Salted Caramel Crème Pastries

One of my new favorite foodie show is definitely Unique Sweets/ Unique Eats on the Cooking channel. The way they film the food is utterly gorgeous, and seriously makes me salivate every single time I watch... it's painful and delightful all at the same time. I guess I'm a masochist of sorts...

Anyways, I was watching the episode that featured breakfast pastries, and while drooling extensively, I came across a breakfast pastry that I knew I had to try to recreate at home. I forget the name of the bakery now, but basically they make their own puff pastry, pre-bake it, then fill it with salted caramel, custard then brulee the whole thing. Sounds pretty decadent for a breakfast pastry doesn't it? Well, it sure sounds like heaven to me.

Of course, re-creating it at home, I simplified the process because I was no way in hell gonna make my own puff pastry! I happened to also have some leftover salted caramel sauce from a cake I made the weekend before... so it was all a snap for me. Just as it is, this pastry is amazing, but to add my own little twist to it, I added some sliced strawberries in the center to cut the sweetness a little and add a some freshness. But honestly, this is one of the simplest, most delicious, ingenious things I've ever eaten - I urge you to make it immediately!!

Salted Caramel Crème Pastries

Yields: 18 pastries

For the custard:

1 small package instant vanilla bean pudding

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup whole milk

1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla

For the salted caramel:

3/4 cup sugar

1/8 cup corn syrup

4 tbsn. butter, softened, cut into cubes

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 tsp. fleur de sel or any other sea salt

1 package puff pastry, defrosted, each sheet cut into 9 squares

1 cup strawberries, sliced thinly

coarse sugar, such as turbinado

To make the caramel, stir together the sugar, corn syrup and 1/4 cup of water in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat and continue stirring until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to high, stop stirring and allow the mixture to come to a boil. Continue boiling until the mixture turns a deep caramel color. If you are unsure of when to turn off the heat, the mixture should register 300 F on a candy thermometer. Remove the saucepan from the heat, and add the heavy cream and butter, being careful as it should bubble up vigorously. Add the salt, then allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. 

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Spread the squares of puff pastry on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, leaving about 1" in between each. Use a 3" round cookie cutter to impress a circle into each square (this will help to form a indentation later after baking so that it can be filled with cream). Bake until golden brown, about 12 - 15 minutes. Once golden brown, remove to a wire rack to cool. While baking, you can make the custard. In a medium bowl, whisk together the pudding mix, heavy cream, milk and vanilla  until smooth and the mixture starts to thicken. Set aside in the refrigerator for about 10 more minutes so that it can firm up some more.

To assemble, use a spoon to press in the circle indentations to make room for the custard. In each indentation, add about 1 tbsn. of the salted caramel. Add a few sliced strawberries, then top with custard, filling to the top. Sprinkle the tops with sugar, then use a torch to brulee until the sugar has melted and caramelized. Repeat with remaining pastries. Enjoy!

Almond Custard Buns

There's one thing I know I love, and it's almond pastries. Give me an almond croissant, almond frangipane, financiers, almond tarts and I'm a very happy girl. There's one thing I also know about my family: they love me most when I make them almond pastries, so what can a girl do but make some almond pastries for her family?

The other thing I know is that almonds are expensive - especially almond flour! Which, sucks because I use almond flour ALL of the time. I'm a lucky girl who was fortunate enough to have Oh Nuts! provide me with plentiful amounts of almond flour to satisfy all of my almond-related baking needs. I'm not even just saying this because I was fortunate enough to get their products sponsored, but because their products are awesome quality. Their almond flour is perfectly and evenly ground, and I cannot say the same when I try to ground almonds myself. They also have great prices, compared to Bob's, which I've also tried. Safe to say, if I ever need almond flour again, I know where I'll be purchasing it from ;)

But, on to my FAVORITE recipe on earth, at the moment anyway... almond custard buns! This is the easiest and most delicious pastry I've ever tried. Literally, the whole thing is pulsed together in a food processor, quickly mixed together and refrigerated for up to 4 days. So if you're in a real pinch, you can make this days ahead and not even worry about it! It's truly sublime...

I added my two favorite things inside: custard and almond paste, baked it and blissfully enjoyed the fruits of my labor... over and over again.

P. S. Stay tuned for the coconut-raisin custard version of this pastry!

P. S. S. Purchase from Oh Nuts! here.

Almond Custard Buns

Yields: 24 buns

Adapted from here.

For the food processor Danish pastry:

1/2 cup warm water

1 cup milk, room temperature

2 large eggs, room temperature

4 1/2 cups white bread flour

2 packages (1/4 oz.) rapid-rise yeast or 2 tbsn. fresh yeast

2 tsp. salt

6 tbsn. sugar

2 cups/ 4 sticks unsalted butter, cold, cut into thin sliced

For the almond filling:

1 7 oz. package almond paste

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 cup almond flour

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 eggs

1/2 tsp. almond extract

For the custard:

1 small package French vanilla instant pudding

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup sliced almonds, divided

1/2 cup sugar, divided

1 egg, whisked

To make the bun dough, pour the water and milk into a measuring cup. Add the egg, beating with a fork to mix, set aside. Set a large bowl near your food processor. Using your food processor, pulse the flour, yeast, salt and sugar to combine. Add the cold slices of butter, process briefly so the butter is cut up a little, though you still want to see visible chunks of at least 1/2" pieces. Transfer to the large bowl and quickly add the contents of the measuring cup. Use your hands or a rubber spatula to fold the ingredients together, but do not over mix. Expect to have a gooey mess with some butter lumps in it. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, place in the refrigerator and leave it overnight or up to 4 days. 

To turn the dough into pastry, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature. Dust your surface with bread flour and split the dough evenly in half, then roll each half into a 20" square. Fold the dough into thirds, like a business letter, turning it afterward so that the closed fold is on your left, like the spine of a book (it will still look very messy). Repeat this process 3 more times with each half; each time the dough will get smoother and better looking. Wrap each rectangle in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Or refrigerate half to use now and freeze the other half to use later.

To make the almond filling, cream together the almond paste and butter in a food processor until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time until well combined. Add the almond flour, all-purpose flour and almond extract and pulse until combined and smooth. Set aside until needed. To make the custard, combine everything in a medium bowl and mix until combined and starts to thicken, about 3 minutes. Refrigerate until needed.

To assemble the buns, working with one rectangle of dough at a time, roll the dough into a 20" x 8" rectangle or loosely so. Spread half of the almond filling mixture across the whole rectangle. Spread half of the custard mixture on top of the almond filling, then sprinkle the whole surface with slivered almonds and 1/4 cup sugar. Roll the entire thing up like you would when making cinnamon rolls, long side in. Use your fingers to pinch the end of the roll into the dough to seal it, to ensure custard doesn't escape. Using a sharp knife, cut the long log into 12 equal pieces and place, swirl side up on a parchment-paper lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining rectangle of dough. You can separate each bun, leaving them 3" apart or you can have them all touch sides. It does not affect the baking time but it is up to you whether you want them to be separate or communal. Let the buns rise in a warm place for 45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Before baking brush the buns with the whisked egg and sprinkle with more sliced almonds and sugar. Bake for 18 - 22 minutes or until golden brown.

Frangipane Fruit Tart

This, my friends, is one of my favorite things I've ever made. Ever.

It's the epitome of desserts I love because it is both rich tasting and refreshing at the same time! Plus, it has custard and of course, anything that has custard in it is a win in my book. Let me just emphasize again that this fruit tart is amazing; not only does it taste amazing, it's literally breathtaking to look at. It starts with a chewy and sweet sugar cookie crust, which is then filled with the most fragrant and delicious frangipane filling. On top of that is a layer of creamy vanilla custard that helps keep the whole tart moist and enables the fruit to stick to the tart. If you can imagine anything more this tart needs, it is then topped with a medley of fresh fruit and beautified with an apricot glaze that makes it even more stunning to look at!

I know this sounds really tedious, having five components and all, but the way I make this tart (using shortcuts) makes it do-able and when you take a bite of this gorgeous thing you just made, you'll start thinking of when you're gonna make it again and again! I've made it almost 10 times already... not joking!

French Fruit Tart

Yields: 2 9" tarts

Original frangipane recipe here.

http://gourmeted.com/2010/07/28/blueberry-frangipane-tart/

For the crust:

1 package dry mix sugar cookie dough

+ the ingredients needed to make it, according to the package

For the custard layer:

1 small package of French vanilla pudding

1 cup whole milk

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 tsp. vanilla 

 For the frangipane layer:

8 tbsn. unsalted butter, softened

2/3 cup powdered sugar

1 cup almond meal or ground almonds

4 tsp. cornstarch

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1 tsp. almond extract

For the glaze:

1/4 cup apricot jam or orange marmalade

2 tbsn. water

For the filling (any assortment of the below will work):

raspberries

golden raspberries

blueberries

strawberries

blackberries

kiwi

peaches

mango

mandarin oranges

First, prepare the frangipane filing. Combine the butter and sugar in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Add the ground almonds and pulse to blend. Add the cornstarch and pulse. Mix in the egg, egg yolk and almond extract. Scrape into a bowl and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before using. 

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Prepare the sugar cookie mix according to the directions on the package. Divide the dough among two 9" tart pans with removable bottoms. Spread evenly along the entire surface and up the sides (don't worry if it looks thin - it will puff up during baking). Bake for 8 - 10 minutes until just barely golden. Set aside to cool a bit. Once room temperature, divide the frangipane filling among the two par-baked tart shells and bake for 10 - 15 minutes until slightly puffed and golden brown. Remove to a rack to cool completely.

To prepare the custard, combine all of the ingredients into a bowl and whisk for 3 - 5 minutes until thickened and smooth. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes to chill and thicken up some more. Once thickened, use a offset spatula to divide the custard among the two tarts, spreading the custard over the entire surface in a smooth layer. Top with your assortment of fruit in any manner that you like. To make the glaze, heat all of the ingredients over medium heat in a small saucepan. Stir to combine. Once thinned, remove from the heat and use a pastry brush to glaze the entire surface of the tart. Chill the tart for at least 1 hour before serving. Enjoy!

Green Tea & Strawberry Cupcakes

Today's post will be short and sweet, just like these cupcakes!

Basically, if you combine a perfectly moist little matcha cupcake with the easiest fresh strawberry custard and top it with an impossibly perfect fresh strawberry swiss meringue buttercream, the results are spectacular!

And, of course you cannot deny how impossibly beautiful these things are. I love the combination of this green and pale pink together. But, the combination of green tea and strawberry is much, much better!

Perfectly domed cupcakes :)

1. Take a cupcake.

2. Cut a hole in the cupcake.

3. Fill the hole with strawberry custard.

4. Top with strawberry buttercream!

Green Tea & Strawberry Cupcakes with Custard Filling

Yields: 12 cupcakes

Adapted from here.

For the cake:

3/4 cup + 2 tbsn. cake flour

1/2 cup + 2 tbsn. all purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tbsn. matcha powder

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 large eggs

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 tsp. vanilla

For the custard:

1 small box of instant vanilla pudding

1 cup whole milk

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 tsp. vanilla extract

10 - 15 large strawberries, washed and hulled (more or less, to your taste)

For the SMBC:

2 large egg whites

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 sticks of butter (12 tbsn.), cut into 12 pieces

Strawberry puree or preserves

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line a cupcake tin with liners and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, salt and matcha powder. Mix on low speed until combined. Add the butter, mixing until the cubes of butter are peanut sized or a little smaller. In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, milk and vanilla. With the mixer on medium speed, add the wet ingredients in 3 parts, scraping down the sides of the bowl before each addition; beat until ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat. Divide the batter evenly among liners, filling about 2/3 full. Bake until an inserted toothpick comes out clean, 17 - 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

To make the custard, whip the first four ingredients together until it is well combined and begins to thicken, about 3 - 5 minutes. Place in refrigerator to let chill and thicken some more until ready to use. Chop the strawberries into small dices, and place onto a paper towel lined plate. Place some paper towels on top and place in the refrigerator to allow the water from the strawberries to seep out, about 10 minutes. Once most of the water has been released, fold the strawberries into the custard and continue to refrigerate until ready to use. To make the frosting, put the egg whites and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer. Place the bowl over a pot of boiling water making sure the bottom does not actually touch the water. Stir the egg whites until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and place into the mixer stand. Beat until it becomes white and doubles in size. Add the vanilla on low speed, then add the butter, one piece at a time, making sure it is well mixed after each addition. Do not worry if it looks curdled, it will take some time for it to come together. Continue beating for 5 - 10 minutes until everything comes together. Add the strawberry puree or preserves until desired berry taste. Spread/ pipe/ smother onto your cupcakes and enjoy!!

The custard says, "Peek-a-boo!"

Raspberry Cream Pie Macarons

I have had MANY trials and tribulations with the famed and glorious French macaron. I've even had success, but that was probably some anomaly blessed upon me by the French macaron gods. Ever since that success, I've failed more times than I can count. I ultimately gave up for a while, not because I didn't think I could eventually master the thing, but because I was sick of throwing food out; it made me so sad!

Well, it's been quite a while now and I felt that I had taken a break for long enough. I absolutely love French macarons. I try to eat them whenever I can since they are kind of hard to come by. It just makes sense that I would make them on my own. And that I did! I found a recipe that worked for me even though... well, it really shouldn't have worked at all. I did ALL the wrong things: didn't age the egg whites, didn't use parchment paper and used greased foil instead (I'm sure the purists are planning to tar and feather me in the near future)!

Ah, but who the heck cares when you've got these beautiful, utterly-freaking-delicious-magical-supreme beauties to chomp on?!?!?! Seriously I am SOOOO proud of myself. They didn't come out perfect, mind you, but the taste was phenomenal. The macarons themselves were crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. Would you believe the greased foil actually worked too? My macarons had perfect shiny, untouched bottoms and... wait for it... wait a little more... okay fine... FEET. They had feet, the macaron gold standard.

The choice of fillings was of course, my favorite custard everrrrrrr. Please see my archives for the MANY uses of this famed custard, as the list is so long now. Perfectly creamy custard paired with perfectly tart raspberries. Really, I think I have died and gone to heaven...

Look ma - I got feet! Whoooopie!

Raspberry Cream Pie Macarons

Yields: 2 dozen macarons

Adapted from this recipe.

For the macarons:

1 cup powdered sugar + 2 tbsn.

1/2 cup almond powder or meal + 1 tbsn.

2 large egg whites, room temperature

5 tbsn. granulated sugar

red food coloring, about 5 drops

For the custard:

1 small box of instant vanilla pudding

1 cup whole milk

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 clam shell of raspberries, washed, dried, and sliced

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Have a pastry bad with a plain tip (about 1/2 inch) ready. In a blender or food processor, grind together the powdered sugar and almond powder/ meal to make sure there are no lumps. Add the red food coloring into the granulated sugar and mix until combined. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, beat the egg whites until they begin to rise and hold their shape. While whipping, beat in the dyed sugar until very stiff and firm, about 2 minutes. Carefully fold in the dry ingredients, in two batches, into the beaten egg whites with a flexible rubber spatula. When the mixture is smooth and there are no streaks of egg whites, stop folding and scrape the batter into the pastry bag (the batter should resemble thick magma/ lava). Pipe the batter on the prepared baking sheet in 1 inch circles (about 1 tbsn. each), evenly spaced 1 inch apart. Tap the baking sheet a few times on the counter to flatten the macarons. Let them sit in the open air for about 30 minutes then bake for 10 - 12 minutes. Let cool completely before removing them.

To make the custard, whip everything together until it is well combined and begins to thicken, about 3 - 5 minutes. Place in the refrigerator to cool and thicken some more until ready for use. To assemble, organize the macarons into similar sized pairs. Use a piping bag or a spoon to put some custard on one side of the macaron pair. Top it with some halved raspberries and smoosh (if that's a technical term) lightly with the other pair.

Graduation Celebration!

AH! I just graduated college, like literally a day ago! I'm happy, ecstatic, freaked out but mostly, I feel weird. It's just a weird feeling when you close one chapter of your life and are faced with the next, yet to be written...

These past four years have been filled with much goodness, fun, friends, family, adventures, failures, triumphs and more, and I couldn't have asked for anything else. I am so proud to say that I have finished my undergraduate career and am now on my way to new and exciting endeavors. Of course, I'll miss the time I had at UCI a lot, more than words can say, but for now, YIPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

My wonderful parents have supported me since the day I came into creation and I am so proud to say that I am their daughter. Even more wonderfully, they threw me a beautiful graduation celebration filled with family and friends! But of course, I had to bake a few things. Correction, by a few, I mean a whole lotta!

My sister & I enjoying our goodies (my dog Baba-ganoush with us on the right):

First on the list: Blue Velvet Cupcakes with Yellow Cream Cheese Frosting. Why blue and yellow you ask? Well UCI's colors are blue and yellow so I thought the choice was obvious :P

I have my tried and true red velvet recipe, but I decided to try a new one for this extravaganza. Although these were yummy, I still prefer my favorite one :)

Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Yields: 24 cupcakes

Original recipe here. Frosting recipe here.

For the cake:

2 1/2 cups cake flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tbsn. cocoa powder

1 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

1 cup buttermilk

2 tbsn. (1 oz.) red food coloring

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. white distilled vinegar

For the frosting:

16 oz. cream cheese (2 sticks), room temperature

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

pinch of salt

To make the cake, preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a cupcake tin with liners, set aside. Sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa and salt into a medium bowl. Beat the eggs, oil, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla and vinegar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until well combined. Add the dry ingredients and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tin. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in tin for 5 minutes before cooling completely on a rack.

To make the frosting, with an electric mixture, blend together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Turn mixer to low speed and blend in the powdered sugar, salt and vanilla. Turn mixer on high until light and fluffy. Use immediately or refrigerate, covered, until ready to use. If refrigerated, before use bring back to room temperature.

Blue & Yellow Rice Krispies because well, we had rice krispies and marshmallows on hand and they are incredibly cute, if I do say so myself. Plus, who doesn't love rice krispies?

Smores Cookies. I will never, ever find a replacement for you. You are by far my favorite cookies on this planet earth and I had to, just HAD to make you! Mmmm graham based cookie dough filled with chocolate and topped with chewy, toasty marshmallows!

Baba & I with our wondrous spread:

My absolute favorite, or let me correct myself, EVERYONE's favorite were the mini fruit tarts. These are so incredibly easy: just bake some puff pastry dough, whisk up some easy-peasy custard and top with some fresh fruit. And though it takes you a second, it looks like a million bucks!

Mini Fruit Tarts

Yields: 18 mini tarts

Original recipe here.

1 package puff pastry, thawed

1 egg + 1 tbsn. water, beaten

1 bow of strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced

1 box of blueberries, washed

1 box of blackberries, washed

1 bow of raspberries, washed

2 kiwis, peeled and sliced

1 pomegranate, seeded

For the custard:

1 large box of vanilla pudding

1 1/4 cups WHOLE milk

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 tsp. vanilla or 1 vanilla bean, scraped

To make the custard, beat everything together until it starts to thicken, about 5 minutes. Refrigerate until cool and thickens some more, about 1 hour. Remove the puff pastry from the package and place onto a lightly floured surface. Use a knife to cut each piece of puff pastry into 9 squares, yielding 18 in total. Use a fork to prick the surface all over each piece. Place the squares onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush each square with the egg wash and bake according to directions on the package, let cool completely. To assemble, spread about 2 - 3 tbsn. of custard onto each pastry and top with the fruit in however manner you wish. Enjoy!

For all of my family, and me especially, I asked my mom to make Che Thai which is a Vietnamese dessert that is filled with all kinds of Vietnamese canned fruits, jellies and such and served as a cold soup in a coconut milk-syrup mixture. It's my absolute favorite of Vietnamese desserts!

Che Thai/ Vietnamese Fruit in Coconut Milk

Yields: 10 - 15 servings

1 can grass jelly, cut into 1/2 inch dices

1 can mint jelly, cut into 1/2 inch dices

2 cans jackfruit, sliced and water reserved

1 can longan, roughly chopped and water reserved

1 can lychee, roughly chopped and water reserved

1 pomegranate, seeds removed and washed

1 jar toddy palm seed

1 jar coconut gel

1/2 can coconut milk, more or less

In a large bowl, combine the first eight ingredients, including their liquids from the cans. Add about half of the coconut milk and mix everything together. Add more according to your taste. Chill in the refrigerator until thoroughly chilled, about 3 hours. Serve cold and with ice if too sweet.

Sangria's always a good choice for parties. Not too overbearingly alcoholic and perfect for the summer, especially with all of that great fruit coming into season. This one is Bobby Flay's recipe and boy did it hit the spot. Sweet with a nice punch.

Bobby Flay's White Peach Sangria

Yields: 4 - 6 servings

Original recipe here.

1 bottle white wine (Spanish table wine)

3 oz. brandy

2 oz. triple sec

1 cup orange juice

1 cup pineapple juice

2 oz. simple syrup (equal parts water and sugar heated until dissolved, then cooled)

3 oz. white peach puree

fresh peaches, oranges and apples, sliced (I used peaches and blackberries)

Place all of the ingredients into a pitcher to mix. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 48 hours. Serve over ice.

For the kiddies we had Orange Rainbow Punch. Basically just orange juice, ginger ale and all of the fruit you can imagine dumped in! I used sliced oranges, blueberries, kiwi, strawberries and blackberries. It was like a fruit fiesta and so uberly refreshing.

And of course, had to have some of PW's Corn & Avocado salsa! It's perfect for summer and absolutely perfect for parties, so freaking delicious!

Of course, we had a bunch more food than that! My mom is the master at parties and provided a whole spread of delights which included crab stuffed mushrooms, Korean BBQ, rice pilaf with almonds, penne with feta and garlic shrimp and more. Mmmmm my stomach is grumbling from just thinking about it!