spinach cream puffs
Oct. 4th, 2016 02:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kareinaYesterday I experimented with an old family recipe for cream puffs, making a savory almond version. However, it having been my first attempt at baking them, I didn't have the trick down for getting the puffs to stay puffed and not collapse. So today I tried again, this time with a spinach & nut filling:
Spinach cream puffs
Cream Filling for Cream Puffs
Heat 1/2 cup milk and 65 g finely chopped fresh spinach in a microwave safe glass bowl at least 2 cups in capacity--microwave on full power, taking it out to stir every 30 seconds till it is hot.
Meanwhile Chop finely 1/4 mixed walnuts and sunflower seeds, combine with 1/2 T cornstarch, add garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, and dash of salt to taste and add to hot milk. Microwave at full power, stir every 30 seconds until thick. Then add 1 beaten egg, mixed well, and heat for 30 more seconds. Set glass bowl into a larger bowl of ice water to cool spinach pudding before combining it with same amount of whipped cream, for filling the puffs.
While it cools make Cream Puffs:
1/4 c. butter 1/2 c. boiling water
1/4 t. salt 1/2 c. flour
2 eggs
Combine butter, salt & water. Heat to boiling. Sift flour & measure. Add to boiling mixture. Beat vigorously until mixture leaves sides of pan & does not cling to spoon. Remove from fire. Cool slightly. Add unbeaten eggs one at a time until mixture is smooth.
Drop by tablespoons into silicone muffin cups. Bake in 175 C oven with fan 20 min. Lower heat to 150 degrees F & bake for 10 min or until firm & dry. Take puffs out of muffin cups, but leave them in the oven with heat turned down to 100 C, then slide them off of baking pan and leave on wire rack in off oven with door open to cool them without collapse.
Today's bake was only half a batch compared to the numbers reported yesterday, yet it made almost as many puffs, because this time I put only 1 T of batter in each muffin cup, which gave me 10 puffs (so yesterday's 12 could have been 20 had I enough cups for them). The new times and temps for baking worked perfectly, and once cool I had sturdy puffs that didn't mind being sliced open for filling, but just held their shape. They are really yummy, and I ate three right away (and am seriously considering going back for a fourth when I am done typing).
Note that yesterday's version was, in fact, still yummy today. I brought two to the office this morning, intending to eat one early, and the other for a later snack, but instead ate them both at once, because I couldn't not eat the second. I can't even say that I dislike the texture of yesterday's puffs. Yes, they did sag and are soft, but they wind up feeling rather like eating Swedish oven pancakes with the almond cream, an effect I rather like. Totally different than today's puffs, which are good in a very different way.
Spinach cream puffs
Cream Filling for Cream Puffs
Heat 1/2 cup milk and 65 g finely chopped fresh spinach in a microwave safe glass bowl at least 2 cups in capacity--microwave on full power, taking it out to stir every 30 seconds till it is hot.
Meanwhile Chop finely 1/4 mixed walnuts and sunflower seeds, combine with 1/2 T cornstarch, add garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, and dash of salt to taste and add to hot milk. Microwave at full power, stir every 30 seconds until thick. Then add 1 beaten egg, mixed well, and heat for 30 more seconds. Set glass bowl into a larger bowl of ice water to cool spinach pudding before combining it with same amount of whipped cream, for filling the puffs.
While it cools make Cream Puffs:
1/4 c. butter 1/2 c. boiling water
1/4 t. salt 1/2 c. flour
2 eggs
Combine butter, salt & water. Heat to boiling. Sift flour & measure. Add to boiling mixture. Beat vigorously until mixture leaves sides of pan & does not cling to spoon. Remove from fire. Cool slightly. Add unbeaten eggs one at a time until mixture is smooth.
Drop by tablespoons into silicone muffin cups. Bake in 175 C oven with fan 20 min. Lower heat to 150 degrees F & bake for 10 min or until firm & dry. Take puffs out of muffin cups, but leave them in the oven with heat turned down to 100 C, then slide them off of baking pan and leave on wire rack in off oven with door open to cool them without collapse.
Today's bake was only half a batch compared to the numbers reported yesterday, yet it made almost as many puffs, because this time I put only 1 T of batter in each muffin cup, which gave me 10 puffs (so yesterday's 12 could have been 20 had I enough cups for them). The new times and temps for baking worked perfectly, and once cool I had sturdy puffs that didn't mind being sliced open for filling, but just held their shape. They are really yummy, and I ate three right away (and am seriously considering going back for a fourth when I am done typing).
Note that yesterday's version was, in fact, still yummy today. I brought two to the office this morning, intending to eat one early, and the other for a later snack, but instead ate them both at once, because I couldn't not eat the second. I can't even say that I dislike the texture of yesterday's puffs. Yes, they did sag and are soft, but they wind up feeling rather like eating Swedish oven pancakes with the almond cream, an effect I rather like. Totally different than today's puffs, which are good in a very different way.