Craig Claibornes Pastry Cream Recipes

CRAIG CLAIBORNE'S PASTRY CREAM

Steps:

• Blend 1 cup of the milk and the cream in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
• As mixture is heating, put egg yolks and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat until pale yellow. Add cornstarch to yolk mixture and beat well. Add remaining 1/2 cup milk and beat until blended.
• When milk and cream are at a boil, remove from heat. Add yolk mixture, beating rapidly with a wire whisk.
• Return to the heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly with the whisk. When thickened and boiling, remove from heat and add Grand Marnier. Let cool, stirring occasionally.

CRAIG CLAIBORNE'S CREAM PUFFS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Rub a baking sheet all over with butter and sprinkle with flour. Shake sheet back and forth until surface is coated with flour. Shake off excess.
• Put water in a saucepan and add 8 tablespoons butter, salt and sugar. Bring to a boil.
• Add 1 cup flour all at once, stirring vigorously around and around with a wooden spoon until a ball is formed and no mixture is left on the sides of the saucepan.
• Add one egg, beating vigorously and rapidly with the spoon until it is well blended with the mixture. Add another egg, beat until incorporated, and continue with remaining eggs until all are beaten in.
• Fit a pastry bag with a round-tipped No. 6 pastry tube. Spoon mixture into the bag. Holding the pastry bag straight up with tip close to the floured surface of the baking sheet, squeeze it to make mounds of pastry at 2-inch intervals all over pan. There should be about 36 mounds.
• The mounds may have pointed tips on top. To flatten these, wet a clean tea towel and squeeze it well. Open it up, fold it over in thirds. Hold it stretched directly over the mounds, quickly patting down just enough to rid the mounds of the pointed tips. Do not squash the mounds.
• Place pan in oven and bake 30 minutes, or until cream puffs are golden brown and cooked through. Remove and let cool.

CRAIG CLAIBORNE'S VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• In a bowl, add mustard, salt, pepper and vinegar.
• Stir well; to make smooth, whisk while adding the oil slowly.
• You want to get it thick like mayonnaise.
• Add the shallots and mix well.

CRAIG CLAIBORNE'S RUM CHOCOLATE DESSERT

Steps:

• Position oven rack 1/3 up from the bottom of the oven; preheat to 350°.
• You will need an 8 inch round cake pan that is 3 inches deep or a 2 ½ quart souffle dish.
• Cut a round of wax paper to fit the bottom.
• Butter the sides of the pan and one side of the paper; place the paper, buttered side up, in the pan.
• Shake a bit of flour into the pan, tap it around to coat all surfaces, then invert the pan to remove excess; set aside.
• Sift the flour and sugar together; set aside.
• Place chocolate in the top of a large double boiler over hot water on medium heat.
• Dissolve the coffee in the boiling water and pour over the chocolate.
• Cover the pot and leave until the chocolate is melted.
• Remove the top of the double boiler and stir well with a wire whisk until smooth.
• With the whisk gradually stir in the butter, adding about a ½ inch slice at a time and whisking until smooth after each addition.
• Gradually whisk in the dry ingredients and then the rum.
• Add egg yolks to a large bowl; stir them lightly with the whisk just to mix; gradually add the warm chocolate mixture, stirring well to mix.
• Add the salt to the egg whites; beat until they just hold a shape or are stiff but not dry.
• In two or three additions fold the whites into the chocolate.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared pan; smooth the top.
• Place prepared pan in a larger but not deeper pan, and pour in hot water to reach e cut AWhipped Cream: whip the ingredients until they are stiff enough to hold a shape when spread over the cake.
• With a small metal spatula first cover the sides of the cake and then the top.
• Additionally, may decorate with chocolate curls or with candied violets or rose petals.
• May refrigerate, if needed before serving.