Croquembouche
The croquembouche is becoming
very popular with Acadian brides as a substitute for the more
traditional wedding cake. The croquembouche is composed of small
cream puffs arranged pyramid style on a baked pastry round. The
puffs are glazed with caramel before they are placed on the pastry
round.
Custard:
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/2 cup sugar
- pinch salt
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 egg whites
- 5 tablespoons sugar
Heat 1 cup milk with 1/2 cup
sugar. In the meantime beat together 3/4 cup milk, 1/2 cup sugar,
pinch salt, 2 egg yolks, 2 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon
flour in a 4-cup Pyrex pitcher. Add second mixture slowly to
the hot milk and sugar. Cook over low flame until mixture thickens.
Cook 2-3 minutes. Fold in meringue made for 2 egg whites and
5 tablespoons sugar. Flavor with 1 teaspoon vanilla. Yield 3
cups. Chill custard.
Puff Pastry (Pastry Round):
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup ice water
- 1 1/2 sticks sweet butter
Into a large bowl sift 2 cups
flour with 1/2 teaspoon slat. Rub in 2 tablespoons butter, cut
into small pieces, until the mixture resembles meal. Add a scant
1/2 cup ice water and incorporate it into the dough. Work the
mixture for a few seconds to combine the ingredients and form
the dough into a ball. Dust the ball lightly with flour. With
a knife cut a deep cross in the middle of the ball and push each
quarter of the dough outward to form a 4-inch square. Pat the
dough until it is smooth, wrap it in plastic wrap, and chill
it..
Let 1 1/2 sticks or 3/4 cup
sweet butter soften slightly. Knead the butter, squeezing it
through the fingers, and form into a rough square. Remove the
wax paper and dust the butter well on all sides with flour. Wrap
it in a clean piece of wax paper and chill it until firm but
not hard. On a floured surface roll out the dough to a 7-inch
square. Lay the chilled butter diagonally in the center of the
square and roll out the 4 visible corners of the dough into 4-inch
lengths. Fold each strip of dough over the butter, completely
enclosing it, and turn the dough over. Sprinkle the working surface
and the dough with flour and roll the dough out to a rectangle
about 10-inches long x 6-inches wide. Brush off any excess flour
and fold the top third of the rectangle over the center and the
bottom third over the top. Turn the folded dough on the board
so that an open side faces you. With the rolling pin, flatten
the dough with uniform impressions. Roll the dough from the center
sway from you within 1-inch of the end. Reserve the strip on
the board, flouring the board as necessary, and again roll the
dough away from you to make a rectangle about 10-inches long.
Do not roll the pin over the ends, or the air and butter will
be expelled. Brush off any excess flour from the dough and fold
the strip in 3 as before. This completes 2 "turns".
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill it for 30 minutes. Make
2 more turns, always starting with an open end facing your. Wrap
the pastry in plastic wrap and chill it for at least 30 minutes
or up to 2 days. The pasty I given additional turns before using.
Bake as directed.
Pate A Choux (Puffs):
- 1 cup water
- 1 stick butter
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 cup flour
- 3 eggs
In a heavy saucepan bring
1 cup water, 1 stick or 1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces, and
1 teaspoon sugar to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and
add 1 cup flour all at once. With a wooden paddle beat the mixture
until it leaves the sides of the pan and forms a ball. Transfer
the dough to the bowl of an electric mixer. With the mixer at
high speed beat in 3 eggs, one at a time, beating well after
each addition. The batter should be just thick enough to hold
peaks. If it I too stiff, break another egg into a bowl and add
enough of it to bring the batter to the right consistency. Chill
batter at least 10 minutes before baking. For uniform puffs pipe
from pastry bag. You may drop onto greased cookie sheets with
2 spoons to form shape. Keep shape high not flat. Bake at 425
degrees F for 10 minutes, then 375 degrees for 10 minutes, then
350 degrees for 10 minutes. Turn oven off, prick puffs, and leave
in oven 10 more minutes. Cool thoroughly. Make tiny hole in side
of each puff. Now they are ready to be filled with custard.
Caramel Coating:
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 cup water
Blend above ingredients together
and bring to boil stirring constantly. When syrup begins to change
color turn off heat. Now you are ready to assemble the croquembouche.
With tongs pick up one filled puff at a time and dip into caramel,
then place on baked pastry round. Cover entire pasty with puffs.
Syrup will act as glue. Start second layer 1/2-inch from the
edge. Keep turning the pastry so that you can build the pyramid.
Optional: If you are patient enough to wait about 2-3 minutes,
the glaze will be cooled off enough for you to spin thread around
the pastry. With the tongs, test the syrup. When it starts to
become heavy, with the tongs, place a drop of caramel at the
bottom side of the pyramid. Gently pull the caramel syrup with
the end of the tongs, and you will start spinning threads. Start
at the bottom of the pyramid and work your way around. Repeat
this procedure. When finished, the croquembouche will be encased
in the wispy caramel. Serves 12.
Gourmet Cooking Class
University of Southwestern Louisiana
Seafood Tarts
- 2 cans tuna, drained or crabmeat,
shrimp or lobster
- 2 tablespoons oil from seafood
- 1/2 cup grated onion
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Worchestershire
- 1 egg, well beaten
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 2 cans refrigerated crescent
rolls
- paprika
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
F. Mix all ingredients except rolls, paprika and 1/2 cup cheese.
On ungreased cookie sheet unroll crescent dough and separate
into 4 rectangles. Fill the center of each with filling. Place
the other 4 rectangles on top of the filling. Seal with fork.
Slit tops with fork in two places. Sprinkle with paprika and
cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove tarts and serve. Very
good for a luncheon. Serves 8. - Mrs. Thomas J.R. Low
Double Frosted Bourbon Brownies
- 3/4 cup sifted all-purpose
flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup butter
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 (6 ounce) package semi-sweet
chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped
walnuts
- 4 tablespoons bourbon
Preheat oven to 325 degrees
F. Sift flour, baking soda and salt together. Combine sugar,
butter and water in a medium size saucepan. Heat, stirring constantly
until sugar melts and mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat
and stir in chocolate chips, vanilla and blend until smooth.
Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in flour mixture and walnuts.
Spread evenly in a 9x9x2-inch greased pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes
or until shiny and firm on top. Remove from oven, sprinkle bourbon
over top and cool completely. Spread white frosting evenly over
tip; chill until firm. Spread chocolate glaze over frosting;
chill. Cut into squares. Keep refrigerated and covered until
ready to use.
White Frosting:
- 1/2 cup butter or margarine
- 1 teaspoon vanilla or rum
extract
- 2 cups confectioner's sugar
Beat butter and vanilla in
a medium size bowl until creamy, gradually beat in sugar until
mixture has become smooth and spreadable.
Chocolate Glaze:
1 (6 ounce ) package semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon margarine
Combine chocolate chips and
margarine in double boiler. Set over hot, not boiling water until
melted.
- Talk About Good II
Le Livre de Cuisine des Acadiens - The
Book of Cajun Cuisine
By The Junior League of Lafayette,
Inc.
Publication Date: December 1980
- $11.95- Plastic Spiral Binding - Amazon@TKL
- ORDER
- ISBN: 0-935032-50-9
The Recipe
Link - http://www.recipelink.com
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