by kirra » Fri Dec 04, 2009 11:24 am
Cream Horns
Ingredients:
2 lbs Flaky Puff Pastry Dough (See below)
4 cups heavy cream
4 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Confectioners sugar
Preparation:
Roll out dough onto a lightly floured surface until you have a rectangle measuring about 10 by 16 inches and about 1/8 inch thick. Prick with a fork to prevent any unevenness. Cut into lengthwise strips 1 inch wide, using a pastry wheel.
Wrap each strip of dough around a well greased cream horn or cannoli
form. Keep the dough off the ends of each form. Place the forms on a
parchment lined baking sheet 3 inches apart with the ends of the dough
tucked underneath the forms. Chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake horns for about 20 minutes, or until quite browned. Remove the molds and return the pastries to the oven to dry the insides, about 5 additional minutes.
Whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla and then place in a large pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip. Pipe the cream into each of the horns and dust horns with confectioners sugar.
Other Serving Suggestions:
Before filling with cream, dip horns into melted chocolate and place on parchment paper until chocolate solidifies.
Storage Suggestions:
Cover leftover horns and place in refrigerator. Can stay fresh in for up to 3 days.
Flaky Puff Pastry Dough
Ingredients:
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cups milk; very cold
1 lb butter; very cold
Preparation:
In a large bowl, mix 3 1/3 cups of the flour with the sugar and salt. Add the milk and begin tossing with the flour. Smear the flour and milk along the sides of the bowl to blend well, then incorporate into the mixture. If the moisture is absorbed too quickly by the flour, add another tablespoon or so of cold milk. Mix well but don't over mix. Sprinkle a little bit of flour over it and then flatten the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Pour the remaining flour onto a clean surface. Remove butter from refrigerator and place onto flour. Keep the butter covered with the flour while cutting it and kneading it with a pastry scraper; make sure there are no cold lumps. Add more flour if necessary to properly soften the butter without melting it. Form into a square. Scrape down the work area again and toss on some fresh flour. Place the chilled dough onto the flour, but don't handle too much. Roll out the dough corners into thin flaps, which you will use to enclose the softened butter. Place the softened square of butter onto the dough. Lift each flap snugly over the butter, making sure to overlap the corners and seal the bundle.
The dough is now ready for the first of 4 double folds. Start by pounding the dough gently in one direction. If you begin rolling, make sure the dough doesn't stick to the work surface. Roll only in one direction and not past the far end. Rolling past the end will pinch and smear the layers at the edge. Roll and manipulate the dough into a rectangle about 20 inches long and 8 inches wide. Press hard on the handles of the rolling pin to form the rectangle, then brush off any excess flour from the surface of the dough. Bring both ends toward the center like a book. Then, fold in half, closing the book. Wrap the pastry dough in plastic and refrigerate it for at least 45 minutes. The dough has been turned once, and now has 4 layers.
Place the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface so that the spine of the dough becomes the long side of your rectangle. Begin again by pounding gently. Make this rectangle about 12 X 18 inches. Fold and turn in the same way as before, first forming a rectangle that measures about 10 X 14 inches, then folding the 2 sides into the center with a little gap in the middle. Fold in half, making sure the spine of the dough becomes the length of the rectangle. Rest the dough after turn number 3 for about 1 hour in the refrigerator.
On the fourth and final turn the dough should be smooth and elastic. Try to form well defined corners with neat edges. Fold and turn once more in the same way, then chill for at least 4 to 5 hours before using. Makes 3 lbs of dough.
Notes:
Work in a kitchen that is about 70 degrees (at 80 degrees the dough will begin to melt.)
Keep a pastry scraper and a bowl of flour handy at all times.
You may have to change the amounts of butter, flour, or milk slightly in order to get the right texture.
Storage Suggestions:
I usually cut my dough into three 1 lb slabs. If I am not using the dough, I immediately wrap in a large plastic garbage bag and place in the freezer. Puff pastry is best when used within the next 3 days of being in the freezer.
Creme Patisserie (Filling for Cream Horns)
(Pastry Cream)
Ingredients:
3 cups milk
Seeds scraped from one vanilla bean (*or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract)
8 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons cornstarch, sifted
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Preparation:
In a 3 quart saucepan combine the milk and vanilla bean seeds. Heat just below the boiling point (scalding).
Using an electric mixer (with whisk attachment if available) beat the egg yolks and sugar in a large mixing bowl until they lighten in color. Stir in the cornstarch.
Pour about 1/3 of the hot milk into the egg mixture (this is called tempering), whisking continuously to incorporate. Whisk the tempered egg mixture back into the remaining hot milk, and place the saucepan back on the heat. Cook on medium high heat, stirring constantly with the whisk, until the mixture comes to the boil. Reduce heat and boil for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and gently whisk in the butter.
Strain the pastry cream into a bowl, place plastic wrap directly on the surface, and chill completely. Can be made up to 3 days ahead. Makes about 3 1/2 cups.
Note: If you are using vanilla extract it is added when the cream is finished cooking.
[b][size=150]Cream Horns[/size]
Ingredients: [/b]
2 lbs Flaky Puff Pastry Dough (See below)
4 cups heavy cream
4 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Confectioners sugar
[b]Preparation:[/b]
Roll out dough onto a lightly floured surface until you have a rectangle measuring about 10 by 16 inches and about 1/8 inch thick. Prick with a fork to prevent any unevenness. Cut into lengthwise strips 1 inch wide, using a pastry wheel.
Wrap each strip of dough around a well greased cream horn or cannoli
form. Keep the dough off the ends of each form. Place the forms on a
parchment lined baking sheet 3 inches apart with the ends of the dough
tucked underneath the forms. Chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake horns for about 20 minutes, or until quite browned. Remove the molds and return the pastries to the oven to dry the insides, about 5 additional minutes.
Whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla and then place in a large pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip. Pipe the cream into each of the horns and dust horns with confectioners sugar.
[b]
Other Serving Suggestions:[/b]
Before filling with cream, dip horns into melted chocolate and place on parchment paper until chocolate solidifies.
[b]Storage Suggestions:[/b]
Cover leftover horns and place in refrigerator. Can stay fresh in for up to 3 days.
[b][size=150]Flaky Puff Pastry Dough[/size]
Ingredients:[/b]
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cups milk; very cold
1 lb butter; very cold
[b]Preparation:[/b]
In a large bowl, mix 3 1/3 cups of the flour with the sugar and salt. Add the milk and begin tossing with the flour. Smear the flour and milk along the sides of the bowl to blend well, then incorporate into the mixture. If the moisture is absorbed too quickly by the flour, add another tablespoon or so of cold milk. Mix well but don't over mix. Sprinkle a little bit of flour over it and then flatten the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Pour the remaining flour onto a clean surface. Remove butter from refrigerator and place onto flour. Keep the butter covered with the flour while cutting it and kneading it with a pastry scraper; make sure there are no cold lumps. Add more flour if necessary to properly soften the butter without melting it. Form into a square. Scrape down the work area again and toss on some fresh flour. Place the chilled dough onto the flour, but don't handle too much. Roll out the dough corners into thin flaps, which you will use to enclose the softened butter. Place the softened square of butter onto the dough. Lift each flap snugly over the butter, making sure to overlap the corners and seal the bundle.
The dough is now ready for the first of 4 double folds. Start by pounding the dough gently in one direction. If you begin rolling, make sure the dough doesn't stick to the work surface. Roll only in one direction and not past the far end. Rolling past the end will pinch and smear the layers at the edge. Roll and manipulate the dough into a rectangle about 20 inches long and 8 inches wide. Press hard on the handles of the rolling pin to form the rectangle, then brush off any excess flour from the surface of the dough. Bring both ends toward the center like a book. Then, fold in half, closing the book. Wrap the pastry dough in plastic and refrigerate it for at least 45 minutes. The dough has been turned once, and now has 4 layers.
Place the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface so that the spine of the dough becomes the long side of your rectangle. Begin again by pounding gently. Make this rectangle about 12 X 18 inches. Fold and turn in the same way as before, first forming a rectangle that measures about 10 X 14 inches, then folding the 2 sides into the center with a little gap in the middle. Fold in half, making sure the spine of the dough becomes the length of the rectangle. Rest the dough after turn number 3 for about 1 hour in the refrigerator.
On the fourth and final turn the dough should be smooth and elastic. Try to form well defined corners with neat edges. Fold and turn once more in the same way, then chill for at least 4 to 5 hours before using. Makes 3 lbs of dough.
[b]Notes:[/b]
Work in a kitchen that is about 70 degrees (at 80 degrees the dough will begin to melt.)
Keep a pastry scraper and a bowl of flour handy at all times.
You may have to change the amounts of butter, flour, or milk slightly in order to get the right texture.
[b]Storage Suggestions:[/b]
I usually cut my dough into three 1 lb slabs. If I am not using the dough, I immediately wrap in a large plastic garbage bag and place in the freezer. Puff pastry is best when used within the next 3 days of being in the freezer.
[b][size=150]Creme Patisserie[/size][/b] (Filling for Cream Horns)
(Pastry Cream)
[b]Ingredients:[/b]
3 cups milk
Seeds scraped from one vanilla bean (*or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract)
8 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons cornstarch, sifted
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
[b]Preparation:[/b]
In a 3 quart saucepan combine the milk and vanilla bean seeds. Heat just below the boiling point (scalding).
Using an electric mixer (with whisk attachment if available) beat the egg yolks and sugar in a large mixing bowl until they lighten in color. Stir in the cornstarch.
Pour about 1/3 of the hot milk into the egg mixture (this is called tempering), whisking continuously to incorporate. Whisk the tempered egg mixture back into the remaining hot milk, and place the saucepan back on the heat. Cook on medium high heat, stirring constantly with the whisk, until the mixture comes to the boil. Reduce heat and boil for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and gently whisk in the butter.
Strain the pastry cream into a bowl, place plastic wrap directly on the surface, and chill completely. Can be made up to 3 days ahead. Makes about 3 1/2 cups.
[b]
Note: [/b] If you are using vanilla extract it is added when the cream is finished cooking.