Chocolate Cream Puffs With Cocoa Nib Cream

For New Year's Eve this year, Jeff and I met some of my friends out for a drink in Boston and then we came back toward home and headed to his friend's house down the street from us where we spent the rest of the evening. Jeff's friend and his fiancée planned a potluck dinner, and I made a couple of desserts to contribute.

There were four couples total and everyone made something, so the spread was incredible, starting with appetizers of meats and cheeses, veggies and dips, Swedish meatballs, and a buffalo chicken stromboli. After snacking on appetizers, we took a break and played Apples to Apples (which apparently can become a drinking game), and then we gathered around the table for dinner. We had a spicy-sweet chili, mac and cheese with chicken and broccoli, pulled pork sliders, and a roasted winter vegetable salad. All of that food necessitated another break, so we hung out and watched the ball drop before digging into the desserts.

These cream puffs were a great idea because although they look heavy, they're actually very light. I also think they look and sound pretty fancy, and New Year's Eve is a great night for pulling out all the stops. If you have a special occasion to celebrate or just feel like making a fancy dessert, I definitely suggest these!

Chocolate Cream Puffs With Cocoa Nib Cream (adapted from The Art and Soul of Baking)

Ingredients

Cream Puffs And Cream
2 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup roasted cocoa nibs

1 cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut in 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 eggs

Dark Chocolate Sauce
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup creme fraiche
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preparation

Heat cream and cocoa nibs over medium heat until cream starts to boil.

Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 20 minutes. Strain cream into heatproof bowl, pressing firmly on nibs to extract cream.

Cover and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours or overnight.

Line two baking sheets with parchment. Using a 2-inch biscuit cutter, trace about 15 evenly spaced circles on each piece of parchment. Turn the parchment over (and make sure you can see your outlines through it).

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and position racks in upper and lower thirds of oven.

Sift flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, and cocoa powder together in small bowl.

Cook butter, water, and salt in medium saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally with wooden spoon.

When butter has melted, increase heat, and bring to a boil. Immediately remove pan from heat and stir in flour mixture. Stir vigorously until dough gathers into a ball around spoon. Place pan back over medium heat, and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute, just to dry out dough.

Transfer dough to bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute.

In medium bowl, beat 4 eggs together. With mixer on medium speed, add eggs 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, fully incorporating each addition before adding more. The mixture will become shiny and elastic and stick to the sides of the bowl.

Spoon dough into pastry bag fitted with 1/2-inch plain tip. Pipe dough into 1/2- to 3/4-inch high circles to fill outlines. Use an oiled knife to disconnect dough from piping tip. (Use an oiled fingertip to pat down any unruly dough.)

In a small bowl, lightly beat the remaining egg. Brush the egg lightly over the tops of the puffs.

Bake both sheets for 20 minutes. Then reduce oven to 350 degrees, rotate sheets from back to front and switch racks, and bake for 20 more minutes. reduce temperature to 300 degrees, and bake for about 10 to 12 minutes longer. Transfer to rack to cool completely.

While the puffs are baking, make the dark chocolate sauce. Place bittersweet chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat cream and creme fraiche in medium saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Pour the cream over the chocolate, and let sit for 1 minute. Whisk until chocolate is completely smooth. Then whisk in vanilla. Set aside.

Once the puffs are cool and the chocolate sauce is made and cooling, pour the infused cream into bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Add remaining 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar and whisk until stiff peaks form.

Using the tip of a small knife, poke a hole in the center of the bottom of each cream puff.

Fill a pastry bag fitted with a small tip with the whipped cream, and pipe the cream into each cream puff through the hole in the bottom. You should be able to feel when the cream puff is full and a little of the cream will push back out. Wipe excess cream away with a paper towel.

Set the puffs on a serving platter. Drizzle a little chocolate sauce over each puff. (You'll have leftover chocolate sauce.) Refrigerate until ready to serve. Puffs are best on the same day they're filled.

Some notes:  I made these smaller than the original recipe called for (2-inch circles versus 2 1/2-inch circles), but I would make them even smaller next time -- like bite-size -- so they would be easier to eat. You will have leftover chocolate sauce. Make a half batch if that bothers you, but having extra chocolate sauce around never bothers me.

What treats do you make for special occasions?

Mini Raspberry Fools

Happy April Fool's Day! In honor of the holiday (and to help us all forget about this very unwelcome April 1st weather), I bring you mini raspberry fools! A fool is basically a mixture of whipped cream and fruit. It's very simple to make and is the perfect after-dinner treat. I can't believe I've never made one before.

The recipe below makes two teeny tiny servings that you can present in shot glasses. I love these Strauss glasses from Crate & Barrel. (Of course then you'll need these tiny spoons too.) You can also double or triple the recipe and make full-size desserts, but I like the idea of just a couple sweet bites to follow a meal.

Mini Raspberry Fools (inspired by tons of other fool recipes)

Ingredients

1/4 cup fresh raspberries (plus more for garnish if desired)
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Fresh fruit for serving, optional

Preparation

Pulse raspberries and granulated sugar together in small food processor or nut chopper. Let macerate for at least 10 minutes.

Meanwhile in bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip cream on medium speed, adding confectioners' sugar and vanilla while whipping, until soft peaks form. (This is such a small amount of cream that you need to watch it closely or you might over-whip it.)

Transfer a little less than half of the whipped cream to small bowl.

Fold the macerated raspberries into the remaining whipped cream. (You can fold very lightly and leave swirls in the mixture if you want.)

Divide the raspberry cream between two small glasses or dishes.

Top the raspberry cream with the reserved whipped cream, and garnish with a raspberry.

Chill for about 30 minutes. Serve with fresh fruit, if desired.

Have you ever made a fool? Do you play pranks on April Fool's Day?

Chocolate Guinness Cake With Irish Cream Sabayon

You didn't think I'd let St. Patrick's Day go by without making some sort of dessert, did you? I didn't think so.

I was all set to make some Irish coffee cupcakes when I got an email newsletter from how2heroes featuring a video and recipe for chocolate Guinness cake with Irish cream sabayon (from Pastry Chef Clare Garland of Ashmont Grill). I made a chocolate stout cake last year, so that wasn't the part that intrigued me. It was the Irish cream sabayon. (And, you know, the fact that the dessert looks like adorable pints of Guinness.)

Sabayon is typically a mixture of egg yolks and sugar cooked over simmering water and lightened with whipped cream. This version also adds in Irish cream for flavor and a little bit of melted chocolate for color reminiscent of the foam topping a pint of Guinness.

I'd never made a sabayon before, so I watched the video to make sure I understood the process. It's not difficult at all, but I recommend watching the video before making this dessert just because it will help you be better prepared for each step.

Sometimes I think baking can seem a little intimidating because you're scrambling to add things at the right time or do certain steps in the midst of other steps. As you'll notice in the video, Clare has all of her ingredients ready ahead of time. I rewrote the steps to this recipe so that if you attempt it, you'll have all your ingredients ready ahead of time too.

Chocolate Guinness Cake With Irish Cream Sabayon (adapted from how2heroes and Clare Garland)

Chocolate Guinness Cake

Ingredients

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups granulated sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, but in small pieces
2 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup Guinness
3/4 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350.

Spray bottom of a 9-by-3-inch spring form pan with baking spray, line with a parchment circle, and spray the whole inside of the pan.

Mix cocoa and sugar together in a medium bowl.

Sift flour and baking soda together in another bowl.

Melt butter and Guinness in a large pot over medium-high heat.

Whisk in sugar and cocoa, and remove from heat.

In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla (you can do this while the Guinness and butter are heating up), and whisk this mixture into the cocoa and butter mixture.

Whisk in the dry ingredients.

Then pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean.

The cake fell a little, but luckily, it just gets cut up and pushed into glasses.

Transfer to a cooling rack, and let cool completely before removing from pan.

Sabayon

Ingredients

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate chips
2 ounces milk chocolate chips
6 large egg yolks
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Pinch of kosher salt
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup Irish cream liqueur (such as Bailey's)

Preparation

In bowl of stand mixer fitted with whip attachment, lightly whip heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form. Store in fridge until the rest of the sabayon is prepared.

Set up an ice bath. (Fill a large bowl about halfway with ice and water.)

Melt both chocolates together in a small bowl. (Microwave about 15-20 seconds, stir, microwave another 15-20 seconds, and stir until smooth.) Set aside.

Set a pot filled with 1 inch of water on the stove, and bring to a simmer.

In a stainless steel bowl that can sit in the pot without touching the water, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, and salt. Add the Irish cream liqueur and water.

Place the bowl over the simmering water, and whisk until thick and frothy.

See how it thickened up? It clings to the sides of the bowl now.

Remove from heat, and whisk in melted chocolate.

Place the bowl over the ice bath, and whisk occasionally until mixture has cooled, 2 to 3 minutes.

Gently fold in the whipped cream.

Assembly

Select the glasses you want to serve the dessert in. Find a biscuit cutter or cookie cutter that is about the same size as the opening of the glass. Cut out pieces of cake using the cutter.

Press a piece of cake into the bottom of each glass (clean the glass off), and spoon the sabayon on top.

The finished dessert will look like a pint of Guinness!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!