Sugared Puffs Recipes

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.

PUFF PUFF

Steps:

• In a small bowl, whisk together the warm water, yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar. Let sit until foamy, 8 to 10 minutes.
• In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, nutmeg and the remaining sugar. Make a well in the center and pour in the yeast mixture once it's foamy. Combine, stirring with a wooden spoon, to incorporate all the ingredients into a smooth batter. The batter should be wet and slightly loose, similar to a yeasted waffle batter.
• Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel, and allow dough to double in size, about 40 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare the spiced sugar: In a medium bowl, toss the sugar, nutmeg, allspice and cloves to combine; set aside.
• Pour 1 inch of oil into a large, deep skillet. Line a baking sheet with a rack or paper towels to absorb excess oil.
• Once the batter has doubled in size, heat the oil over medium-high to 350 degrees. Drop tablespoonfuls of batter into the hot oil, working in batches to avoid crowding the skillet. Fry the puff puff, turning frequently until golden brown all over and cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes per batch. (Be careful not to let the oil get too hot or the exteriors will become overly dark before the interiors are cooked through.) Move the puff puff to the rack or paper towels to drain and repeat the process until all the batter has been fried.
• Toss the puff puff in the spiced sugar to coat while still warm. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.