Guinness Cardamom Cream Puffs with Orange Whipped Cream & A Giveaway!
We're celebrating our 100th post here at A Sweet Little Life. 100! In honor of that, I'll be posting details about a giveaway. Yes, I feel like you should get free shit for sticking with it and supporting all the sweetness this past year. More on that later.
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Measure out the Guinness properly. Be smart. Don't be like Kaz. Kaz was too busy taking pictures to focus on keeping a gigantic head from developing. You're smarter than that.
Once your head has died down a bit, you are going to add the custard slowly, bringing everything to appropriate temperatures that don't cook your eggs and make lumpy custard. Look at the swirls. Stop. Admire them.
The chocolate gets added in at the end here and then the custard needs to chill out for a bit. In the fridge.
But by now, your puffs ought to be looking plump. Take a peek and see.
They'll get a nice, sunshine egg wash that'll render them brown and appealing when they emerge from the oven. See how that worked out.
While they're cooling, go ahead and whip up the orange cream. I used Gran Gala but you can use any orange flavored liqueur. It also vital to use some good quality vanilla beans. I think I've mentioned this. Several times.
If you don't have them at your local Costco, you can always purchase them online here.
Rodelle Vanilla Beans Two tubes with 5 Vanilla Beans in each (total of 10 bea...
Go ahead and whip this stuff up in your mixer with the whisk attachment. Go for fluffy. Fantastic fluffy.
While all this is going down, you can be boiling your Guinness syrup. That's right. Sweet syrup straight from the nectar of the Gods. Don't be shy. Dip your finger and take a taste. You'll have plenty left over.
Now it's time to assemble this beauty. Slice the top off a puff, scoop out a bit of the inside and fill with chilled Guinness Chocolate custard. Top with puff, dust with powdered sugar and dollop with vanilla orange cream. Garnish with orange zest and cinnamon sticks if desired. Finish with drizzled drops of Guinness syrup. You don't need the luck of the Irish to impress with this St. Patrick's Day Puff.
For the cardamom ginger puffs:
1 cup milk, warm
1⁄2 cup sugar
1 tsp. ground cardamom
1 tsp. ginger
2 1⁄4 tsp. active dry yeast
1 egg
4 cups flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 1⁄2" cubes, softened
1 tbsp. heavy cream
1 egg yolk
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
For the Guinness chocolate custard:
4 large egg yolks
½ cup sugar plus 3 tbsp.
½ cup Guinness Stout
1¾ cups heavy cream
4 ounces high-quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
For the vanilla orange whipped cream:
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon Gran Gala
1-2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 vanilla bean pod, split and seeds scooped out
For the Guinness syrup:
1 cup Guinness Stout
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
discarded vanilla bean pod from whipped cream recipe
Instructions:
Cardamom Ginger Puffs: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, combine milk, sugar, cardamom, ginger and yeast; stir together and let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add egg; mix to combine. Add flour, baking powder, and salt; mix until a dough forms. Replace paddle with hook attachment; knead on medium speed for 2 minutes. While kneading, slowly add butter in batches, mixing until completely incorporated before adding the next batch, 3–4 minutes. Continue kneading for 4 minutes more after last of butter is added. Transfer dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap; let sit until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Heat oven to 400°. Transfer dough to a work surface and divide into 16 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball and place 8 balls each on 2 parchment paper-–lined baking sheets; cover both baking sheets loosely with plastic wrap and let sit until dough has risen slightly, 30 minutes. In a small bowl, stir together cream and egg yolk. Uncover dough balls. Using a pastry brush, brush each dough ball with egg wash. Bake, moving baking sheets from front to back of oven and from top rack to bottom rack halfway through cooking, until golden brown, 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature.
Guinness Chocolate Custard: In mixing bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar. Open can of Guinness and slowly pour into 4-cup measuring cup, pouring down side of cup to reduce foaming. Pour 1/2 cup of Guinness into heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add 1 1/4 cups cream and whisk to combine. Set over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until bubbles just begin to form at edges. Remove from heat, add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Slowly pour hot chocolate mixture into eggs, whisking constantly to prevent curdling. Return mixture to saucepan and set over moderately low heat. Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled and set.
SprinkleBakes: Dessert Recipes to Inspire Your Inner Artist
All you have to do to enter is share your favorite A Sweet Little Life recipe on Facebook. Make sure to tag me in the post so I can do this shit properly. I'll announce the winner next Friday and a copy of this sweet little beauty will be in the mail just for you. Happy 100th post and thanks for your support this year!
Blown away by this boozy beauty? Like a A Sweet Little Life on Facebook so you don't miss the chance to indulge in decadence.
First though, we need to chat about St. Patrick's Day. I'm kind of Irish. Partly. Like A LOT of people on this planet. I fell in love with the idea of Ireland in college. The rolling, lush green hills and the dramatic cliffs that fell into a churning Atlantic sea, the lilt of the accent and the romance of the culture that embraces the mystical and whimsical. After graduating college and having the luxury of a real job, I pinched some hard earned pennies and went on a hiking tour of Southern Ireland. It was gorgeous and epic. And really cold and full of drizzle. I was crushed that the homeland of my dreams had a climate that made me shiver and swear. Some things look better from a distance.
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| Guinness Cardamom Cream Puffs with Orange Whipped Cream |
That is not the case with this recipe. This rich, lush mountain of pastry and pudding tastes every bit as decadent as it looks. And it packs a powerful punch with plenty of boozy flavor that every pub lover will appreciate. The fragrant, soft mounds of cardamom and ginger infused puffs are hollowed out to serve as receptacles for a velvety, chocolate Guinness pudding. Topped with an spiked orange and vanilla bean whipped cream, these magical puffs are then drizzled with a Guinness syrup. Because if you're going to go decadent, you might as well do it wholeheartedly and passionately. Like any good Irishman.
This recipe begins by assembling a fragrant dough, liberally infused with cardamom and ginger.If you're certain cream puffs are intimidating, I hope you'll give up that notion after this recipe. Cream puffs are fancy, fluffy yeast rolls and every recipe has a different take.
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| Spice it Up |
Use a mixer with the dough hook to get just the right consistency. It should cling to the hook but remain soft and slightly sticky to the touch. You'll set this aside to rise while while you assemble the pudding.
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| Doughy Details |
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| Remarkable Rising |
Next up, gather and prep ingredients for your Guinness Chocolate Pudding. I do recommend procuring some high quality dark chocolate for this recipe. I used Ghirardelli's, which was recently rated the best grocery store option in a blind taste test.
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| Custard Collective |
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| Ghirardelli's Dark Decadence |
You'll whip up the eggs and sugar, then add the cream and set it to cook on the stove top. This is the part where you end up swearing at your burnt, chunky custard because you walked away for just one teensy minute. Don't walk away, people. Keep your eye on this one.
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| Whip it Up |
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| Custard Concoction |
Next you get to do the fun part. Add the beer. We have a mounted bottle opener next to the fridge because my husband is that craft beer guy. He actually mounted this one that I bought him as a stocking stuffer last year and made it magnetic, so when you pop the cap, it doesn't fall to the floor. Pffft. Engineers. So fancy.
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| An original opener |
Want to grab your own? They're just a few bucks on Amazon.
Measure out the Guinness properly. Be smart. Don't be like Kaz. Kaz was too busy taking pictures to focus on keeping a gigantic head from developing. You're smarter than that.
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| Be smart. Don't pour like Kaz. |
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| Pockets of perfection |
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| Pretty Perfect |
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| Guinness Chocolate Pudding |
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| Plump puffs |
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| Eggcellent |
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| Magic Mountains |
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| Whip it. Whip it real good. |
Rodelle Vanilla Beans Two tubes with 5 Vanilla Beans in each (total of 10 bea...
Go ahead and whip this stuff up in your mixer with the whisk attachment. Go for fluffy. Fantastic fluffy.
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| Orange Vanilla Cream |
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| Simmering syrup |
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| Oh, my Guinness Goodness |
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| A St. Patrick's Day Decadent Puff |
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| Up close and personal with the puff |
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| Guinness Cardamom Cream Puffs with Vanilla Orange Whipped Cream |
Guinness Cardamom Cream Puffs with Vanilla Orange Whipped Cream
1 cup milk, warm
1⁄2 cup sugar
1 tsp. ground cardamom
1 tsp. ginger
2 1⁄4 tsp. active dry yeast
1 egg
4 cups flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 1⁄2" cubes, softened
1 tbsp. heavy cream
1 egg yolk
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
For the Guinness chocolate custard:
4 large egg yolks
½ cup sugar plus 3 tbsp.
½ cup Guinness Stout
1¾ cups heavy cream
4 ounces high-quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
For the vanilla orange whipped cream:
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon Gran Gala
1-2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 vanilla bean pod, split and seeds scooped out
For the Guinness syrup:
1 cup Guinness Stout
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
discarded vanilla bean pod from whipped cream recipe
Instructions:
Cardamom Ginger Puffs: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, combine milk, sugar, cardamom, ginger and yeast; stir together and let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add egg; mix to combine. Add flour, baking powder, and salt; mix until a dough forms. Replace paddle with hook attachment; knead on medium speed for 2 minutes. While kneading, slowly add butter in batches, mixing until completely incorporated before adding the next batch, 3–4 minutes. Continue kneading for 4 minutes more after last of butter is added. Transfer dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap; let sit until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Heat oven to 400°. Transfer dough to a work surface and divide into 16 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball and place 8 balls each on 2 parchment paper-–lined baking sheets; cover both baking sheets loosely with plastic wrap and let sit until dough has risen slightly, 30 minutes. In a small bowl, stir together cream and egg yolk. Uncover dough balls. Using a pastry brush, brush each dough ball with egg wash. Bake, moving baking sheets from front to back of oven and from top rack to bottom rack halfway through cooking, until golden brown, 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature.
Guinness Chocolate Custard: In mixing bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar. Open can of Guinness and slowly pour into 4-cup measuring cup, pouring down side of cup to reduce foaming. Pour 1/2 cup of Guinness into heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add 1 1/4 cups cream and whisk to combine. Set over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until bubbles just begin to form at edges. Remove from heat, add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Slowly pour hot chocolate mixture into eggs, whisking constantly to prevent curdling. Return mixture to saucepan and set over moderately low heat. Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled and set.
Vanilla Orange Whipped Cream: In mixer bowl
fitted with whisk attachment, beat ingredients until stiff peaks form.
Guinness Syrup: Boil 1 cup Guinness,
sugar and vanilla bean pod in heavy duty saucepan for 20 minutes. Remove from
heat and cool, discarding vanilla bean pod.
To
Assemble: Cut top
from cream puff, scoop out inside and fill with custard. Sit puff top on
custard, dust with powdered sugar and adorn with dollop of whipped cream.
Garnish with orange zest and cinnamon sticks if desired. Drizzle with syrup.
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| Guinness and a Giveaway! |
If you made it all the way down here, you must be looking for the giveaway details. Hello! Yes. Here's the scoop. To celebrate the 100th post on A Sweet Little Life, I'm giving away a copy of my favorite cookbook, Sprinkle Bakes by Heather Baird.
All you have to do to enter is share your favorite A Sweet Little Life recipe on Facebook. Make sure to tag me in the post so I can do this shit properly. I'll announce the winner next Friday and a copy of this sweet little beauty will be in the mail just for you. Happy 100th post and thanks for your support this year!
Blown away by this boozy beauty? Like a A Sweet Little Life on Facebook so you don't miss the chance to indulge in decadence.