TWD: Espresso Profiteroles

I was not convinced about doing this recipe, as I really do not like Profiteroles or anything alike. There are some other german names for sweets made of the same batter: Windbeutel, Brandteigkrapfen or Liebesknochen (the latter have a different form but the same batter and filling) - and I like none of them. But one of my colleagues occassionally mentioned the she loves profiteroles, even the more when they are plain, unfilled and already one day old.

Well, I might not like profiteroles but I like experiments, so I made the recipe.

Doing it was a mess. I had the feeling the batter was way too liquid. I was not able to place it on the baking sheet as I thought I should. The batter made small "lakes" on the sheet. Unfortunately, I put the first sheet in the oven and decided to make some modification before waiting how this first sheet turned out. And while there was already almost one cup more flour included in the batter, the "lakes" started to firm and puff...

Anyhow, the second and third sheet were much easier to handel. I was able to make small "mountains" that did hold. But in the end, the profiteroles tunred out more in the shape of cookies and did not really puff or fall down again when I took them out the oven. I guess the excessive flour made the dough too heavy.

However, I brought them to work and my profiteroles-loving colleague enjoyed them. As most of them did not puff (in the pictures you see the only three or four that turned out fine) I did not cut and fill them but put some chocolate and vanilla pudding besides.

If you like profiteroles in general then for sure these Espresso Profiteroles are an excellent option. And - in the end they are easy and fast in the making, once you find out how it works and as long as you trust the recipe :-]
Therefore, have a look at p. 411 in Dorie Greenspan's book and/or see how the recipe turned out for the other bakers of the TWD-group!

TWD: Sweet Berry (and Plum) Fougasse

I really love fougasse - although up to now I only knew the original version, mostly with olives. The original is a very common bread in France, baked in a stone baking oven, coming originally from southern France. I ate about 3 tons when I lived in Paris for some months. Ok, slight exaggeration. Slight.

I made only quarter a recipe and as I hace now idea what pattern the recipe speaks about I should shape, I just made rounds and cut triangles. For half the dough I used raspberries and for the other half I used plums as the berry season is already almost over in Austria and plums are everywhere.

I made a bit more of the Streusel just because I like it but the amount in the recipe would be just as well.

In the end, you need some preparation as the dough has tweo (short) rising periods but needs at least 24 hours of chilling. But besides that, the Sweet Berry Fougasse is easy and made fast.

I can also imagine other fruits very well, as maybe a strawberry/rhubarb combo, because I know a very similar recipe (sometimes completed with a bit of vanilla pudding between the dough and the fruit), called Datschi.

For the recipe, buy Dorie Greenspans book and have a look at p. 194.





PS.: This week, we had the choice between this recipe and Blueberry Muffins. As I made the Blueberry Orange Muffins from our first TWD-book "Baking: From my home to yours" just a few weeks ago, and the recipe was more than great, I opted for the Fougasse because seriously, no Blueberry Muffin can be better then these: