Red White And Blueberry Creme Fraiche Puffs Recipes

RED, WHITE AND BLUEBERRY TRIFLE

Steps:

• Trim and quarter the strawberries and set aside. Combine the blueberries, blackberries, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/3 cup water, lemon zest, juice and salt in a medium saucepot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the berries break down and the sauce thickens, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool.
• Place the cream cheese, 1/4 cup cream, the remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar and the vanilla extract in a large bowl and beat on medium speed until smooth and fluffy. In a second large bowl, whip the remaining cream until stiff peaks form. Fold about one-quarter of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until lightened, and then fold in the remaining whipped cream.
• To assemble the trifle, rip or cut the angel food cake into 2-inch pieces. Place half the cake pieces in the bottom of a 12-to-14-cup trifle dish or large bowl. Top with about half the blueberry sauce, half the cream and half the quartered strawberries. Repeat the layers with the remaining cake, berry sauce, cream and strawberries. Cover with plastic wrap and chill 8 hours or overnight. Before serving either dust with confectioners' sugar or heat the apple jelly in the microwave for 25 seconds to loosen, and then brush over the strawberries.

STAR PUFFS

Steps:

• Cut a sheet of puff pastry with a star-shaped cookie cutter. Arrange the stars on a parchment-lined baking sheet; brush with olive oil and sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese and pepper. Bake at 400 degrees until puffed and crisp, about 15 minutes.

MINIATURE SWEET PUFFS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Bring the water, butter, salt, and sugar to a boil in a saucepan, over medium-high heat. Pull pan from the heat, add the flour at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until all the flour is incorporated, about 1 minute. Return the pan to the heat and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes to evaporate some of the water and "cook" out the flour. The dough will get a bit shiny and stick to the pan a little.
• Transfer the mixture into an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix together on medium speed, and, while the mixer is running, add 1 egg. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Repeat, adding the other egg. Mix until the dough is smooth and glossy and eggs are uniformly incorporated.
• Using a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip, pipe the dough onto the baking sheet, into 1/4 to 1/2-inch balls. (Use a damp finger, to dab down the points of the dough to make perfect balls.) Sprinkle with the turbinado sugar, if desired. Bake 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375 degrees F (without opening the oven door), and bake until puffed up, and a rich golden brown, about 15 minutes more. Remove and poke with a toothpick. Bake an additional 10 minutes to dry the insides of the puffs. Cool on a rack.
• Cut puffs in half and fill with Raspberry Cream, ice cream or your favorite filling. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve.
• Mash the berries and sugar in a small saucepan with a wooden spoon. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring frequently until the berries break down and get juicy, about 5 minutes. Strain mixture through a fine-meshed sieve into a bowl; discard the seeds. Cool. Adjust the sweetness or tartness of the sauce with more sugar and lemon juice, as needed.
• Beat the cream until it holds a light peak. Sift the confectioners' sugar into the cream. Continue beating until the cream holds a holds a soft, but firm peak. Gently fold raspberry sauce into the whipped cream until blended. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until needed.

TUSCAN CREAM PUFFS

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks with the granulated sugar until smooth using an eggbeater or an electric mixer. Add 1 cup of the flour and the milk, butter, and lemon zest and mix well. Put the mixture in a saucepan and warm it over low heat until it becomes as thick as mashed potatoes. Spread the mixture out onto a buttered cookie sheet with a spatula and let it cool for at least 30 minutes. When it has set, cut the sheet into 1 1/2 by 2-inch diamond shapes with a sharp knife greased with vegetable oil.
• In a mixing bowl, beat the whole eggs. Dip the diamond shapes first in the remaining flour, then in the eggs, then into the bread crumbs. Fill a pan 3 inches deep with vegetable oil. Heat the oil over medium-high heat. When it is 375 degrees F. (a drop of water will sizzle and splatter), slide the diamonds in and fry them until they are golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and let them drain on paper towels. Sprinkle lightly with confectioners' sugar and serve.