Grammys Giant Cream Puffs Recipes

CREAM PUFFS

Steps:

• To make the cream puffs: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a large saucepan, bring the water, butter, salt, and granulated sugar to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. When it boils, immediately take the pan off the heat. Stirring with a wooden spoon, add all the flour at once and stir hard until all the flour is incorporated, 30 to 60 seconds. Return the pan to the heat and cook, stirring, 30 seconds to evaporate some of the moisture.
• Scrape the mixture into a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix at medium speed. With the mixer running, and working 1 egg at a time, add 3 of the eggs, stopping after each addition to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix until the dough is smooth and glossy and the eggs are completely incorporated. The dough should be thick, but should fall slowly and steadily from the beaters when you lift them out of the bowl. If the dough is still clinging to the beaters, add the remaining egg and mix until incorporated.
• Using a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip, pipe the dough onto the baking sheet, in 2-inch diameter rounds or balls. Whisk the remaining egg with 1 1/2 teaspoons water. Brush the surface of the rounds with the egg wash to knock down the points (you may not use all the egg wash). Bake 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375 degrees F and bake until puffed up, and light golden brown, about 20 minutes more. Try not to open the oven door too often during the baking. Let cool on the baking sheet.
• To fill the cream puffs, place a pastry tip on your finger and poke a whole in the bottom of each puff. Whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla until stiff. Pipe whipped cream into each cream puff and chill until ready to serve, no more than 4 hours.
• Notes about the recipe: The moisture in the eggs turns to steam and puffs the batter to try to release itself. You can fill them with anything.

CREAM PUFFS

Steps:

• For the pastry cream: Soak the gelatin sheets in 2 cups of water until soft.
• Combine the egg yolks, sugar and 1/2 cup of the heavy cream in a medium saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil, constantly stirring so the yolks do not cook. Remove from the heat, add the gelatin and stir until dissolved. Let cool to room temperature.
• Add the remaining 1/2 cup heavy cream to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whip to soft peaks. Gently mix into the cooled yolk mixture and chill overnight.
• For the pate a choux: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment.
• Bring the butter, sugar, salt and 1 cup of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from the heat. Quickly stir in the flour with a wooden spoon. Return to medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture pulls away from the sides and a film forms on the bottom of the pan, about 3 minutes.
• Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until slightly cooled, about 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and add the 4 whole eggs, 1 at a time, until a soft peak forms when the batter is touched with your finger. If a peak does not form after the 4 eggs, lightly beat the remaining egg white and mix it into the batter a little at a time until it does.
• Transfer the pate a choux to a pastry bag fitted with a 5/8-inch plain tip. Pipe the dough into 2-inch rounds about 1 inch apart onto the prepared baking sheets. Gently smooth the pointed peaks with a moistened finger, rounding the tops to ensure even rising. Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 25 minutes. The profiteroles should feel light and airy. Transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.
• For the apple jam: Bring the sugar and 3 tablespoons of water to a boil in a large pot over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Continue to cook, swirling the pan occasionally and brushing down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush, until the mixture turns a deep amber color, about 4 minutes. Add the apples, vanilla bean and scraped seeds, if using, and stir to coat. Some of the caramel will seize, but that¿s okay because it¿s just going to melt down again. Reduce the heat to medium and stir occasionally to help the apples cook evenly and dissolve any pieces of caramel.
• Continue to cook until the apples are translucent and softened (some apples will hold their shape, but should still be softened), and most of the liquid has evaporated, 20 to 25 minutes. Add the lemon juice and stir to combine. If desired, break up any remaining larger pieces of apple with a wooden spoon for a smoother consistency. Discard the vanilla bean and store the apple jam in a glass jar or container in the refrigerator for up to one month.
• To serve: Transfer the pastry cream and apple jam to 2 separate pastry bags. Snip off the ends and pipe equal parts pastry cream and apple jam into each profiterole.