Vanilla Sugar Puffs Recipes

Steps:

• For the dough: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Combine the butter, granulated sugar, salt and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and remove from the heat. Add the flour, then return to the heat, mixing vigorously with a wooden spoon until all the flour is incorporated and the mixture forms a ball.
• Transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on the lowest speed until the dough cools and the steam dissipates, about 4 minutes. Add 4 eggs, one at a time, letting each egg become fully incorporated before adding the next. The dough should be shiny, stretchy and slowly fall from a spoon in thick ribbons. If necessary, beat the remaining egg in a small bowl and add a tablespoon at a time until the dough looks correct.
• Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip. Pipe 2-inch mounds onto the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake until the puffs are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped, about 25 minutes. Prick each puff with a skewer to allow the steam to escape, then remove the puffs to a rack to cool completely.
• Use a serrated knife to carefully cut the tops off the puffs; reserve the tops.
• For the cream: Microwave 2 tablespoons of the cream in a small bowl until warm. Add the espresso powder and stir until dissolved; place in the refrigerator to chill.
• Put the remaining cream in a large bowl, along with the vanilla and 4 tablespoons of the confectioners' sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until the cream just holds stiff peaks.
• Transfer half of the whipped cream to a piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain or star tip. Pipe half of the puffs full of whipped cream; replace their tops.
• Add the chilled coffee cream and the remaining 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar to the remaining whipped cream in the bowl; beat until the cream returns to stiff peaks. Transfer to the piping bag (no need to clean in between) and fill the remaining puffs; replace the tops.
• Dust the cream puffs with confectioners' sugar and serve immediately.

Steps:

• Mix together vanilla instant pudding mix, cream and milk. Cover and refrigerate to set.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• In a large pot, bring water and butter to a rolling boil. Stir in flour and salt until the mixture forms a ball. Transfer the dough to a large mixing bowl. Using a wooden spoon or stand mixer, beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Centers should be dry.
• When the shells are cool, either split and fill them with the pudding mixture, or use a pastry bag to pipe the pudding into the shells.

Steps:

• Pour the sugar into an airtight container. If the vanilla bean is whole, slice it halfway through the long way, open up the bean, and use a spoon or kitchen knife to scrape out the black gooey specks. Stir the specks into the sugar, and bury the bean pod in the sugar. Cover the jar and let stand for at least 1 week.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, whisk together the warm water, yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar. Let sit until foamy, 8 to 10 minutes.
• In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, nutmeg and the remaining sugar. Make a well in the center and pour in the yeast mixture once it's foamy. Combine, stirring with a wooden spoon, to incorporate all the ingredients into a smooth batter. The batter should be wet and slightly loose, similar to a yeasted waffle batter.
• Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel, and allow dough to double in size, about 40 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare the spiced sugar: In a medium bowl, toss the sugar, nutmeg, allspice and cloves to combine; set aside.
• Pour 1 inch of oil into a large, deep skillet. Line a baking sheet with a rack or paper towels to absorb excess oil.
• Once the batter has doubled in size, heat the oil over medium-high to 350 degrees. Drop tablespoonfuls of batter into the hot oil, working in batches to avoid crowding the skillet. Fry the puff puff, turning frequently until golden brown all over and cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes per batch. (Be careful not to let the oil get too hot or the exteriors will become overly dark before the interiors are cooked through.) Move the puff puff to the rack or paper towels to drain and repeat the process until all the batter has been fried.
• Toss the puff puff in the spiced sugar to coat while still warm. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.