Chocolate Eclairs-Daring Baker Style!

I am super excited about the August challenge for the Daring Bakers! Our hosts for this month are Meeta from What's for lunch honey? and Tony Tahhan. The two of them chose the recipe from Chocolate Desserts from Pierre Herme written by Dorie Greenspan, so you know that it has to be good!

I had tried to make eclairs a long, long time ago and my Pate a Choux dough did not turn out as planned, so I never tried again, until now. This is probably my favorite DBer challenge so far! I absolutely love them!! And just let me tell you about the chocolate pastry cream! Just let me go on the record to say, you can't stop eating it!! I licked the bowl clean. Delicious!

Under the motto, and my new one by the way, Culinary Liberty For All, we were given leeway to be creative, but I really couldn't get past the chocolate cream with chocolate glaze. I just stuck to the recipe as is.

My start to finish time took right at 2 hours, but the finish time means the time that I ate one! So, in a couple of hours, you have a wonderful dessert! I decided to make mini eclairs and a few cream puffs. And for the record, they didn't last more than a day in my house!

Thanks for a great challenge!! Now, on to the next one!

Pierre Hermé’s Chocolate Éclairs

Recipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé(makes 20-24 Éclairs)

• Cream Puff Dough (see below for recipe), fresh and still warm

1) Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Divide the oven into thirds by positioning the racks in the upper and lower half of the oven. Line two baking sheets with waxed or parchment paper.

2) Fill a large pastry bag fitted with a 2/3 (2cm) plain tip nozzle with the warm cream puff dough.Pipe the dough onto the baking sheets in long, 4 to 41/2 inches (about 11 cm) chubby fingers.Leave about 2 inches (5 cm) space in between each dough strip to allow them room to puff.The dough should give you enough to pipe 20-24 éclairs.

3) Slide both the baking sheets into the oven and bake for 7 minutes. After the 7 minutes, slip the handle of a wooden spoon into the door to keep in ajar. When the éclairs have been in the oven for a total of 12 minutes, rotate the sheets top to bottom and front to back. Continue baking for a further 8 minutes or until the éclairs are puffed, golden and firm. The total baking time should be approximately 20 minutes.

Notes:

1) The éclairs can be kept in a cool, dry place for several hours before filling.

Assembling the éclairs:

• Chocolate glaze (see below for recipe)

• Chocolate pastry cream (see below for recipe)

1) Slice the éclairs horizontally, using a serrated knife and a gently sawing motion. Set aside the bottoms and place the tops on a rack over a piece of parchment paper.

2) The glaze should be barely warm to the touch (between 95 – 104 degrees F or 35 – 40degrees C, as measured on an instant read thermometer). Spread the glaze over the tops of the éclairs using a metal icing spatula. Allow the tops to set and in the meantime fill the bottoms with the pastry cream.

3) Pipe or spoon the pastry cream into the bottoms of the éclairs. Make sure you fill the bottoms with enough cream to mound above the pastry. Place the glazed tops onto the pastry cream and wriggle gently to settle them.

Notes:

1) If you have chilled your chocolate glaze, reheat by placing it in a bowl over simmering water,stirring it gently with a wooden spoon. Do not stir too vigorously as you do not want to create bubbles.

2) The éclairs should be served as soon as they have been filled.

Pierre Hermé’s Cream Puff Dough

Recipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé(makes 20-24 Éclairs)

• ½ cup (125g) whole milk

• ½ cup (125g) water

• 1 stick (4 ounces; 115g) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces

• ¼ teaspoon sugar

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 1 cup (140g) all-purpose flour

• 5 large eggs, at room temperature

1) In a heavy bottomed medium saucepan, bring the milk, water, butter, sugar and salt to the boil.

2) Once the mixture is at a rolling boil, add all of the flour at once, reduce the heat to medium and start to stir the mixture vigorously with a wooden spoon. The dough comes together very quickly. Do not worry if a slight crust forms at the bottom of the pan, it’s supposed to. You need to carry on stirring for a further 2-3 minutes to dry the dough. After this time the dough will be very soft and smooth.

3) Transfer the dough into a bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using your handmixer or if you still have the energy, continue by hand. Add the eggs one at a time,beating after each egg has been added to incorporate it into the dough.You will notice that after you have added the first egg, the dough will separate, once again do not worry. As you keep working the dough, it will come back all together again by the time you have added the third egg. In the end the dough should be thick and shiny and when lifted it should fall back into the bowl in a ribbon.

4) The dough should be still warm. It is now ready to be used for the éclairs as directed above.

Notes:

1) Once the dough is made you need to shape it immediately.

2) You can pipe the dough and the freeze it. Simply pipe the dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets and slide the sheets into the freezer. Once the dough is completely frozen, transfer the piped shapes into freezer bags. They can be kept in the freezer for up to a month.

Chocolate Pastry Cream Recipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé

• 2 cups (500g) whole milk

• 4 large egg yolks

• 6 tbsp (75g) sugar

• 3 tablespoons cornstarch, sifted

• 7 oz (200g) bittersweet chocolate, preferably Velrhona Guanaja, melted

• 2½ tbsp (1¼ oz: 40g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1) In a small saucepan, bring the milk to a boil. In the meantime, combine the yolks, sugar and cornstarch together and whisk in a heavy‐bottomed saucepan.

2) Once the milk has reached a boil, temper the yolks by whisking a couple spoonfuls of the hot milk into the yolk mixture.Continue whisking and slowly pour the rest of the milk into the tempered yolk mixture.

3) Strain the mixture back into the saucepan to remove any egg that may have scrambled. Place the pan over medium heat and whisk vigorously (without stop) until the mixture returns to a boil. Keep whisking vigorously for 1 to 2 more minutes (still over medium heat).Stir in the melted chocolate and then remove the pan from the heat.

4) Scrape the pastry cream into a small bowl and set it in an ice‐water bath to stop the cooking process. Make sure to continue stirring the mixture at this point so that it remains smooth.

5) Once the cream has reached a temperature of 140 F remove from the ice‐water bath and stir in the butter in three or four installments. Return the cream to the ice‐water bath to continue cooling, stirring occasionally, until it has completely cooled. The cream is now ready to use or store in the fridge.

Notes:

1)The pastry cream can be made 2‐3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.

2) In order to avoid a skin forming on the pastry cream, cover with plastic wrap pressed onto the cream.

3) Tempering the eggs raises the temperature of the eggs slowly so that they do not scramble.

Chocolate Glaze Recipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé(makes 1 cup or 300g)

• 1/3 cup (80g) heavy cream

• 3½ oz (100g) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

• 4 tsp (20 g) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature

• 7 tbsp (110 g) Chocolate Sauce (recipe below), warm or at room temperature

1)In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a boil. Remove from the heat and slowly begin to add the chocolate, stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula.

2) Stirring gently, stir in the butter, piece by piece followed by the chocolate sauce.

Notes:

1) If the chocolate glaze is too cool (i.e. not liquid enough) you may heat it briefly
 in the microwave or over a double boiler. A double boiler is basically a bowl sitting over (not touching) simmering water.

2) It is best to glaze the eclairs after the glaze is made, but if you are pressed for time, you can make the glaze a couple days ahead of time, store it in the fridge and bring it up to the proper temperature (95 to 104 F) when ready to glaze.

Chocolate Sauce Recipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé (makes 1½ cups or 525 g)

• 4½ oz (130 g) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

• 1 cup (250 g) water

• ½ cup (125 g) crème fraîche, or heavy cream

• 1/3 cup (70 g) sugar

1)Place all the ingredients into a heavy‐bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil, making sure to stir constantly. Then reduce the heat to low and continue stirring with a wooden spoon until the sauce thickens.

2) It may take 10‐15 minutes for the sauce to thicken, but you will know when it is done when it coats the back of your spoon.

Notes:

1) You can make this sauce ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for two weeks. Reheat the sauce in a microwave oven or a double boiler before using.

2) This sauce is also great for cakes, ice-cream and tarts.

Peanut Butter Cookies

These have got to be the easiest cookies I have ever made, just 3 ingredients and you have yummy, peanut butter cookies!!

If you haven't heard of Operation Baking Gals, you really need to check it out. Susan of She's Becoming Doughmesstic came up with the idea after her brother in law was in need of some homemade goodies. This is round 2 and there are 7 hostesses this month. I signed up with Stephanie of Steph Chows and we are sending a ton of cookie love to LT Eric Olsen and his crew who are currently serving on the USS Abraham Lincoln. I know that they are going to be excited!

Peanut Butter Cookies:

1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix the peanut butter, sugar and egg together until well blended. Roll into balls, and place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten each ball by using a fork to make a criss cross pattern.

Bake 18-20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool for 5 minutes on cookie sheet and then move to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Taste Like Home, the Round Up

Megan has posted the roundup. Go and check out all of the goodies that everyone recieved! If you have recieved your package, please write a post and let us know. :)

Congo Bars

My life has been really crazy this week and I needed something quick and easy to throw together for a cookout on Saturday and these bars were the first thing that popped into my mind. Everyone loved them, and are made with ingredients that you should already have on hand.

Congo Bars:

1 3/4 stick butter or margarine, melted
2 cups brown sugar
3 eggs
2 2/3 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 (12 oz) pkg of semi sweet chocolate chips

Cream together the melted butter and brown sugar. Add eggs 1 at a time and mix for 2 minutes. Add flour, baking soda and salt. Beat well. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour batter into a greased 9X13 inch baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Let cool completely and cut into squares.

Cranberry Cream Cheese Muffins

I saw this recipe on a forum that I am a member, and it was originally made with raspberries, but for some reason cranberries popped into my mind and sounded really good with this recipe. And I was right. I had some cranberries in the freezer and this was a perfect way to use them. But, I really didn't realize that cranberries would float in batter! I love these and have eaten 1 every morning for breakfast. I like the tartness of the cranberries with the cream cheese and sweetness of the muffin. The hubby does not like cranberries, but liked the muffin and thought they would be good with blueberries. I bet they would!

Cranberry Cream Cheese Muffins

3 ounces cream cheese

3 eggs

1 c. sugar

1 c. milk

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

6 Tbsp. butter

2 c. flour

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. cranberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease the muffin tins or line with paper cups. In a small bowl, beat together until smooth the cream cheese with one egg, 1/4 cup of sugar and 1/2 tsp vanilla and set aside.

In a saucepan, combine the milk, butter, and one tsp vanilla. Stir over medium heat until the butter melts. Cool until warm to the touch, then beat in the remaining two eggs. In large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and remaining sugar. Add the milk mixture and stir just to blend. Fold in the cranberries. Divide the batter equally among the muffin cups. Spoon about 2 tsp cream cheese mixture on top of each muffin. Pull knife through each top to swirl slightly. Bake about 20 minutes or until top springs bake when lightly touched.

Nut Pies for Blake!

These are little Pecan Tassies, or in my house knows as nut pies. Blake has always called pecan pie this, I am not really sure why though. He loves this pie and every Thanksgiving and Christmas my parents always buy 2 frozen pecan pies and gives 1 to him. So, it really was no surprise that this week when I asked him what he would like to bake, it was nut pie. Then he asked if he could make mini nut pies so that he could take them in his lunch to school.

These little tassies are really easy to make and quick to throw together. They are perfect if you need a finger food to take somewhere.

Pecan Tassies:

Tart Shells:
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup all purpose flour

Filling:
2 Tbsp butter or margarine, melted
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup pecan halves, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. For tart shells, beat butter and cream cheese until well blended. Add flour, mix until a soft dough forms. (Blake did this in the KA with the paddle attachment.)

Shape dough into 1 inch balls and place into ungreased cups of mini muffin pan. Press dough into the bottom and up the sides of the muffin cups.

For filling, mix melted butter with the brown sugar, egg and vanilla until combined. Add the pecans and mix.

Fill each tart shell with filling, do not overfill. Bake 20-25 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Remove from oven, cool in pan for 3 minutes. Transfer tassies from muffin tin to cooling rack. Cool completely.

Makes 2 dozen.

Chocolate Pecan Biscotti

This months Cookie Carnival recipe was supposed to be Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti. However, I can't find hazelnuts here, so I used what I had on hand, pecans. This was a first for me for making biscotti, and if I am being honest, I really didn't like this recipe. I really like biscotti with my coffee, but for some reason, this one wasn't my favorite. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't turn it down if it was offered to me, but I wouldn't go out of my way for it either. I am glad that I tried it, so now I know that have tried this recipe. Thanks Kate for choosing a recipe to broaden my baking skills!

Chocolate Hazelnut (Pecan) Biscotti

1 1/2 cups hazelnut, toasted (pecans)

3 cups all purpose flour

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups sugar

3 large eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper. Grind 1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts in processor. Set aside. Whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Beat butter and sugar in another large bowl to blend. Add eggs and vanilla and almond extracts and beat until well blended. Beat in flour mixture. Mix in 1 cup whole toasted hazelnuts, chocolate chips and 1/2 cup ground hazelnuts.

Divide dough into 2 equal pieces. Shape each piece on baking sheet into 2 1/2 inch wide by 14 inch log. Place logs on prepared baking sheet, spacing 2 1/2 inches apart (logs will spread during baking). Bake until logs feel firm when tops are gently pressed, about 35 minutes. cool logs on baking sheet 15 minutes. Maintain oven temperature.

Using long wide spatula, transfer baked logs to cutting board. Using serrated knife, cut warm logs crosswise into 1/2 inch thick slices.

Arrange slices, cut side down, on 2 baking sheets. Bake biscotti until firm, about 15 minutes. Transfer to racks and cool completely. (Biscotti can be prepared ahead. Store in airtight container up to 4 days, or wrap in foil and freeze in resealable plastic bags up to 3 weeks.)