I have been lazy and busy at the same time, I haven't given enough love to my blog and my dear friends.
So I promised myself it won't happen again!
I feel very bad about the culinary gap I made here, so the only way to make it up is to try to bribe you a little with a dessert.
I really have to catch up with all delicious the things I have made during the summer, post it and hope you will forgive my silence.
I will start with pastry puffs filled with blueberry cream and dipped in chocolate, it's a yummmy twist on a classic eclairs.
The recipe is easy like 1-2-3 and versatile, so as always sky is the limit!!
Make it sweet, make it savory, make it small or big, make it classic or add your own spin. Use the ingredients you have on hand or plan it ahead. Doesn't really matter as long as you : make it, share it and enjoy it!
you need:
2 small saucepans
whisk or wooden spoon
2 storage bags or piping bag with round plain tip
cooling rack
2 bowls
2 baking sheets
parchment paper
ingredients:
pastry puffs:
1 cup water
1/2 cup unsalted butter
4 eggs
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
blueberry cream:
1/2 cup heavy cream
2-3 tablespoons sugar
2 cups fresh blueberries
1-2 tablespoons blueberry jam
chocolate ganache:
1,1/2 cup bitter-sweet chocolate
2-3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Start with the pastry. Preheat oven to 425°F (~220° C ). In a small saucepan bring the water to a boil, add the butter and let it melt next add sugar and pinch of salt. Remove from the heat and stir in 1 cup flour. Make sure there is no lumps and the mixture holds together.
Add eggs, one by one, mixing very well after each addition.
At this point batter will become more sticky and gooey.
Transfer the batter to a storage bag, cut the corner with scissors, or use a professional piping bag with a big, round, plain tip, or combine a storage bag with the removable piping tip (I'm using this trick to fill up the puffs with cream). Line your baking sheets with parchment paper and begin piping! Shape is really up to you, I made little balls for a one bite-sized treat.
Place them in rows like little soldiers, remember to leave some ''puffing'' space about 1 inch.
Use a bit of cold water on your finger to smooth and shape the tops of your little ''soon- to-be-golden puffs''.
Bake them for 10 minutes at 425°F (~220° C ), next reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (~ 180° C) and bake until golden-brown for another 20-25 minutes. If you decide to bake both batches at the same time make sure to switch the trays during the 2nd stage of baking, so they will get golden-brown evenly.
When ready, let cool on a wire rack before filling them up. Puffs should feel light and empty inside.
Now when your tiny, golden goodies are cooling down, time to make the blueberry cream. It's very easy and the filling can be made from almost any fruits, or jams, chocolate creams, or just classic whipped cream . You can fill them up with savory fillings f.e: salmon and cream cheese, or cream cheese and herbs, or duck pate with cranberry sauce! Again use your favorite ingredients to make this tasty treat the way YOU like the most!
Ok, so back to the buisness. In a small saucepan bring blueberries and the jam to a boil, reduce the heat and make most of the water evaporate, creating a deep colored jam. Let it cool.
In a bowl whisk the heavy cream and sugar until stiff. Slowly add blueberry jam folding gently, until cream blends together.
Transfer into piping bag with a round, small tip.
Squeeze a teaspoon (more or less, you will feel when the puff is full) of this delicious cream into each puff, I think best place to do it is actually the top, because later on you will dip it in the chocolate ganache, covering the little hole.
Last but not least is to make the chocolate ganache. I make it 2 different ways... both extremely easy. The only difference is the thickness. You can use a method called double boiling : set a heat-proof bowl on top of a saucepan with a boiling water at the bottom, add chocolate and stir it with silicon spatula until it melts. Add a tablespoon or two of butter to prevent curdling and keep it shiny.
Instead of saucepan and stove, the easy way is to put the bowl with chocolate pieces into microwave, and set the timer for 2-2.5 minutes, add butter and during the cooking time open the microwave and stir the chocolate several times, tempering it, this way the chocolate will stay glossy and shiny.
the second method is to add almost boiling heavy cream to a bowl with chocolate and melt it this way, stirring constantly. It's up to you which method to gonna use.
When the chocolate ganache is ready start dipping, the pastry puffs in it! It's a lot of fun and gives that gourmet finish to the dessert. The glossy look, the creamy filling, the little puffy texture, that is seriously heaven. You really MUST try this!
