Pain Au Chocolat

I made these for Randal to take to his office back when I made the fruit danish pastries. This is another recipe from SaraBeth's bakery. I love making dough like this, I love all the steps, the rolling and folding and seeing all the layers develop.  I was very happy with the final result as these pastries were tender and flaky and everything a good pain au chocolat should be.

Detrempe
2 3/4 tsp active dry yeast
2 tbsp sugar
2/3 cup whole milk
1 large egg plus 4 large egg yolks
Seeds from 1 plumped vanilla bean
2 2/3 cups unbleached all purpose flour
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened

Beurrage
2 sticks unsalted butter
2 tbsp all purpose flour

1. To make the detrempe, sprinkle the yeast over 1/3 cup warm milk and leave for 5 minutes. Whisk well and add to the mixer bowl, add the sugar and the remaining 1/3 cup of cold milk.

2. Add the egg, yolks and vanilla seeds to the yeast mixture, mix with the paddle attachment on low speed, add 2 cups of flour and salt to the bowl. Add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Add enough of the remaining flour to make a soft, sticky dough. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface, knead for a minute to smooth out the surface and shape into a ball.

3. Dust a half sheet pan with flour, place the dough onto the pan and cut an X about 1 inch deep in the top of the ball. Sprinkle with flour and refrigerate.

4. Immediately make the beurrage. Clean the mixer bowl and paddle attachment. Add the butter to the bowl and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add the flour and continue beating for another 30 seconds. Transfer to the work surface, and shape into a 4 inch square. Place on the sheet pan along with the detrempe and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

5. Flour the work surface, place the dough on the work surface with the ends of the X at 2, 4, 7 and 10 o'clock. Dust the top of the dough with flour and using the heel of your hand, flatten and stretch each quadrant to make a cloverleaf shape. Using a rolling pin roll each leaf into a flap about 6 inches long and 5 inches wide, leaving a raised square in the middle.

6. Place the butter square in the center. Gently stretch and pull the north facing flap of dough down to cover the top and sides of the butter square. Then stretch the south facing flap of dough up to cover the top and sides of the butter square. Turn the dough so that the open ends of the square face north and south, repeat folding the flaps of dough over the butter square, making a butter filled packet of dough about 6 inches square.

7. Turn the dough over so that the folded flaps are face down with the open seam facing you. Using a rolling pin lightly pound the top of the dough to widen it slightly and help distribute the butter. Roll the dough into a 17 by 9 inch rectangle, fold into thirds and transfer to a sheet pan and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

8. Place the dough back on the work surface with the long open seam of dough facing you. Roll out the dough into a 17 by 9 inch rectangle, fold the right side over 2 inches to the left and fold the left side over to meet the right side. Fold the dough in half vertically from left to right, return to the sheet pan and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

9. Repeat rolling the dough into a 17 by 9 inch rectangle, folding into thirds and cut the dough in half. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap and freeze for 2-4 days.

10. The night before using the dough, transfer to the refrigerator and let thaw overnight.

To make the pain au chocolat

½ recipe dough

Unbleached all-purpose flour, for rolling the dough

One 3½-ounce semisweet or bittersweet chocolate bar, cut crosswise into 12 strips

1 large egg, well beaten

Line a half-sheet pan with parchment paper.  Dust the work surface well with flour.  Place the dough on the work surface with the open seam of dough facing you.  Dust the top of the dough with flour.  Using a large, heavy rolling pin, roll out the dough into a 16-by-12-inch rectangle.  Using a yardstick and a pizza wheel, neatly trim the rough edges of the rectangle.  Fold the dough into thirds, place on the half-sheet pan, and refrigerate uncovered for 15 minutes.

Unfold the dough onto the work surface.  Cut the dough horizontally into thirds and vertically into quarters to make 12 squares.  Place a chocolate strip about ¼ inch up from the bottom of a dough square.  Roll from the bottom up and place, seam side down, on the pan.  Repeat with the remaining dough and chocolate, placing the pains 1½ inches apart.  Using a very sharp thin knife, make a 1-inch slit in the center of the pains, cutting just down to the chocolate.  Make two more 1-inch slits, ¾ inch on either side of the center slit.

Choose a warm place in the kitchen for proofing.  Slip the pan into a tall plastic bag.  Place a tall glass of very hot water near the center of the pan.  Wave the opening of the bag to trap air and inflate it like a balloon being sure that the plastic does not touch the dough.  Twist the bag closed.  Let stand until the pains au chocolat look puffy but not doubled, 1½ to 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375.  Remove the glass from the bag, then the pan.  Lightly brush the pains with the beaten egg.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Reduce the heat to 350° and continue baking until the pains are crisp and golden brown, about 15 minutes longer.  Serve warm or at room temperature.  

Linked to: Mom On Timeout, Michelle's Tasty Creations, A Little Nosh, Momnivore's Dilemma, Fireflies and Jellybeans, Miz Helen's Country Cottage, Allie Makes, A Creative Princess, These Peas Taste Funny, Something Swanky, What's Cooking, Love?, Hungry Hungry Hypo, Stuff and Nonsense, Six Sisters Stuff, Grocery Cart Challenge, Tutus and Tea Parties

Fruit Danish Pastries

When Randal gave me SaraBeth's Bakery Cookbook for Christmas, the very first thing I wanted to make from it was these danish pastries. I love making pastries, and my go to recipe for the past few years has always been Nigella Lawson's processor danishes. I love Nigella's recipe, but the only trouble I have with it is that the dough doesn't hold its shape when baking, which is why I so wanted to try making these twisted danishes. I had hope that these would hold together better, and I am so thrilled that they did.

I have to say though, that while I did love these danishes, I still think my favourite pastry is Nigella's. These were great straight out of the oven but they did seem to dry out very quickly and as these were made for Randal to take to the office the next morning that wasn't so good. I have never had that trouble with Nigella's recipe, so I think in the next few weeks I am going to make Nigella's dough recipe but use Sarabeth's technique... I think it might just make for the perfect danish pastry!


Detrempe
2 3/4 tsp active dry yeast
2 tbsp sugar
2/3 cup whole milk
1 large egg plus 4 large egg yolks
Seeds from 1 plumped vanilla bean
2 2/3 cups unbleached all purpose flour
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened

Beurrage
2 sticks unsalted butter
2 tbsp all purpose flour




Sprinkle the yeast over 1/3 cup warm milk and leave for 5 minutes


Place in the mixer bowl, add the sugar and the remaining 1/3 cup of cold milk along with the 2 cups of flour, salt and butter.


Transfer the dough to a floured work surface, knead for a minute to smooth out the surface and shape into a ball


Dust a half sheet pan with flour, place the dough onto the pan and cut an X about 1 inch deep in the top of the ball. Sprinkle with flour and refrigerate


Clean the mixer bowl and add the 2 sticks of butter to the bowl and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add the 2 tablespoons of flour and continue beating for another 30 seconds


Shape into a 4 inch square, place on the sheet pan along with the detrempe and refrigerate for 15 minutes


Place the dough on the work surface with the ends of the X at 2, 4, 7 and 10 o'clock. Dust the top of the dough with flour and using the heel of your hand, flatten and stretch each quadrant to make a cloverleaf shape


Using a rolling pin roll each leaf into a flap about 6 inches long and 5 inches wide, leaving a raised square in the middle


Place the butter square (beurrage) in the center of the dough


Gently stretch and pull the north facing flap of dough down to cover the top and sides of the butter square


Then stretch the south facing flap of dough up to cover the top and sides of the butter square. Turn the dough so that the open ends of the square face north and south, repeat folding the flaps of dough over the butter square


Turn the dough over so that the folded flaps are face down with the open seam facing you. Using a rolling pin lightly pound the top of the dough to widen it slightly and help distribute the butter


Roll the dough into a 17 by 9 inch rectangle


Fold into thirds and transfer to a sheet pan and refrigerate for 20 minutes


Roll out the dough into a 17 by 9 inch rectangle, fold the right side over 2 inches to the left


Fold the left side over to meet the right side


Fold the dough in half vertically from left to right, return to the sheet pan and refrigerate for 20 minutes


Repeat rolling the dough into a 17 by 9 inch rectangle, folding into thirds and cut the dough in half. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap and freeze for 2-4 days


The night before using the dough, transfer to the refrigerator and let thaw overnight. Roll out dough to a 12x16 inch rectangle, fold the dough into thirds and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Return dough to work surface and unroll back into the 12x16 rectangle. Mix the cinnamon and sugar together, sprinkle over the surface of the dough


Fold in half horizontally and cut the dough vertically into 1 inch strips


Twist one strip at a time into a 12 inch long spiral, wrap the strip in a counterclockwise motion into a snail shape, tuck the loose end under the pastry


Place onto sheet pan spacing them about an inch apart


Choose a warm place in the kitchen for proofing. Slip the pan into a tallkitchen sized bag and place a tall glass of very hot water near the center of the pan. Wave the opening of the bag to trap the air and inflate it like a baloon, twist the bag closed and leave until pastries look puffy, about 2 hours


Lightly moisten your finger with tepid water and gently depress the center of each pastry. Place a rounded teaspoon of peserves in each center. Lightly brush the pastries with the beaten egg, bake until danishes are golden brown, about 25 minutes. Brush with apricot glaze. I also added an icing sugar drizzle to the pastries, although not part of Sarabath's original recipe.



Detrempe
2 3/4 tsp active dry yeast
2 tbsp sugar
2/3 cup whole milk
1 large egg plus 4 large egg yolks
Seeds from 1 plumped vanilla bean
2 2/3 cups unbleached all purpose flour
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened

Beurrage
2 sticks unsalted butter
2 tbsp all purpose flour

1. To make the detrempe, sprinkle the yeast over 1/3 cup warm milk and leave for 5 minutes. Whisk well and add to the mixer bowl, add the sugar and the remaining 1/3 cup of cold milk.

2. Add the egg, yolks and vanilla seeds to the yeast mixture, mix with the paddle attachment on low speed, add 2 cups of flour and salt to the bowl. Add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Add enough of the remaining flour to make a soft, sticky dough. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface, knead for a minute to smooth out the surface and shape into a ball.

3. Dust a half sheet pan with flour, place the dough onto the pan and cut an X about 1 inch deep in the top of the ball. Sprinkle with flour and refrigerate.

4. Immediately make the beurrage. Clean the mixer bowl and paddle attachment. Add the butter to the bowl and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add the flour and continue beating for another 30 seconds. Transfer to the work surface, and shape into a 4 inch square. Place on the sheet pan along with the detrempe and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

5. Flour the work surface, place the dough on the work surface with the ends of the X at 2, 4, 7 and 10 o'clock. Dust the top of the dough with flour and using the heel of your hand, flatten and stretch each quadrant to make a cloverleaf shape. Using a rolling pin roll each leaf into a flap about 6 inches long and 5 inches wide, leaving a raised square in the middle.

6. Place the butter square in the center. Gently stretch and pull the north facing flap of dough down to cover the top and sides of the butter square. Then stretch the south facing flap of dough up to cover the top and sides of the butter square. Turn the dough so that the open ends of the square face north and south, repeat folding the flaps of dough over the butter square, making a butter filled packet of dough about 6 inches square.

7. Turn the dough over so that the folded flaps are face down with the open seam facing you. Using a rolling pin lightly pound the top of the dough to widen it slightly and help distribute the butter. Roll the dough into a 17 by 9 inch rectangle, fold into thirds and transfer to a sheet pan and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

8. Place the dough back on the work surface with the long open seam of dough facing you. Roll out the dough into a 17 by 9 inch rectangle, fold the right side over 2 inches to the left and fold the left side over to meet the right side. Fold the dough in half vertically from left to right, return to the sheet pan and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

9. Repeat rolling the dough into a 17 by 9 inch rectangle, folding into thirds and cut the dough in half. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap and freeze for 2-4 days.

10. The night before using the dough, transfer to the refrigerator and let thaw overnight.

To make the fruit danish:
1/2 recipe danish dough
1 tbsp superfine sugar
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup jam (I used raspberry, morello cherry and peach mango)
1 large egg
1/3 cup apricot preserves
2 tbsp water

1. Dust the work surface with flour, place dough on work surface with open seam facing you. Using a rolling pin, roll out dough to a 12x16 inch rectangle, fold the dough into thirds and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

2. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper, return dough to work surface and unroll back into the 12x16 rectangle. Mix the cinnamon and sugar together, sprinkle over the surface of the dough, fold in half horizontally and cut the dough vertically into 1 inch strips.

3. Twist one strip at a time into a 12 inch long spiral, wrap the strip in a counterclockwise motion into a snail shape, tuck the loose end under the pastry, place onto sheet pan spacing them about an inch apart.

4. Choose a warm place in the kitchen for proofing. Slip the pan into a tall kitchen sized bag and place a tall glass of very hot water near the center of the pan. Wave the opening of the bag to trap the air and inflate it like a baloon, twist the bag closed and leave until pastries look puffy, about 2 hours.

5. Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly moisten your finger with tepid water and gently depress the center of each pastry. Place a rounded teaspoon of peserves in each center.

6. Lightly brush the pastries with the beaten egg, bake until danishes are golden brown, about 25 minutes.

7. Make apricot glaze by combining the apricot preserves and water in a small pan, bring to the boil then simmer for a minute. Strain glaze into a small bowl and brush the hot danishes with the hot apricot glaze.

Linked to: Miz Helen's Country Cottage, Rattlebridge Farm, Something Swanky, Stuff and Nonsense, What's Cooking, Love?, WhipperBerry, Flour Me With Love, I Should Be Mopping The Floor, Create With Joy, Homemaker on a Dime, The Girl Creative, Skip To My Lou

Egg, Bacon and Cheese Tart

I saw this on the front cover of the food network magazine and I knew I had to try making these. Randal and I both loved these, although Randal said next time he would prefer a cheese other than havarti, I loved it just as it is though.


1 sheet puff pastry
1 cup grated havarti cheese
4 eggs
2 slices bacon
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 425

On a floured surface, roll out the pastry to a 12 inch square. Cut into 4 equal squares. Fold the edges to form 4 round tart shells. Transfer to a baking sheet and prick the bottom of the tart shells with a fork. bake for 10 minutes.

Cook the bacon, then cut into small pieces.

Let the tart shells cool slightly, sprinkle with the havarti cheese, make a well in the center of the cheese and crack an egg into it. Season with salt and pepper and top with the bacon. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the eggs are set.

Cream Cheese Pastries

I made these for breakfast on Randal's birthday. I found the recipe over at Laura in the kitchen, and while they don't taste exactly like real danishes, they are a really quick and easy alternative that I definitely would make again if I didn't want to spend days making the real thing!


4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
3 tbsp sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp sour cream
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon zest
1 sheet puff pastry
1 egg

Preheat oven to 400

Combine the cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, sour cream, vanilla and lemon zest in a bowl and mix together.

Roll out the puff pastry sheet so it's a little thinner, cut into 4 squares and place the filling in the center of each square.

Beat the egg with a little water and brush the edges of each square of pastry with the egg wash, pinch together 2 opposite corners, place them on a baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Brush the top of the pastries with egg wash, bake for 20 minutes, dust with powdered sugar.

Ham and Cheese Croissants

I had some puff pastry leftover from making the individual beef wellingtons, which I will be posting next, and I remembered seeing these ham and cheese croissants over at Laura in the kitchen. These were the perfect thing to make with the leftover pastry, I had everything I needed in the fridge and they are quick to make and really good.


1 sheet of puff pastry (makes 8)
Ham slices
Cheese slices
1 egg
Salt and pepper

Roll out the puff pastry sheet so it's a little thinner than it is coming out of the box. Cut the pastry into 4 equal squares, and then cut each square into two triangles.

Take any kind of ham and cheese you would like and fold a piece of each onto the largest end of the triangle.

Beat the egg with a little water to make an egg wash, and brush the edges of each triangle with it. Roll the pastry ending with the seam side down.

Brush with the egg wash and season the top of each pastry with salt and pepper and bake at 400 for 20 minutes.

Processor Danish Pastries

I have made this processor danish pastry recipe from Nigella Lawson a number of times now. There are quite a few steps to making these but in the end it is well worth the time it takes to make them. These have been a huge hit with the hubby's co-workers and especially with my father in law, I end up making these for him fairly often.

Nigella's original recipe has an almond filling that she makes for the pastries, I made that the first time but even though I really loved the almond filled pastries I found that the hubby and father in law much preferred a cherry and cream cheese filling. I have included the recipe for the almond filling, but my pictures are of the cherry danishes.


Danish Pastry recipe:
1/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup milk at room temp
1 large egg at room temp
2 1/4 cups white bread flour
1 package rapid rise yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into slices

Almond filling:
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons banched almonds, toasted
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons icing sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temp
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 large egg white

Clear glaze:
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup water

Sugar glaze:
1/2 cup icing sugar
1-2 tablespoons warm water

Beat egg, water and milk together, set aside. Put flour, yeast, salt and sugar into food processor and pulse to mix, add the cold slices of butter and process until the butter is cut up, empty into a bowl and add the milk mixture. Fold together, cover with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator overnight or up to 4 days.


To turn into pastry, let it get to room temp, roll into a rectangle


fold into thirds turning it afterwards so that the closed fold is on your left. Roll out again to a rectangle and repeat the steps above 3 times.




Cut in half, cover and put in refrigerator for 30 minutes




To make the almond filling, toast the almonds, then process with the icing sugar until finely ground. Add the butter then process again, then the almond extract and egg white.
Roll out pastry into a large square and cut into 9 equal squares


Take each sqaure and put a tablespoon of the almond mixture or fruit filling onto the pastry


Bring up the opposite corners and pinch together, then flatten the pastry slightly.
Place on baking sheets and brush with the egg glaze, leave them to rise until they have doubled in size (about 90 minutes)


Preheat the oven to 350, cook for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
To make the clear glaze heat the water and sugar to boiling and then brush on pastries.

To make the sugar glaze, add the water to the icing sugara little at a time to make a runny icing, when they have cooled drizzle over the sugar glaze.



See other recipes at The Grocery Cart Challenge