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Niña
​nin-ya

NIÑA ​ANINIAS

SHOP. COOK. EAT.
REPEAT.

Kiwi Cream Puffs or Petits Choux à la Kiwi Crème

10/9/2012

2 Comments

 
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Halloween is just around the corner and this recipe is perfect!

I have made petits choux before but not this traditional one, it was an updated one with AcousticChef stamped all over it. A combination of hot and cold filling with a crunchy casing.

BUT of course this traditional recipe is a right of passage and to be honest, it tasted equally great as my experiment.

Tip 1: Practice makes perfect, once you find the right piping tip and the right size of piping, it'll be so easy the next time around.
Tip 2: You can use your hand mixer and bowl if stand alone is not available. If that's not available too, a wooden spoon will also do the trick though for sure you'll have bigger biceps after :)
Tip 3: If you have no piping bag and tip, use a ziploc bag and cut the tip or plop a heap of batter using a teaspoon.
Tip 4: You can make your puffs as small or as big as you want but the bigger the size, the longer it will take to bake.
Tip 5: Don't go greedy and eat all the pastry before it's filled!

Pastry Ingredients:

2 cups water
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 large eggs

Kiwi Cream Filling Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
2 pureed Zespiri Kiwi
4 egg yolks
1 greed Wilton food colouring (no taste)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla or in my case, pinch of vanilla powder

Makes 72 decent sized petits choux

Preheat the oven to 400F and line your baking sheets with parchment paper.

To make the creme:

Combine pureed kiwi and milk. Set aside.

In a decent size saucepan, over medium heat, combine sugar, flour and salt. Pour milk mixture in a slow stream while continuously stirring the flour. Mixture will become thick.

Turn the heat down, stir for another 3 minutes then remove from heat. In a mixing bowl, place the egg yolks and slowly pour a slightly hot milk mixture while whisking continuously so that the egg doesn't scramble. Once fully combined, return the mixture to the pan.

Gently bring to a boil and let it bubble for 2 minutes. Add a tiny teeny drop of your green food colouring. Finish it off with butter and vanilla. 

Transfer the mixture to a shallow bowl to cool. To prevent a skin from forming, position your cling film or plastic wrap right on top of the cream. Refrigerate until cold.
To make pàte à choux or puffs
In a small bowl, combine flour and salt.

In a medium size saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add butter and let it melt. Add flour mixture and stir vigorously. Continue stirring until mixture forms a ball and no longer separate. Cool pan slightly off the heat.

Transfer the dough to your stand alone mixer's bowl (like KitchenAid). Using the paddle attachment, mix at slow speed. Add eggs one at a time, making sure it's blended well before adding another one. 

Transfer batter to pastry bag fitted with a medium size star tip. Pipe circles on the parchment papers, about 2-3 inches. Pipe outside in.

Leave good enough space in between piped doughs. You need that for even baking and proper air circulation. 

Bake for 20 minutes then cool them on cooling racks.
To assemble:
Picture

Cut a small slit through the puff using the tip of your knife ala samurai... hi-ya!

Using piping bag and star tip, or ziploc bag, transfer enough cream to the bag Squeeze enough creme inside the puffs opening until it overflows and looks like a gooey green blob is coming out of puff's mouth. 
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Cut mini marshmallows in two, stick choco chip on it and position it on top of the puff. You then have an alien-looking puff drooling green blob... Dust the whole plate with icing sugar to finish it off.

Happy yummy Halloween!!!

For Yummy Creepy Crawlies Spider Cupcakes Recipe, click here.


-AcousticChef, cookin' one tune at a time!

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Valentine's Day Special

2/17/2011

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Since this year's Valentine's night is the night before a religious holiday, it was a dry night in any bars and restos here in the UAE. Layman's word, no alcohol will be served to the public.

So this year, we've decided to celebrate Vday as if it's a family celebration. My kids didn't know any better anyway. The were bugging me from the night before, "mommy, what will be dinner tomorrow?!" So I said, what the heck, let it be a special dinner for six. My loving hubby, moi, my boys, my sister and my kid's nanny.  

For the kids and the kids at heart, it's heart-shaped personalized pizza and spaghetti carbonara. For the 18ers (yes, that's when my age stopped!), bruschetta topped with simple chopped tomatoes and basil drizzled with balsamic vinegar, basil, a little bit of salt and pepper and yes, shavings of parmegiano regiano and of course one of my fave, caprese.

For a heavier treat, T-bone steak topped with mushroom gravy. For Dessert, heart-shaped chocolate cake, topped with ice cream ball with magic chocolate shell....

It was a lovely evening indeed, just what everyone need after a loooong day at work... family time with good food... just PERFECT! 

Simple recipes will be posted soon!
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Carrot Cake

12/20/2010

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FV42-06-1210

The amazing thing about this is this is it's the same recipe as the carrot cupcake... study that recipe and the cream cheese icing and you have endless possibilities...
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Yummy Creepy Crawlies - Spider Cupcakes

11/6/2010

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FV31-04-1110

Halloween is finished but a lot are still asking how the spider cupcake was made... so here it goes.

INGREDIENTS

1 chocolate cake mix or my recipe Moist Chocolate Cakes/Cupcakes
27 strawberry flavour gummy stick
36 M & M's, red or green colours
Ready made chocolate frosting or my Glaze in the German Chocolate Recipe
Chocolate sprinkles

Prepare cupcakes according to package direction.

In the meantime, cut the gummy stick into two and slice it lengthwise.

Once cupcakes are cooled down. Spread chocolate frosting on top. Insert 3 gummy stick on each side to make up the legs. Place 2 pieces of M&M's in front to create the eyes. Sprinkle with chocolate sprinkles to create hairs.

Voila, you're ready for Halloween!

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Maple-Pepper Salmon Bites

9/13/2010

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FV11-09-0910

Original Recipe:
Nancy Hawley | January 1999

This was the last salmon I made for a three in a row salmon dish that has to be as inconspicuous as possible.

The third one has to be special, otherwise my boys will probably not even put it in their mouth.

This was perfect... the maple syrup aroma was all over the kitchen... my kids got so curious and even watched it with me while I make sure the oven temperature doesn't burn it to dryness.

Tip 1: Don't dip the salmon bites to pepper. Use your finger to control how much pepper you want on your salmon bite. Have just enough pepper to have a little kick...
Tip 2: Make half the portion without pepper. Kids will love it!
Tip 3: I think this will also work well with boneless chicken pieces.

I did this in a jif.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup soy sauce
700 grams skinned salmon fillet
1/8 cup freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable or canola oil spray

Cut salmon into bite-size cubes. Combine maple syrup and soy sauce in a medium-size bowl and add salmon. Make sure the fish is fully immersed in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Grease a sheet of aluminum foil with the oil spray. Preheat oven to 500°F. put pepper in small plate and using your finger tip, tap a little pepper on one side of salmon. Place each peppered piece on foil, then cook in oven for 3 to 4 minutes. Serve immediately. 

This is perfect appetizer for gatherings... even guests who are picky and not fish eaters will like this a lot. It's yum-my...
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