I am so excited! I made Nick Malgeri's Cream Puffs!

LOL, this sounds like a delicious recipe! Can you share the recipe with us? I would like to try it!

[Isa]

Blueribboncakes,


Sounds great. I haven't made cream puff in ages because of the arm work you need to do but if the Kitchenaid doest it for me it's another story. Thanks for the tip!

[SeattleDeb]

memories...my grandmother made the very best cream puffs ever many many moons ago...

[blueribboncakes]

The part that you put the dough in the kitchenaid is just after it turns to a ball in the pan. You plop it in the kitchenaid and fold it, lowest speed..and then gradually add the eggs, one at a time, scrape those sides! And then quickly pipe them onto a parchment lined pan. I used a silpat, which is wooooondyfull. Also, don't open that oven if you can avoid it, I did turn them once, and then promptly shut the door. It affects the poofiness somehow, anyway mine didn't suffer from it. I let them cool and then cut them open and as they cooled off, filled them.
Gotta go!

[blueribboncakes]

I used to make a recipe for cream puffs from a friend who had an Illinois Dairy Cookbook, and I thought they were pretty good. I bought Nick Malgeri's Perfect Pastry, and the cream puffs turned out perfect! I filled them with chocolate Pastry Pride, and some others with Bavarian Cream, just divine! I was really amazed that you can beat the eggs in using the kitchenaid, as opposed to the "elbow grease" method. Now I'll feel even MORE guilty eating them. I have delicious cream puffs, and I didn't even sweat to get them!
The secret really is in the making of the dough, not the recipe. Oh, one thing I read was that you should try to pipe the dough while it is still warm. Cake decorating skills came in handy with the piping today!

[blueribboncakes]

Here's the recipe
Pate A Choux
3/4 c. cold water
6 Tablespoons of butter
pinch salt
1 c. unbleached all purpose flour
4 eggs

Combine the water, butter and salt in a 2 quart saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the butter melts and the liquid comes to a full rolling boil.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and sift the flour all at once. Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. Return the saucepan to heat and cook, beating constantly with a spoon, until the mixture holds together and begins to leave the side of te pan. The bottom of the pan will be lightly filmed with the paste. To avoid overcooking, the paste and letting the fat separate, beat over heat only 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the paste to a 2 to 3 quart bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat the paste either by hand or with the mixer. Beat for 1 minute on the lowest speed. Now incorporate the eggs one at a time, making sure to scrape the sides of the bowl. Now pipe it as quickly as possible so that the dough is still warm when it gets in the oven. This will insure the greatest expansion and lightness. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Lower the temperature to 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Test a chou by breaking one open to be sure the inside is dry.

There you have it!

[Isa]

Valerie,

It's all your fault! I went out and there was a parking spot just in front of the bookstore. I told myself I would not buy anything, just look. My eyes fell on Perfect Pastry and you know how it is with cookbooks. There is always one more you really need. One that brush a topic that is not in one of your other books... I really like the way he tells you how to do the recipes with a Kitchenaid and a hand held mixer. I’ve had a bit of trouble adjusting my recipes to the power of the Kitchenaid so I could not resist. We're having a snow storm tonight, perfect baking weather. Tomorrow I'll try the génoise or the pistachio cake or...


Thanks Valerie!

[blueribboncakes]

If you have snow, you must be far away from L.A.! I love that book, it has a neat look to it "asthetics!?" and I have heard only good from Nick Malgieri. Today I made Peanut Blossoms, 'cept I put Reese's cups cut in half, pushed into the top. Not top pastry chef stuff, but darn good tastin' and my kids were thrilled! My husband calls them "Christmas Cookies", but I say, why wait till Christmas?
Glad that I inspired you Iza, maybe we can bake through the book and share Ideas, I guess I'll have to move this post to the Book section soon!

[Isa]

Valerie,

I am in Québec, under God knows how many inches of snow. Couldn't even take the car out of the garage this morning. And it is still snowing...

Are we talking about the same book? I did not find Peanut Blossoms in this book but I can’t really see straight tonight. What page is it on?

I'll definitely try something from this book tomorrow, not sure what yet. It will depend on my energy. I'll let you know how it turns out.

[blueribboncakes]

Sorry, I tend to jump subjects. Well, the Peanut Blossoms came from The Cookie Jar Cookbook by Steffi Berne, had it for years and still use it!

[Isa]

That explains why I couldn't find that recipe. I feel better now.

I made the génoise this morning. I changed the recipe though. Looking at all the other recipes I had I settle on a mix of three different recipe. It came out very well. Next time I'll take out a little more sugar. Now I hvae to decide what I'll make with it...

[judy]

I read your recipe and I use the same quantities etc. Only difference is that I use self raising flour instead of all purpose. Never have a problem with the "drying out of the middle" I tend to make these a lot for savory and sweet dishes.