What is Jia Cooking? Pt 8.
Choux Pastry Swans
Pretty, but also pretty hard! Perfect for a romantic date (not to mention they are friggin delicious)!
Recipe adapted from "the basics" - Filip Verheyden
Difficulty: high, Impressiveness: high, Prep: 45 min, Cook: 1 hr & 3 hr wait time
Ingredients
For the Choux Pastry
1 c water
1 stick butter
1 tsp sugar
1.5 c flour
5 eggs
pinch of salt
---
For the Creme Patissiere
2 c whole milk (can subs skim milk and 1T butter)
1/2 vanilla bean
3 eggs
1/2 c sugar
2.5 T cornstarch
---
berries (optional)
powdered sugar (optional)
Special Tools
a star shaped icing piping tip LINK and a plastic coupler - you can get these at The Vanilla Bean in Madison for $2
baking parchment paper - any grocery store by the aluminum foil
food processor/blender
1) Start w/ making the creme patissiere (custard! :D)
2) In saucepan, bring milk and vanilla bean to boil
3) While milk is warming up, beat eggs and sugar in separate bowl
4) Whisk in cornstarch in egg mixture
5) Pour boiling milk into eggs
6) Mix and return contents to saucepan
7) Cook on low, stirring constantly for about 10 min
8) Blend w/ food processor/blender
9) Pour into container and put in fridge to cool
10) Now onto the choux... preheat oven to 425
11) Bring water, butter, sugar, and pinch of salt to boil in large saucepan
12) When butter has melted, add flour and stir on low heat w/ spoon until completely mixed
13) Remove from heat and let cool for 3 min
14) Mix in eggs one at a time until each egg is fully incorporated into dough before mixing in the subsequent egg
15) The dough should be shiny and soft (PIC 1)
16) Wrap parchment paper around the coupler bottom, attach tip and screw in top of coupler LINK for how to do this!
17) Pipe swan bodies onto parchment lined cookie sheet, basically try to make a 3-D teardrop shape (PIC 2)
18) Pipe swan heads on separate parchment lined cookie sheet. basically draw out the letter "S" (If you are anal like me, use a toothpick to add a bit of choux to the head to make a beak.)
19) Bake swan bodies fro 12 min, bake swan heads for 8 min... WARNING: do not open oven during baking process or else choux will not rise!!!
20) Cool bodies and heads. (PICS 3 & 4) Cut bodies in half (like you are cutting a biscuit), then, cut the top in half to make wings (PIC 5). (CAUTION: These bodies are fragile so be careful when cutting!) Also, you need to wait for the custard to cool (~ 3 hours after putting custard into fridge).
21) Fill body with custard. (PIC 6) Top with berries (optional), head, and wings.
22) Sprinkle on powdered sugar for extra awesomeness.
Pretty, but also pretty hard! Perfect for a romantic date (not to mention they are friggin delicious)!
Recipe adapted from "the basics" - Filip Verheyden
Difficulty: high, Impressiveness: high, Prep: 45 min, Cook: 1 hr & 3 hr wait time
Ingredients
For the Choux Pastry
1 c water
1 stick butter
1 tsp sugar
1.5 c flour
5 eggs
pinch of salt
---
For the Creme Patissiere
2 c whole milk (can subs skim milk and 1T butter)
1/2 vanilla bean
3 eggs
1/2 c sugar
2.5 T cornstarch
---
berries (optional)
powdered sugar (optional)
Special Tools
a star shaped icing piping tip LINK and a plastic coupler - you can get these at The Vanilla Bean in Madison for $2
baking parchment paper - any grocery store by the aluminum foil
food processor/blender
1) Start w/ making the creme patissiere (custard! :D)
2) In saucepan, bring milk and vanilla bean to boil
3) While milk is warming up, beat eggs and sugar in separate bowl
4) Whisk in cornstarch in egg mixture
5) Pour boiling milk into eggs
6) Mix and return contents to saucepan
7) Cook on low, stirring constantly for about 10 min
8) Blend w/ food processor/blender
9) Pour into container and put in fridge to cool
10) Now onto the choux... preheat oven to 425
11) Bring water, butter, sugar, and pinch of salt to boil in large saucepan
12) When butter has melted, add flour and stir on low heat w/ spoon until completely mixed
13) Remove from heat and let cool for 3 min
14) Mix in eggs one at a time until each egg is fully incorporated into dough before mixing in the subsequent egg
15) The dough should be shiny and soft (PIC 1)
16) Wrap parchment paper around the coupler bottom, attach tip and screw in top of coupler LINK for how to do this!
17) Pipe swan bodies onto parchment lined cookie sheet, basically try to make a 3-D teardrop shape (PIC 2)
18) Pipe swan heads on separate parchment lined cookie sheet. basically draw out the letter "S" (If you are anal like me, use a toothpick to add a bit of choux to the head to make a beak.)
19) Bake swan bodies fro 12 min, bake swan heads for 8 min... WARNING: do not open oven during baking process or else choux will not rise!!!
20) Cool bodies and heads. (PICS 3 & 4) Cut bodies in half (like you are cutting a biscuit), then, cut the top in half to make wings (PIC 5). (CAUTION: These bodies are fragile so be careful when cutting!) Also, you need to wait for the custard to cool (~ 3 hours after putting custard into fridge).
21) Fill body with custard. (PIC 6) Top with berries (optional), head, and wings.
22) Sprinkle on powdered sugar for extra awesomeness.