Mini Éclairs 迷你闪电泡芙

Éclair is come from French that means 'flash of lightning',  so named because its eaten quickly. Éclair is an elongated pastry filled with custard or whipped cream and usually iced with chocolate. So today I'm gonna share with you the classic and elegant Éclairs' recipe, but for easy to eat and the party treats, I am making it mini size.

Ingredients

Dough:

1/2 cup      Water

1/2 cup      All Purpose Flour (Plain Flour)

1/4 cup      Unsalted Butter

1/4 tsp      Salt

2      Eggs

Custard Filling:

1 cup + 2 tbsp      Milk

2 tbsp      Corn Starch

2 tbsp      Castor Sugar

2      Egg Yolks

1/2 tsp      Vanilla Paste / Extract

1/4 tsp      Salt

Chocolate Ganache:

58g      Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips

2 tbsp      Heavy Cream

材料

面团：

1/2 杯      水

1/2 杯      普通面粉

1/4 杯      无盐牛油

1/4 小匙      盐

2颗      蛋

卡士达馅：

1 杯 ＋ 2 大匙      牛奶

2 大匙      玉米淀粉

2 大匙      白砂糖

2 颗      蛋黄

1/2 小匙      香草膏／香草精

1/4 小匙      盐

巧克力酱：

58克      半甜巧克力粒

2 大匙      鲜奶油

Methods:

To make the Custard Filling...

1. Add all the custard ingredients in a saucepan, and then whisk them all together to combine.

2. Place the custard mixture over medium heat to cook, whisking the whole time until custard thickens.

3. Strain the cooked custard through a fine sieve into a bowl, and then cover it with a piece of plastic wrap. Make sure the plastic wrap is touching the custard, and then set it in the fridge to cool completely.

To make the Dough...

1. Preheat the oven to 220˚C / 425˚F.

2. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

3. Put the water, butter, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium low heat.

4. When boiled, remove the heat. Add the flour all at once and stir well with a wooden spoon until the flour is completely mixed in.

5. Turn the heat back on to medium heat and cook, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes. Scrape the dough into a large bowl.

6. With a mixer or a wooden spoon, beat the dough to allow the steam escape.

7. Beat in the eggs one at a time until all eggs are well incorporated.

8. Fill a disposable piping bag that has been fitted with a medium size round tip with the dough, and then pipe out 3 inches (around 8cm) apart on the prepared baking sheets.

9. Spray the top of the eclairs with some water and bake them for 8 minutes.

10. Reduce the temperature to 180˚C / 350˚F and continue baking for an additional 15 minutes or until lightly golden brown.

11. As soon as they come out of the oven, use a skewer to make a little hole at the end of each side so the steam can escape. Set aside on a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the Ganache...

1. Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until just below boiling point.

2. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips and let it sit for a minute.

3. Whisk the chocolate mixture until the chocolate has melted.

To assemble...

1. Using a pipping bag fitted with a small size round tip, fill each shell with the cooled custard cream and dip the tops in the melted chocolate ganache.

2. Allow them to set slightly before serving.

做法：

卡士达馅的做法...

1. 将所有材料倒入小锅里搅拌至完全结合。

2. 用中小火加热，期间不停的搅拌至卡士达变浓稠。

3. 将煮好的卡士达馅过筛到碗中，然后盖上一块保鲜膜。确保保鲜膜碰触到卡士达馅，然后放入冰箱里至完全冷却。

面团的做法...

1. 预热烤箱至220˚C／425˚F。

2. 将烤盘铺上烘焙纸备用。

3. 将水，牛油及盐倒入锅中，用中小火煮开。

4. 煮开后熄火。加入面粉，用木勺搅拌均匀直到完全混合。

5. 用中火继续煮面团，不断搅拌大约两分钟。将熟面团倒入一个大容器里。

6. 用搅拌机或木勺搅拌熟面团，以让蒸汽散发。

7. 拌入鸡蛋，一次一颗，直到鸡蛋完全结合均匀。

8. 用一个一次性的挤花袋配上中等大小的圆形嘴管，将面团放入其中，然后在准备好的烤盘上挤出3英寸（大约8厘米）的长形。

9. 在挤好的面团上喷洒一点水，然后送入预热烤箱里烤个8分钟。

10. 8分钟后降低烤箱温度至180˚C / 350˚F，继续烘烤多15分钟左右或直到浅金黄色。

11. 当送出烤箱后，用一个竹签子在两侧乍个洞以便蒸汽可以散开。设置在烤架上摊凉直至完全冷却。

巧克力酱的做法...

1. 鲜奶油放入小锅中用中火加热至略低于沸点。

2. 将热的鲜奶油倒入巧克力粒中，让它待个1分钟。

3. 慢慢搅拌至巧克力完全溶化及混合在一起。

组合闪电泡芙...

1. 用配有小圆形嘴管的挤花袋，将冷却后的卡士达馅挤入每个泡芙壳里，然后在顶部 沾上巧克力酱。

2. 让它们稍微冷却后才食用。

Mini Nutella Filled Fluted Cakes

Brown butter (called beurre noisette in French) is made by cooking butter long enough to turn the milk solids and salt particles brown while cooking out any water present. It has more complex flavour than melted or clarified butter. Brown butter is traditionally served with fish, but makes a delicious topping for vegetables such as broccoli. It adds a deep, nutty flavour to sweet items like butterscotch pudding or cream cheese frosting.

But this time, I add the complex and nutty flavour to my mini fluted cakes with this classic French technique.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup      Brown Sugar
3/4 cup      Cake Flour
1/2 tsp      Baking Powder
4 Egg Whites
1/2 cup (100g)      Butter
4 tbsp      Nutella Spread

材料：
3/4 杯      黑糖
3/4 杯      蛋糕粉
1/2 小匙      发酵粉
4 颗      蛋白
1/2 杯 (100克)      牛油
4 大匙      巧克力酱

Methods:
1. Cut the butter into 4 pieces.
2. Over low heat, use a sauce pan, place in the first piece of butter and cook until it melts completely.
3. After the butter has melted, place in the second piece and continue to cook.
4. Follow the same steps for the third and fourth piece of butter. Move the pan around constantly to let it cooks evenly.
5. Once all the butter has melted and browned, turn off the heat and let it cool. Set aside.
6. Preheat the oven in 200˚C / 400˚F.
7. In a large bowl, mix in the flour, brown sugar, and baking power.
8. Add the egg whites into the dry ingredients and beat until smooth and fluffy.
9. Slowly add the brown butter into the batter and whisk until well combined.
10. Spoon the batter into a non-stick mini cake mould about 3/4 full.
11. Bake it until the edges starts to look golden, about 8-10 minutes.
12. Once its baked, use a skewer to poke it out and place in a wire rack to cool.
13. When its cool completely, pip the Nutella into the cake centre. You can feel the pressure from inside when its filled.

做法：
1. 把牛油切成4块。
2. 放第一块牛油进小锅中，用小火煮溶。
3. 第一块牛油煮溶后，放入第二块牛油继续煮溶。
4. 重复步骤将其余的牛油煮溶。期间不停的移动锅子，让牛油煮均匀。
5. 当牛油煮至咖啡色后，熄火备用。
6. 这时候，烤箱预热200˚C / 400˚F。
7. 将蛋糕粉，黑糖及发酵粉混合均匀。
8. 加入蛋白搅拌至顺滑及蓬松。
9. 慢慢加入金黄溶化牛油搅拌均匀。
10. 用汤匙把面糊倒入 不沾贴的小蛋糕 模具里，大约3/4满。
11. 送进预热烤箱，烤至边缘开始显得金黄色，大约8至10分钟。
12. 蛋糕烤熟后，用竹签将它插出来，然后放在烤架上摊凉。
13. 蛋糕凉透后，用挤花袋将巧克力酱挤入小蛋糕中央。

Chocolate Pots de Crème

It's been a while I didn't update my blog because I was busy on my final exam. 

Actually this dessert I was made before my exam start, it's fast and simple. 

The texture is between mousse and pudding, when put inside your mouth, it will immediately melted without any bites. Mmm~ mmm~ =)

Here we go for the recipe and lets get started......

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (120ml) Heavy Whipping Cream

1/2 cup (120ml) Full Fat Milk

1/2 tsp Instant Coffee Powder (optional)

60g Semi Sweet or Bittersweet Chocolate, finely chopped

1 Large Egg, room temperature

2 Large Egg Yolks, room temperature

1/4 cup (50g) Castor Sugar

1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Methods:

1. Preheat oven to 300°f or 150°c.

2. In a heatproof bowl beat the egg, egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale, about 1 to 2 minutes.

3. Meanwhile in a saucepan, over medium heat, bring the cream, milk, coffee powder, and chocolate just to simmer (the cream just begins to bubble around the edges).

4. Gradually pour the hot cream into the egg yolk mixture, making sure you keep whisking constantly so the eggs don't curdle. Stir in the vanilla extract.

5. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and stirring constantly, heat the mixture just until hot to the touch.

6. Strain the warm mixture into a large bowl, and then evenly pour the cream into a ramekin or heatproof container. 

7. Prepare a water bath by carefully pouring enough boiling water comes about halfway up side of the ramekins.

8. Cover with a piece of aluminum foil, cutting a few slits in the foil to allow the steam to escape. Bake for about 30-40 minutes, or just until it set.

9. Remove the cream from the water bath and cool to room temperature, about an hour. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.

10. It can be served with whipped cream and shredded dark chocolate.