The Pétrin

For many around the world, shine balls that decorate the houses are in season.
For me as for others around the world, these are special lights that brighten the home for 8 days and the balls are golden, sweet ... and eaten!
The round donuts so dear to me during the festival of Hanukkah is today in France with a specialty also known that his name comical: the pets de nonne.
I confess: my preference is clearly a pancakes-based dough, which the variety never ceases to amaze me over the years. But you know, it takes time to see the dough rise and the time is probably what is most lacking in a mother always busy.
The solution: choux pastry quick to make and makes wonderful fried.

Unlike the traditional recipes of pets de nonne realized with a simple choux pastry, that of Sebastian in Serveau Leçons de Cuisine: Pate Choux it combines a small proportion of pastry cream with vanilla, which makes them even more moist and tasty. Tout ce que j'aime!

(for 30 to 60 balls depending on size)

Pour the milk, water, salt and butter cut into pieces in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over low heat the butter poue has time to melt. Remove from heat and add flour all at once and stir rapidly with a wooden spoon until the flour is completely incorporated.
Back on medium heat and continue to mix for 1 min to dry the dough should become smooth and form a ball that detaches from the walls.
Pour the batter into a large bowl. Add the first 3 eggs one at a time, mixing vigorously after each addition to fully incorporate the egg to the dough (see also here). Beat with a fork the last egg in a small bowl and add the paste slowly, mixing each time to check the consistency of the choux pastry: by raising the wooden spoon, the dough should be smooth and back of the spatula in thick ribbon.

This recipe makes 700g pulp of which 400 will be used for pets de nonne. With the rest, you can Chouquet, mini éclairs or cabbage baked or pets de nonne traditional.

Gently boil the milk in a thick-bottomed saucepan with the vanilla powder (or vanilla bean split and scraped).

In a bowl resistant to heat, whisk the egg yolks with sugar until the mixture white, and then incorporate the cornstarch, making sure not to make lumps. Add about half of the vanilla milk (filtered if you use the vanilla pod) in the bowl and mix gently with a wooden spoon. Repay all in the pan with half the vanilla boiled milk and bring to simmer while continuing to stir vigorously until the cream thickens. Cover the cream with the film to the food surface to prevent the formation of a skin and leave to cool.

Put the oil to heat in a container large enough to cook several pancakes at a time. (whether the oil is ready for frying, dip a small piece of bread: it must rise to the surface immediately surrounded by bubbles and brown slightly).

Mix with a spatula 400g of choux pastry and pastry cream 125g.

Note: for beautiful balls regular Sébastien Serveau recommend using a pocket with a united tube 1.6 cm in diameter filled with a mixture of cut and paste out of the bag every 2 cm. Because I had little time, little pockets and that pets de nonne would be swallowed by little children looking on aesthetic regularity donuts, I just used 2 teaspoons coffee to the pets - de-nonne

Fry the fritters until they are inflated (the size of a golf ball in the pocket or the tennis teaspoon) and gold (back to the mid-cooking) and then drain on absorbent paper .

These fritters can be consumed simply sprinkled with fine sugar possibly flavored with cinnamon or powdered sugar.

For this new challenge of the Daring Bakers, Meeta and Tony chose to make us work the meninges, the arms and with a taste of French pastries the classic and most appreciated: lightning chocolate, according to both make a recipe by Pierre Hermé in Chocolate Desserts .
The mission of the month: make chocolate éclairs perfume imposed on the basis of choux pastry version of the Master Hermé by associating or combining classical (pastry cream over the chocolate frosting chocolate) or by changing the choice of a 2 elements.
For me, the choice was clear: there was no question of making chocolate éclairs, the lack of amateurs doing law in my kitchen! Thus to find an idea of lining less classic pastry cream or vanilla kind.
After having vacillated between coffee (not enough fans), the praline (all fans but I just want to change from the last challenge), I naturally turned to caramel with whom I have a relationship greedy and could not that going well with the chocolate icing lightning.
And then, because I like what croustille (and I also am working overload!), I was thinking it would be nice to add a layer of cracker / streusel dough on the flash (as it is apparently so popular judging by the creations of Christophe (Michalak and Roussel) views on the Thuriès 201 among others) and a layer of caramel feuilletine along the lines of "praline feuilletine" in many classical of entremets would certainly not unpleasant ..
Enough talking, roll up your sleeves and your furnace ... and follow the guide!
And if you're not caramel, there are plenty of ideas to chew over here!

(for 15 lightning classic size 15 cm)

Chocolate Frosting

Preheat oven 6-7 th (200 ° C). Sprinkle 2 baking sheets with parchment paper (you can first use a template to "flash" of 15 cm to mark the back of sheets of parchment paper).
Pour the milk, water, sugar, salt and butter cut into pieces in a large saucepan and bring to boil. Remove from heat and add flour all at once and stir rapidly with a wooden spoon until dough forms a ball that detaches from the walls.
Back on medium heat and continue to mix for 2 or 3 min to dry the dough should become smooth.
Pour the batter into a large bowl. Add the first 4 eggs one at a time, mixing vigorously after each addition to fully incorporate the egg to the dough (see also here). Beat with a fork the last egg in a small bowl and add the paste slowly, mixing each time to check the consistency of the choux pastry: by raising the wooden spoon, the dough should be smooth and back of the spatula in thick ribbon.
Fill a pastry bag fitted with a smooth or fluted tube No. 14 (1.4 cm diameter) or 15 with the dough cool and poach immediately 5 cm intervals of 15 lightning 15 cm by placing the nipple 45 ° close to the plate and making a steady pressure.
Spray a little water on the lightning and drop on top of a rectangle cracker.
Oven and bake about 25 minutes then lower the temperature at 5 th (150 ° C) and let dry about 15 min.
Lightning out of the oven and make a small hole on the side with a toothpick to let steam escape (by evacuating the vapor, it reduces the risk of subsidence of the paste during cooling). Cool on rack.

Pour the sugar and corn syrup in a large thick-bottomed pan and put to cook over medium heat stirring occasionally until a light caramel.
DECUIR adding the butter cut into pieces, mix until complete melting and then carefully add the cream. Mix, add the sea salt and vanilla and increase the temperature to get a small boil.
Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Store in an airtight jar in a cool amount unused.

Preparation of Caramel Feuilletine

In medium saucepan, melt the caramel sauce and chopped white chocolate or pistoles. When the mixture is smooth, remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Add the puffed rice and mix coarsely crushed.

Preparation of Cream Caramel
(inspired by Christophe Roussel)

In a large thick-bottomed saucepan, cook sugar (1) dry until an amber caramel (to be checked by pouring a drop in the white container).
Gently heat the cream until small bubbles appear on the periphery then pour the caramel gently stirring with a wooden spoon.
In a medium bowl resistant to heat, whisk the egg yolks with sugar (2) and the cornstarch until bleaching of the device. Add hot caramel cream into the net while continuing to whisk, then returned it to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly until thickened cream.
Outside heat, add the butter cut into small morceauc, mix until a smooth and homogeneous. Food wrapping film on the surface of the caramel cream to prevent crust and let cool completely before placing in a cool place if it is prepared 1 or 2 days in advance.

Place all ingredients in a thick-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat stirring constantly. Reduce on low heat and simmer for 15 minutes stirring frequently until sauce becomes smooth and slick the spoon like a custard.

The sauce can be used immediately or cooled and kept refrigerated in an airtight container (for 2 weeks) or frozen.

This sauce smooth and slightly sweet component icing lightning but you can also use it to coat the frozen desserts or cookies.

Put the cream in a small saucepan and bring to boil. Remove from heat and gradually add the finely chopped chocolate, mixing gently with a wooden spoon by drawing small circles from the center of the pan to the edges.

Note: if the mixture cools too quickly, return it to heat a few moments in a water bath just long enough to become just warm to the finger (60 ° C).

When the correct temperature is reached, add the butter in mixing 4 times with the same movement after each addition.

Note: This alternate heating and cooling of chocolate before adding the butter imite tempering chocolate, which allows it to retain its shine.

Finally add the chocolate sauce and mix to obtain a homogeneous unit. The glaze is ready for use.

Note: You can prepare this glaze up to 3 days before use and store in a sealed jar in the refrigerator. Before using, reheat gently in a bain-marie until it reaches a maximum temperature of 35-40 ° C without mixing it to retain its luster.

Joining Eclairs

Note: If you do not want the caramel feuilletine, the ideal is to break the lightning with a socket united small diameter at 3 different places and then fill them with caramel cream through a pastry bag.

Cut into 2 lightning knife with a saw.
Spread on the base a little caramel feuilletine. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a socket fluted base and fill with cream caramel.

Bring the chocolate frosting to the proper temperature in a large saucepan or pay a large base plate. Dip lightning hats one by one, the excess drained if necessary. Lay on a rack, sprinkle with roasted hazelnuts crushed and chopped chocolate and let it take.
Cover with lightning hats. Devour!