Tag: easy french food

Food For Thought, Recipes, Travel

My take on the French chouquette

by AudreyLeave a Comment on My take on the French chouquette

chouquette cream puff

After a month-long break, I am back with one of the prettiest posts I have shot in a long time. Let me introduce you to the chouquette, a light, airy pastry that can be decorated any way you wish.

These pastry bites use the same dough as the cream puff, only instead of filling the pastry with cream, you top them with pearl sugar or chocolate to add sweetness and texture. In this post, I wanted to treat them like doughnut holes so that I could offer you guys a healthier alternative to the breakfast staple.

These pastries are a one pot wonder – and they bake up in a flash for those who are impatient bakers. For those starting to look for handmade gift options this holiday season, this is a great option as chouquettes are easy to make and can be decorated quite lavishly. In this post I have created four options for you: the traditional version that is topped with a crunchy homemade pearl sugar, a chouquette topped with chocolate chunks, a cinnamon sugar dusted version, and my personal favorite: a green tea chouquette topped with black sesame.

bite-high-quality

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 c. flour
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
  • 4 tbs butter
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 eggs

Toppings:

  • Cinnamon sugar (about 1/4 cup should work)
  • Pearl sugar – you can make this by mixing a cup of sugar with a teaspoon of water and then pressing it into a heated saucepan. Leave it to cook on low heat for 30 minutes, stirring and re-pressing a couple times while waiting. It will harden into lumps as it cools.
  • Green tea icing: 1/4 cup powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons water, 1 teaspoon matcha powder
  • Black sesame seeds
  • Dark chocolate chunks

Step 1: Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Melt the butter in a pot with the water until it is entirely liquified. Bring the butter/water mixture to a boil.

Step 2: Add the flour, nutmeg and salt. Stir until the mix forms into a lump. Keep the pot on the heat and stir the dough vigorously for a minute to evaporate any excess water. You want to create a very thick paste.

Step 3: Remove the pot from the heat. Stir the dough vigorously for a few minutes to help cool the dough down. You want it to be cool enough that you can touch it and not be burned. (If it is too hot or your arm gets tired, you can let it sit for a few minutes to cool off.)

Step 4: Add the eggs one at a time. The dough will become lumpy at first, so you will not want to add all the eggs at once. Beat the egg into the paste until it becomes homogenous before adding the next. When all of the eggs are mixed in, transfer the batter to a plastic bag. (You can easily do this by inserting the bag into a mug, and inverting the mouth of the bag over the rim of the cup.)

Step 5: Cut a centimeter sized opening into the corner of your plastic bag – this will be a makeshift pastry bag. Pipe 1 inch-sized mounds onto the sheet, leaving an inch of space between each. Using a dampened finger, lightly tap on the top of the batter to even out any pointed tips. For those making the sugar or chocolate versions, press the sugar or chocolate chunks into the tops of the dough. Bake for 15 minutes.

Step 6: For those making the cinnamon sugar version, while the pastry is fresh out of the oven and steaming hot, dump the pastry puffs into a bag filled with cinnamon sugar. Close it, and shake to coat evenly. For those making the green tea version, mix the powdered sugar, matcha and water until you have a thick paste. Dip the tops of the pastry into the icing and then top with black sesame seeds.

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chouquette animation

 

Recipes

Quail egg stuffed mushrooms with parmesan and lemon

by Audrey2 Comments on Quail egg stuffed mushrooms with parmesan and lemon

quail egg mushroom

Since I have never worked with quail eggs before, this recipe was definitely an experiment for me. However my initial struggles were so worth it!

I live in Bloomington, Ind. and I will definitely say that city loves its local foods. I shop at a co-op because they sell farm eggs and for months I have walked past a small section that contains a few cartons of quail eggs. I usually avoid them because they are on the more expensive side for a college student’s grocery list, however last week I decided to splurge for a little cooking exploratory.

Sautéed in duck fat, minced garlic and topped with a sprinkling of lemon juice, this recipe is light with a touch of decadence. For a helpful hint to those who like runny eggs, I recommend precooking the mushrooms in the pan for a few minutes before cracking the eggs in. This way, the egg yolk does not have a chance to cook. I wish I had done this the first time around.

Ingredients

  • 9 medium large sized button mushrooms, you want them big enough to fit the quail egg without overflowing
  • 9 quail eggs
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 tbs duck fat
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine or water
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 1 tsp grated parmesan
  • salt and pepper to taste

Step 1: Clean the mushrooms by rubbing them with a damp towel. Remove the stems if they are still attached. Next, with a paring knife, cut a thin slice off of the top of the mushroom cap to create a flat surface. This will prevent the mushrooms from rolling around in the pan.

Step 2: Sprinkle the insides of the mushroom caps with salt and pepper. Fill each cap with a quail egg. Sprinkle with more salt and pepper.

Step 3: Heat a large frying pan on high. Melt the duck fat until it starts sizzling. Add the garlic, cook until it’s golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside for plating. This step seasons the fat.

Step 4: Add the mushrooms into the pan. *Hint, have the mushrooms close to the pan to reduce egg spillage in case the mushrooms are nearly overflowing. Cook for a minute uncovered and then add the wine. Cover the pan and have the steam finish the cooking process. Cook on medium for 3-4 minutes. When finished, the mushroom will be soft and tender. Add more water to the pan if the wine cooks away and the mushrooms are not done yet.

Step 4: Plate the mushrooms. Top with a squeeze of lemon juice, the fried garlic, the parmesan and the lemon zest. Sprinkle a little parsley if you are feeling fancy.