Kokakia Greek Cream Puffs With Chocolate Glaze Recipe 42

Steps:

• Make the cream puffs: In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, granulated sugar, salt and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove the pan from the heat and sift the flour directly into the pan. Stir the mixture into a paste with a wooden spoon. Return the pan to a medium heat. Stir the mixture until it pulls away from the sides of the pan and is slightly shiny, about 3 minutes.
• Transfer the paste to a medium bowl, and beat with a wooden spoon until slightly cooled, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the 3 eggs, one at a time, incorporating each one thoroughly before adding the next. Before adding the third egg, beat it in a small bowl. Adding it by tablespoons to the mixture, just until the batter is smooth and tight. If the batter starts to get loose, do not add all of the last egg.
• Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Fill a large pastry bag, fitted with an open tip, with the cream puff mixture. Pipe twelve
• 2 1/2-inch circular mounds, about 2 inches apart, onto the prepared pan. (Alternately, use a large spoon to form the dough into the mounds.) Dab the tops of each puff with a fingertip dipped in water to smooth the tops. Beat the egg yolk with a tablespoon of water and brush the surface of the puffs with the beaten yolk.
• Bake in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F; continue baking until golden brown and the puffs are light, airy, and crisp, about 30 to 35 minutes more. Cool on a rack.
• Assemble the cream puffs: Cut the puffs in half with a serrated knife, and set the tops aside. (If the puffs are very moist inside, scoop out the excess dough and re-crisp them in a 350 degree F. oven for about 5 minutes. Cool completely before continuing.) Put a heaping tablespoon of the fruit in the bottom halves of the cream puffs. Pipe or spoon about 1/3 cup of the Chocolate Whipped Cream on top. Replace the puff tops. Refrigerate for up to 3 hours or serve immediately.
• Yield: 12 cream puffs
• Beat the cream in a medium bowl with an electric mixer or a whisk, until it begins to hold a loose peak. Sift the confectioners' sugar into the cream. Continue beating until the cream holds a firm but still soft peak. Set aside.
• Put the chocolate in a clean, medium, microwaveable bowl. Melt the chocolate in the microwave, at half power, at 30 second intervals, until softened and warm. Whisk until smooth and liquid. (Alternatively melt the chocolate in a double boiler.)
• Fold about 1/2 cup of the whipped cream into the warm chocolate to lighten it. Add the lightened chocolate mixture back to the remaining whipped cream, folding until completely blended. Store in an airtight container until ready to use. It's best used the same day it is prepared.
• Yield: about 4 cups

Steps:

• In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, bring water, butter and salt to a boil. Add the flour and cocoa all at once; stir until a smooth ball forms. Remove from the heat; let stand for 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat until smooth and shiny., Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls 3 in. apart onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 400° for 30-35 minutes or until set and browned. Remove to wire racks. Immediately split puffs open; remove and discard soft dough from inside. Cool puffs completely., In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Fold in whipped cream and strawberries. Fill bottom halves of puffs; replace tops. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Prepare the pastry cream: Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan. Whisk together milk, espresso, and egg yolks in a glass measuring cup. Add milk mixture to saucepan, along with butter. Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Let boil 1 minute. Remove from heat and add vanilla.
• Strain pastry cream through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
• Prepare the puffs: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine butter, sugar, salt, and water. Bring to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Using a wooden spoon, quickly stir in the flour until combined.
• Return pan to medium-high heat and cook, stirring vigorously, until mixture pulls away from the sides and a film forms on the bottom of the pan, about 3 minutes.
• Remove from heat and add eggs, one at a time, stirring vigorously after each addition, and waiting to add the next egg until the previous one is entirely incorporated.
• Transfer dough to a pastry bag fitted with a 3/4-inch plain round tip (#809). On two parchment-lined baking sheets, pipe sixteen 2-inch rounds. Gently smooth the pointed peaks with a moistened finger, rounding tops to ensure even rising. Bake, rotating halfway, until puffed and deep golden-brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a rack. Using a paring knife, make a small "X" in the bottom of each puff. Let cool completely.
• Whisk the pastry cream until smooth and transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch filling pastry tip (#230). Fill each puff with some of the pastry cream.
• Make the glaze: Place the chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate; let stand 1 minute. Whisk until smooth. Dip the top of each cream puff in the chocolate and let stand at room temperature to set, about 20 minutes.

Steps:

• In a saucepan over medium heat, bring water and butter to a boil. Add flour and salt all at once; stir until a smooth ball forms. Remove from the heat; let stand 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Beat until smooth. , Cover a baking sheet with foil; grease foil. Drop batter into six mounds onto foil. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°; bake 30 minutes longer. Remove puffs to a wire rack. Immediately cut a slit in each for steam to escape. , In a bowl, beat cream until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar and cocoa, beating until almost stiff. Split puffs and remove soft dough. Add filling; replace tops. Melt chocolate and butter; stir in sugar and water. Drizzle over puffs. Chill.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet lightly with some shortening. Put beaters into the freezer to chill.
• Combine water and shortening in a saucepan and bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Add flour, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt all at once and reduce heat to low. Stir mixture vigorously until it leaves the sides of the pan and forms a ball, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes.
• Beat in eggs, one at a time, with chilled beaters, beating vigorously after each addition until batter is smooth and glossy. Drop dough into 6 mounds on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until puffed and dry, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and pierce the side of each puff with a knife to allow steam to escape. Transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely, abut 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine sugar, cocoa powder and whipping cream in a bowl for the filling. Beat with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate until needed.
• Cut cooled puffs in half horizontally. Fill with cocoa whipped cream.
• For the glaze, pour whipping cream into a small pot and heat until hot. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips until melted. Allow to cool slightly. Drizzle chocolate glaze over the cream puffs and refrigerate until serving.