Duchesse Potato Ghosts Recipes

DUCHESS POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicon baking mat.
• Lay the boiled potatoes on a baking sheet and place into the oven until slightly dried on the surface, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Remove the potatoes from the oven and process through a ricer or food mill. Allow to cool in a bowl for about 5 minutes.
• Add the egg yolks, butter, a couple generous pinches of salt, a generous pinch of pepper, a pinch of nutmeg and 3/4 cup cream. Stir with a rubber spatula to combine. Taste and make sure the potatoes have been adequately salted.
• Transfer to a large pastry bag and pipe through a large star tip in a circular/upward spiral motion onto the prepared baking sheet.
• Make an egg wash by mixing the whole egg with the remaining 1/2 cup cream. Lightly brush the piped potatoes with the egg wash. (This is a little easier if you chill the piped potatoes for half an hour or so.)
• Bake until golden brown around the edges. Serve on a pretty platter!

DUCHESSE POTATO GHOSTS

Steps:

• Peel and quarter potatoes and in a large saucepan cover with salted cold water by 2 inches. Bring water to a boil and simmer potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes.
• While potatoes are simmering, in a small saucepan heat butter with milk over moderately low heat until melted and keep warm.
• Drain potatoes in a colander and force through a ricer or food mill into a bowl. With an electric mixer beat in milk mixture, yolks, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Spread about one third potatoes in a buttered 1-quart gratin dish and transfer remaining potatoes to a pastry bag fitted with a 3/4-inch plain tip. On potatoes in dish pipe potatoes close together into pointed mounds to form "ghosts" and garnish each mound with 2 seeds for ghosts' "eyes". Potatoes may be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead and chilled, covered loosely.
• Bake potatoes until heated through and tops of "ghosts" are golden, 15 to 20 minutes.

DUCHESS POTATOES

Steps:

• Heat 1 inch water (salted if desired) to boiling in Dutch oven; add potatoes. Cover and heat to boiling. Cook 20 to 25 minutes or until tender; drain. Shake pan with potatoes over low heat to dry.
• Heat oven to 425°F. Grease cookie sheet.
• Mash potatoes until no lumps remain. Add milk in small amounts, beating after each addition (amount of milk needed to make potatoes smooth and fluffy depends on kind of potatoes used). Beat in 1/2 cup butter, the salt and pepper vigorously until potatoes are light and fluffy. Beat in eggs until blended.
• Drop potato mixture by spoonfuls into mounds onto cookie sheet. Or place mixture in decorating bag with star tip; form rosettes on cookie sheet.
• Brush with melted butter. Bake about 15 minutes or until light brown.

DUCHESS POTATOES

Steps:

• In a large pot, cover potatoes with cold salted water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil; reduce to a rapid simmer and cook until tender, 15 minutes. Drain in a colander, let sit 5 minutes, then return to pot. Add butter and, with a potato masher, mash until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Add 2 egg yolks, 1/4 cup cream, and pinch of nutmeg; stir until combined.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment and lightly butter paper. Dollop mixture in 8 equal portions on sheet, 2 inches apart. Using the back of a spoon, create a small well in the center of each. Freeze until firm, 15 minutes. Whisk together remaining egg yolk and 2 teaspoons cream. Brush on potatoes and bake until golden, 15 minutes.

POTATO GHOSTS

Steps:

• Peel and quarter potatoes, then cover with water in a 4-quart pot and season well with salt. Simmer, partially covered, until tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
• While potatoes are simmering, heat butter and milk in a small saucepan until butter is melted. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
• Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle.
• Drain potatoes and force through ricer into a large bowl (or mixer bowl if using stand mixer). Beat in milk mixture, yolks, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper with an electric mixer at low speed until combined.
• Spread about one-third of potatoes in a buttered 1 1/2-quart shallow ovenproof dish. Transfer remaining potatoes to pastry bag. Pipe potatoes close together into 2 1/2- to 3-inch-high pointed mounds to form "'ghosts" and garnish each mound with 2 seeds for "eyes."
• Bake until tips of ghosts are golden and potatoes are firm, 20 to 25 minutes.

DUCHESS POTATOES

Steps:

• Prepare a piping bag with large open star tip.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet.
• Fill a 3-quart pot with 4 inches water and 1 teaspoon salt. Add potatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer until tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain; return potatoes to the pot.
• Cook potatoes over low heat until remaining water steams off, about 3 minutes. Let cool, at least 15 minutes.
• Place potatoes in a food processor and process until smooth. Let stand for 5 minutes. Add butter, egg yolks, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, nutmeg, and pepper. Mix until just combined; spoon into the piping bag.
• Pipe potato mixture onto the prepared baking sheet into eighteen 2-inch rosettes with a circular motion, finishing with a small peak in the center. Refrigerate until slightly firmer, about 25 minutes.
• Mix egg and heavy cream together in a bowl; brush mixture onto the rosettes.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes.

DUCHESS POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray.
• In large pot, add potatoes and enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and cook 10 minutes, or until soft. Drain.
• Mash until smooth (I like using my mixer to do this). Stir in butter and sour cream. Add egg yolks and chives. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Scoop potatoes into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe 8 swirled ovals into the prepared baking sheet.
• This can be refrigerated at this point until ready to bake.
• Bake 25-30 minutes, or untl the edges start to brown.

KATHY'S DUCHESS POTATO PUFFS WITH CHEESE

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients well. Cover and refrigerate for at least a few hours (up to 2 days). Note: if using leftover mashed potatoes, do this the evening you make them fresh, and then refrigerate the mixture.
• Preheat oven to 375°F Using a piping bag with a large decorative tip (or cut the tip from the bottom of a Ziploc bag), pipe approximately 1/4 cup each of the mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet 1 inch apart.
• Spray rosettes with non-stick cooking spray and sprinkle with a bit more paprika. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until heated through.