White Chocolate Profteroles (Choux Buns)

Every Wednesday I only have 2 kids to look after at work, so I've started doing some baking with them in the afternoons. Last week we made White Chocolate Covered Choux Buns. They are delicious french sweet buns that are usually filled with cream or custard. Profiteroles are very similar but just a little different.
These were so easy to make with kids and so delicious to eat.

Ingredients:

• 80ml (1/3 cup) water
• 40g butter, at room temperature, cubed
• 50g (1/3 cup) plain flour, sifted
• 2 eggs, at room temperature

Method:

1. Place water and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes or until butter melts and mixture just comes to the boil.

2. Add all the flour to the butter mixture at once and use a wooden spoon to beat until well combined. Place over low heat and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes or until the mixture forms a ball and begins to come away from the side of the saucepan. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Whisk 1 egg in a small bowl and set aside. Whisk the remaining egg in a small bowl, then add it to the flour mixture, beating well with a wooden spoon. Gradually add a little of the reserved egg and beat until the mixture just falls from the spoon but still holds its shape.

3. Preheat oven to 200°C. Brush a baking tray with oil to lightly grease. Spoon 25-30 teaspoonsful of the mixture onto tray, about 3cm apart. Alternatively, use a pastry bag fitted with a 1.5cm-diameter plain piping nozzle to pipe the profiteroles onto the baking tray. Brush the tops with a little of the remaining egg. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until the profiteroles are puffed and golden.

4. Remove from oven and turn the oven off. Using a skewer or a small knife, pierce the base (or top) of each profiterole to release the steam. Return the profiteroles to the oven and leave them for 15 minutes to dry out. Remove the profiteroles from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

This recipe is from www.Taste.com.au


Raya X

Sugar Paste Creations

So since my last post I decided that I should delve deeper into this passion of mine. So I went out and bought some Sugar Paste and some Colour Paste's (which totally changed my life because they are such amazing colours and so super concentrated that you need less than a drop to colour something) and went to work.

This is what I have made so far

This is meant to be a baby with a dummy but it looks more like a nipple



I know they're nothing outstanding, but I'm pretty pleased with my first attempt.


Raya X

Dreams

I love baking. It is my passion. We all give to others in different ways, and mine is to cook for people but primarily bake.
There is nothing better than spending a day at home with music blaring, baking up a storm in the kitchen then having people come over and the look in their eyes when they see a beautiful pile of cookies or a giant cake that screams "EAT ME!" and that moment when they realize that its theirs for the taking. Amazing.
Although I love to bake, I've never ventured into the designing side much. I sit at the computer for hours and look at pictures of peoples amazing cakes, cupcakes and cookies and I think "Gee, I would love to be able to do that." I would love to be able to create wedding cakes and know that for someones special day, they were cutting into something that I spent hours designing, pouring my heart into and for them to then know that they had the best possible cake for their big day. That would be a feeling I could live with.
Well anyway, here are a few designs I found this morning that one day, I'd love to be able to accomplish.Raya X

Mmmmm Green Soup

I have been starting to feel a bit under the weather this week so made some "Green Soup" to boost my immune system.
Its truely not visually appetising but it is tasty and it will aid in your health.

Green Soup

1 brown onion (diced)
1 leek (sliced)
1 brocolli head
Spinach - English or baby, whatever takes your fancy (chopped)
frozen Peas
chicken or beef stock


Heat a deep frying pan to medium and saute onions and leek until transluscent. Add chopped Broccoli and allow to soften.
Add about 2 cups of the stock in and bring to boil until broccoli is cooked, then add chopped spinach. When spinach is wilted add some more stock (enough to boil the peas.) Bring to a gentle boil and add the bag of frozen peas.
Once peas are cooked through, blend mixture together - with a stick blender!!! When I made this batch, i used my boss' glass blender, then as i was rinsing the jug, it shattered on me. So be careful! Plus its hot! But if you dont blend it soon after the peas are cooked they loose their bright colour and you end up with a big bowl of dark green poo-looking soup.
Also, if you think you may have too much liquid, remove some of it and set aside. If after the soup is blended it needs more liquid, slowly add the removed stock until desired consistency.
Season with salt and pepper.

Serve with croutons or crunchy bread.

Also, you can really add any green vegetable - even lettuce to sweeten it up, just saute after the onions.

Jimmy being a champ and eating his soup with me

Raya X

Hot Cross Buns for Easter

As you all know, Easter was last weekend and as I was sitting at home thinking of what to bake I realised I had never made Hot Cross Buns. But all that has changed now...

Ingredients

• 4 cups plain flour
• 2 x 7g sachets dried yeast
• 1/4 cup caster sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons mixed spice
• pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups currants
• 40g butter
• 300ml milk
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

• Flour paste

• 1/2 cup plain flour
• 4 to 5 tablespoons water

• Glaze

• 1/3 cup water
• 2 tablespoons caster sugar

Method

1. Combine flour, yeast, sugar, mixed spice, salt and currants in a large bowl. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add milk. Heat for 1 minute, or until lukewarm. Add warm milk mixture and eggs to currant mixture. Use a flat-bladed knife to mix until dough almost comes together. Use clean hands to finish mixing to form a soft dough.

2. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead for 10 minutes, or until dough is smooth. Place into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until dough doubles in size.

3. Line a large baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Punch dough down to its original size. Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Divide into 12 even portions. Shape each portion into a ball. Place balls onto lined tray, about 1cm apart. Cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 30 minutes, or until buns double in size. Preheat oven to 190°C.

4. Make flour paste: Mix flour and water together in a small bowl until smooth, adding a little more water if paste is too thick. Spoon into a small snap-lock bag. Snip off 1 corner of bag. Pipe flour paste over tops of buns to form crosses. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until buns are cooked through.

5. Make glaze: Place water and sugar into a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Brush warm glaze over warm hot cross buns. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe from www.taste.com.au


Raya X