Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Eclairs
Okay, here is the eclair recipe I promised a few people. Seriously, it doesn't get better than this, people! I could die happy choking on one of these little lovelies. Oh, and I usually double the batter recipe and the chocolate drizzle recipe.
Eclair Batter
1 cup water
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
4 eggs
Heat over to 400 degrees. Heat water and butter to a rolling boil in a saucepan over med-high heat. Turn heat to low and stir in flour with a whisk. Stir constantly over low heat or until mixture forms a stiff ball.
Remove from heat and beat in the eggs all at one time until smooth and no longer runny in areas.
Drop dough in a tube shape (or pipe it from a pastry tube) on baking sheets covered with baking parchment paper and bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden, nearly weightless, and hollow sounding when tapped gently. Cool away from any drafts.
*Tip: Gently poke an end of each eclair with fork tines once they are removed from the oven to allow hot air to escape so it will dry and fluffy on the inside rather than wet and gooey.
Eclair Filling
(This should make enough to fill a doubled eclair recipe)
1 large package or instant vanilla pudding mix
2 1/2 cups cold milk
1 1/2 - 2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup confectioners sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
(this is a weird recipe. . . I do a lot of it to fit my own personal taste)
Combine pudding mix and milk in a seperate bowl. Beat cream until peaks form. Beat in confectioners sugar and vanilla. Beat again until stiff peaks form or until thick. Fold pudding into whipped cream. (I fold it in bit by bit until I think the taste is just right. I don't like it too pudding-ey so I usually withhold some of the pudding and use more cream.)
Once consistency and taste is what you want, slice an opening along the side of the cooled eclairs and fill with cream filling.
Chocolate Drizzle
(I double this.)
2 squares of semisweet chocolate
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp hot water
1 cup confectioners sugar
Melt chocolate and 2 tbsp butter in saucepan over low heat. Stir in 1 cup confectioners sugar and 1 tsp vanilla. Stir in hot water, one tablespoon at a time until icing is smooth and has reached you personal desired consistency. Remove from heat, cool slightly, and drizzle over filled eclairs. . . unless you're like me and you want to douse your eclairs in chocolate. That's good too.
Refrigerate until serving and then, if you have no self control (like yours truly) eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, and as a midnight snack.
Eclair Batter
1 cup water
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
4 eggs
Heat over to 400 degrees. Heat water and butter to a rolling boil in a saucepan over med-high heat. Turn heat to low and stir in flour with a whisk. Stir constantly over low heat or until mixture forms a stiff ball.
Remove from heat and beat in the eggs all at one time until smooth and no longer runny in areas.
Drop dough in a tube shape (or pipe it from a pastry tube) on baking sheets covered with baking parchment paper and bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden, nearly weightless, and hollow sounding when tapped gently. Cool away from any drafts.
*Tip: Gently poke an end of each eclair with fork tines once they are removed from the oven to allow hot air to escape so it will dry and fluffy on the inside rather than wet and gooey.
Eclair Filling
(This should make enough to fill a doubled eclair recipe)
1 large package or instant vanilla pudding mix
2 1/2 cups cold milk
1 1/2 - 2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup confectioners sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
(this is a weird recipe. . . I do a lot of it to fit my own personal taste)
Combine pudding mix and milk in a seperate bowl. Beat cream until peaks form. Beat in confectioners sugar and vanilla. Beat again until stiff peaks form or until thick. Fold pudding into whipped cream. (I fold it in bit by bit until I think the taste is just right. I don't like it too pudding-ey so I usually withhold some of the pudding and use more cream.)
Once consistency and taste is what you want, slice an opening along the side of the cooled eclairs and fill with cream filling.
Chocolate Drizzle
(I double this.)
2 squares of semisweet chocolate
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp hot water
1 cup confectioners sugar
Melt chocolate and 2 tbsp butter in saucepan over low heat. Stir in 1 cup confectioners sugar and 1 tsp vanilla. Stir in hot water, one tablespoon at a time until icing is smooth and has reached you personal desired consistency. Remove from heat, cool slightly, and drizzle over filled eclairs. . . unless you're like me and you want to douse your eclairs in chocolate. That's good too.
Refrigerate until serving and then, if you have no self control (like yours truly) eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, and as a midnight snack.
Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon Chips
I decided to come out of "blog hiding". And to prove it, I'll post some recipes that have been requested.
This recipe is actually an allrecipes.com recipe. I've altered it and included the alterations in my recipes below, but it's one of those recipes that you can really make all sorts of changes and it still tastes good. Experiment with it!
3 kiwis, peeled and diced
2 apples, peeled cored, and diced
1 (8 oz.) package of raspberries
1 pound strawberries, finely chopped
1 mango, pitted and diced
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons fruit preserves, any flavor
12 (or more) 10 inch flour tortillas
butter flavored cooking spray
2 cups cinnamon sugar
In a large bowl, mix all fruit, white sugar, brown sugar, and preserves. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. (This next step is important! Do NOT cut tortillas before you do this! I did that once and it was a giant pain in the tush.) Coat one side of each flour tortilla with butter flavored cooking spray. THEN cut into wedges and arrange on a baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle wedges with desired amount of cinnamon sugar. Spray once more with cooking spray.
Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with any remaining tortilla wedges. Allow to cool and then serve with chilled fruit salsa mixture.
This recipe is actually an allrecipes.com recipe. I've altered it and included the alterations in my recipes below, but it's one of those recipes that you can really make all sorts of changes and it still tastes good. Experiment with it!
3 kiwis, peeled and diced
2 apples, peeled cored, and diced
1 (8 oz.) package of raspberries
1 pound strawberries, finely chopped
1 mango, pitted and diced
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons fruit preserves, any flavor
12 (or more) 10 inch flour tortillas
butter flavored cooking spray
2 cups cinnamon sugar
In a large bowl, mix all fruit, white sugar, brown sugar, and preserves. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. (This next step is important! Do NOT cut tortillas before you do this! I did that once and it was a giant pain in the tush.) Coat one side of each flour tortilla with butter flavored cooking spray. THEN cut into wedges and arrange on a baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle wedges with desired amount of cinnamon sugar. Spray once more with cooking spray.
Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with any remaining tortilla wedges. Allow to cool and then serve with chilled fruit salsa mixture.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Great Discussion! Fun Meeting! We missed all of you that couldn't make it. I still don't see any recipes posted! Melanie, thanks for the fruit salsa recipe. It seems to me that there were several people that needed to post the recipes from our January meeting. Is this enough of a push? If you don't know how to post I will do it for you but you have to get the recipe to me first.
Next book...These Is My Words.
Sheri
Next book...These Is My Words.
Sheri
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