: Sauces, with which it’s paired with a lovely mushroom sauce. Here, simply strain any pan juices, skim off any fat, and whisk together with a little Dijon mustard for a quick, delicious pan sauce.

Perfect Roasted Chicken

Roasting chicken is simple and so rewarding when done with love for the people seated at your table. Basting is really the key. Keep giving back to the chicken what it gives to you in juices. Use a sturdy roasting pan and a roasting rack to keep the chicken off the bottom of the pan. In addition to creating a safe spot for the chicken to nestle while it’s cooking, the rack enables better browning.

1 (3 to 4-pound chicken)

Sea salt or kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

8 sprigs fresh thyme

1 shallot halved

1 small carrot, peeled and cut into 3-inch lengths

1 small celery rib, trimmed and cut into 3-inch lengths

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, thinly sliced

For basting:

3/4 cup good-quality white wine (e.g. Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay)

3/4 cup chicken stock

Preheat oven to 375F. Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Trim off and discard wing tips and any excess fat from near the cavity. Season the cavity generously with salt and pepper. Fill the cavity with the thyme, shallot, carrot, and celery. Loosen the skin on the chicken breast from the flesh by slipping your index finger under the skin and gently prying it loose. Place the sliced butter under the skin of the breasts, spacing evenly.

To truss the chicken, arrange it on your work surface, back side down. Run kitchen string underneath the bottom of the spine and around the bottom of the legs. Cross the string over itself and now guide it up on both sides of the breasts, along the crease where the thighs and the breasts meet. Flip the chicken over, wrap the string around the wings, and pull tightly to form a knot. Trim off the excess string. Season the chicken generously all over with salt and pepper. Bake until the skin is a pale golden color and a skin/salt crust begins to form, about 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350F. Combine the wine and stock and baste the chicken, starting now, every 20 to 25 minutes, or until it’s done, about 1 1/2 hours (count on about 20 minutes for every pound). Test for doneness by piercing the chicken between the leg and the breast; it is cooked when the juices run clear. Remove the chicken from the pan, cover with aluminum foil, and rest for 20 minutes.

To carve the chicken, cut the legs away from the body, and cut each into two pieces at the joint. Carve the breasts away from the carcass and cut each horizontally into two pieces.

Serve immediately. Delicious with rice, mashed potatoes, and a simple side of sauteed mushrooms or spinach. Bon appetit!

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