RECIPE: FLUFFY BEIGNETS

Pate a choux pastry is used to make all sorts of dessert deliciousness. Churros, éclairs, profiteroles, and even towering croquembouches are made from choux pastry. Beignets can also be made from choux but isn’t often used in the South; most chefs make the chewier, rolled yeast variety of beignets like they serve at Cafe du Monde in New Orleans. I prefer a fluffy choux beignet which have been made famousby my buddy Panini Pete. If you make it to his place in Fairhope or Mobile, Alabama, you'll see an early morning line forming for Pete's beignets. They taste more like a hot doughnut and are delicious fried dough heaven. Sprinkled with Confectioners’ sugar while they are hot. Serve with a squeeze of lemon. These won’t hold well once your squeeze the lemon over them but then again, they’ll go so fast you won’t have to worry about that.

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FLUFFY BEIGNETS

Prep Time: 12 minutes   Cook Time: 7-8 minutes per batch

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ cups water

6 ounces unsalted butter

1 ½ cups all purpose flour

6 eggs, room temperature

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Canola oil for frying

Food thermometer

Confectioners’ sugar and lemon wedges for garnish

DIRECTIONS: 

Put canola oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat and bring it to 350 degrees F.

Mix the salt into the flour.  

Put the water and butter in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and whisk in the flour all at one time to combine and form dough which will pull away from the side of the pan. Switch to a wooden spoon. Add the eggs, two at a time, blending well with the wooden spoon between each addition. Beat the dough with the wooden spoon until it goes from ‘slippery’ and glossy to matte.  Add the vanilla and stir to incorporate.

Scoop the dough with a small ice cream scoop and place in the hot oil. Take care not to over crowd the pot or the temperature of the oil will drop and your beignets will soak up oil. Fry for 7-8 minutes, turning the beignets around frequently in the oil. Drain on paper toweling.

Serve warm with a dusting of Confectioners’ sugar and lemon, lime, or orange wedges.

RECIPE: MY CHOCOLATE ROULAGE (ROULADE) FROM FOOD NETWORK STAR

For my niece Sarah, who loves this roulage and asks me to make it for her for every holiday.

Back many years ago, there was a Birmingham restaurant called Cobb Lane located on a quaint cobblestone alley. Owned and operated by a woman named Virginia Cobb and featuring Southern specialties like Chicken Supreme, Chicken Divan, She-Crab soup, and homemade yeast rolls,  many of us celebrated our special occasions there. Birthdays, anniversaries, baby showers and most often, bridal showers and bridesmaids luncheons were held there and always ended with Mrs. Cobb's famous Chocolate Roulage. My own bridesmaids' luncheon was there, and of course, we had Roulage for dessert.

I have made this recipe for years so when I was tossed a curveball on Food Network Star and found no ice cream freezer on set that day, I made the roulage instead of the chocolate cake and ice cream I originally intended to make for the judges. Happily, it won rave reviews and with a little help from my teammate Justin Warner, I got it onto the plates in the nick of time. Be sure to chill it properly before slicing so it holds together.

Make this roulage for Christmas Eve and it will become one of your family traditions. PS-I normally omit the bourbon when I make this recipe for the family.

CHOCOLATE ROULAGE

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes plus 30 minutes cool time and chill 2 hours before serving

INGREDIENTS

Softened unsalted butter, for greasing baking sheet and parchment paper

5 egg yolks

1 cup granulated sugar

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 tablespoon espresso or strong, black coffee

5 egg whites

1 cup cocoa powder

2 cups heavy cream

 2 teaspoons Confectioners’ sugar

1/2 cup bourbon (optional)

seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean

1 teaspoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Farenheit. Trim a sheet of parchment paper to fit a half-sheet pan or baking sheet. Make sure there is at least 1" excess all the way around after you fit it to the pan.

FOR THE CAKE: Butter the baking sheet, including the sides and corners. Line with the parchment paper and smooth it with your hands. Pull the paper up and flip it so both sides are now buttered.  

Fit a stand mixer with whisk attachment, beat the egg yolks and sugar on medium speed until fluffy and the sugar is not gritty, about 10-12 minutes.

While the eggs are beating, put the chopped chocolate in a heatproof glass bowl and melt it over a double boiler. When chocolate is melted, remove from heat, let it cool a bit. Sit the bowl in some cool water for a few minutes, if necessary.

Incorporate the egg mixture into the slightly warm chocolate by adding a little at a time to temper the mixture, so you don't cook the eggs. Add vanilla and espresso.

In a clean bowl, and using a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Incorporate 1/4 of egg whites into the chocolate mixture by carefully folding the whites into the chocolate, taking care not to deflate the whites. Fold the remaining whites into the chocolate but make sure not to have any white streaks in the batter nor deflate the whites.

Spread the batter into the prepared pan bake at 325° for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and spread a dampened tea towel or several dampened paper towels over the top of the cake and let it sit for 30 minutes. Change out the towels if they dry out.

FOR THE FILLING: While the cake is cooling, whip the cream in a clean bowl using the whip attachment. Whip the cream, Confectioners’ sugar, bourbon, vanilla bean and vanilla on medium speed until stiff peaks form. (Bourbon and vanilla bean is optional)

TO ASSEMBLE: Use the parchment paper to help you roll the cake. Using a fine sieve or sifter, sprinkle ½ cup of cocoa powder over the top of the cake. Spread the whipped cream mixture over the top, leaving 1 inch on each side. Rolling lengthwise, use the edge of the parchment paper, carefully roll the cake creating a jellyroll effect, tuck and roll as you go, peeling back the paper along the way. Put the rolled cake seam side down and very lightly dust the whole cake with the remaining cocoa powder. Chill at least 2 hours before serving. You might even put the cake in the freezer for an hour before serving so it is easy to slice.

To serve, slice cake with a serrated knife and place on chilled plates. Garnish with a light dusting of cocoa powder and fresh berries.

Yield: 1 roulage, about 8 slices

RECIPE: QUICK APPLE TART WITH PUFF PASTRY CRUST

I frequently make homemade pie crust and my Rustic Apple Tart is always a hit. But what if you don't have the 1 hour you need to let the pie crust chill? Well, you can make a beautiful and utterly fabulous bake shop worthy apple tart in minutes! Top it with ice cream and - well- it is just hard to beat.  I recently made this recipe during my demo at the Fabulous Food Show in Cleveland, Ohio and have had a ton of requests for the recipe--so here you go!

Quick Apple Tart with Puff Pastry Crust

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QUICK APPLE TART WITH PUFF PASTRY CRUST

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup granulated sugar

pinch of allspice

pinch of kosher salt

pinch of ground black pepper

2 large apples, cored, peeled and sliced thin with a mandolin(Braeburn work well)

1 lemon, juiced

1 sheet of packaged puff pastry, thawed to package direction

2-3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

1/2 cup Confectioners sugar (maybe a bit more depending on the size of the tart)

DIRECTIONS: 

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to the temperature recommended by the manufacturer for the puff pastry, usually 400F.  

Mix the granulated sugar, allspice, salt, and pepper together in a bowl. Set aside. 

Pell and slice the apples and squeeze the lemon juice over them to stop any browning.  

Dust your work surface with a bit of the flour and rolling pin. Lightly roll out the puff pastry and then use a dinner plate as a template to cut it into a circle. (you can make a square but the round is prettier- square more rustic) Place onto the prepared baking sheet.

Dock (prick holes in it) the puff pastry with a fork to prevent it from puffing up too much during the cooking process.  

Place the apple slices on a paper towel to blot off excess moisture before you begin to arrange them on the puff pastry. Arrange the apples in a circle; start on the outside and work towards the inside, slightly overlapping as you go. Use a pastry brush to cover the entire surface of the apples with the softened butter. Cover that with the sugar mixture.  

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and apples are tender.

Remove and immediately dust the top of the apples with the Confectioners sugar using a fine mesh sieve. Use a torch to caramelize the sugar or put under the broiler for 1-2 minutes. Serve with a scoop of Dulce de Leche or caramel ice cream. 

FIND MORE PUFF PASTRY RECIPES!