Orange Chocolate Puffs Recipes

ORANGE-CHOCOLATE PUFFS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F. Grease cookie sheet; lightly flour. Heat 1 cup water, the butter and salt to a rapid boil in 2 1/2-quart saucepan. Stir in flour. Stir vigorously over low heat about 1 minute or until mixture forms a ball; remove from heat. Cool 5 minutes.
• Beat in eggs, one at a time with wire whisk, until smooth. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart into 16 mounds onto cookie sheet.
• Bake about 30 minutes or until puffed and golden brown; cool. Cut off tops; reserve. Pull out any strands of soft dough.
• Beat whipping cream, powdered sugar, cocoa and orange peel in chilled medium bowl on high speed until stiff. Fill puffs with whipped cream mixture; replace tops. Mound puffs on large serving plate.
• Heat remaining ingredients over low heat until smooth; drizzle over puffs. Refrigerate any remaining puffs.

PUFF PASTRY FOR ORANGE TART

Steps:

• In the bowl of a food processor or using the paddle of an electric mixer, mix 1/2 cup flour with the butter until combined and very smooth. Transfer to plastic wrap and shape into a flat square 1-inch-thick, wrap well, and chill for at least 30 minutes.
• Combine the salt with the remaining flour in a large bowl, and add the cream. Mix well by hand or with the paddle attachment of an electric mixer; the dough will not be completely smooth but it should not be sticky. Shape it into a flat square 1 1/2 inches thick, wrap in plastic, and chill, at least 30 minutes.
• Remove the flour dough from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured board, roll the dough into a rectangle twice as long as the butter dough. Place the butter dough in the center, fold up the ends to completely encase the butter dough, and seal the edges by pinching them together. Wrap well in plastic, and chill for at least 30 minutes, so that the dough achieves the same temperature throughout.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured board, roll it out into a large rectangle approximately 1/2 inch thick. Fold the dough into thirds, aligning the edges carefully, and brushing off any excess flour. The object is to ensure that the butter is distributed evenly throughout so that the pastry will puff evenly when baked. Wrap the dough, and chill it for at least 30 minutes. This completes one turn.
• Repeat this process five more times. Be sure to use as little flour as possible when rolling out the dough, and always brush of any excess. Remember to let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator between turns, or 15 minutes in the freezer. This chilling makes the rolling out process much easier, and it keeps the layers of butter of equal thickness.
• By the sixth and final turn, the dough should be very smooth, with no lumps of butter visible. Wrap the pastry in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to use (up to 2 days), or freeze for future use.

CHOCOLATE ORANGE TURNOVERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F and lightly butter a baking sheet.
• Chop chocolate and in a small bowl stir together with zest. In another small bowl lightly beat egg. Trim any uneven edges from pastry sheet and cut into 4 squares. Brush edges of pastry squares with some egg. Put one fourth chocolate mixture on center of each pastry square and fold each square diagonally in half, forming triangles. Seal edges by gently pressing together and crimp decoratively.
• Brush tops of turnovers with egg and sprinkle with sugar. With a sharp knife cut a small steam vent in top of each turnover. On baking sheet bake turnovers in middle of oven until golden, about 12 minutes. Cool turnovers slightly on a rack. Serve turnovers warm.

CHOCOLATE CREAM PUFFS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet lightly with some shortening. Put beaters into the freezer to chill.
• Combine water and shortening in a saucepan and bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Add flour, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt all at once and reduce heat to low. Stir mixture vigorously until it leaves the sides of the pan and forms a ball, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes.
• Beat in eggs, one at a time, with chilled beaters, beating vigorously after each addition until batter is smooth and glossy. Drop dough into 6 mounds on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until puffed and dry, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and pierce the side of each puff with a knife to allow steam to escape. Transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely, abut 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine sugar, cocoa powder and whipping cream in a bowl for the filling. Beat with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate until needed.
• Cut cooled puffs in half horizontally. Fill with cocoa whipped cream.
• For the glaze, pour whipping cream into a small pot and heat until hot. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips until melted. Allow to cool slightly. Drizzle chocolate glaze over the cream puffs and refrigerate until serving.