PASTRIES & VARIATIONS: Choux pastry is used to produce these wonderful cream puffs that have a crunchy texture coming from the praline.

CREAM PUFFS WITH PRALINE & ORANGE FILLING:

 

 

 

1 quantity of choux pastry--see recipe            

filling:

    ½ cup whipped cream                                             

    1 tbsp. powdered sugar

    1 tsp. vanilla extract                                    

    grated rind of 1 orange

    2 tbsp. finely crushed almond praline--see recipe below                                        

egg wash

icing sugar to dust

 

 

 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Prepare choux pastry and spoon it into a pastry bag fitted with ½-inch nozzle. Pipe pastry puffs, 1-inch in diameter, onto greased baking sheets. Brush with egg wash and sprinkled with chopped almonds. Bake 12 minutes. Reduce oven to 350 degrees and bake 10 minutes more, or until puffs are firm to touch and golden brown. Remove and pierce side of each puff with a small sharp knife. Turn off oven and leave oven door open. Return puffs to oven for 10 minutes to dry completely. Cool on wire rack.

 

To make filling:  Mix whipped cream with sugar, vanilla and orange rind. Stir in praline. Mix well together.

 

Cut each puff 2/3 of the way from bottom leaving 1/3 for a cap. Spoon filling into each puff and replace lid. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Dust puffs with sifted icing sugar to serve

 

 

 

almond praline:

    1 cup slivered almonds                               

    1 cup sugar

 

 

Put sugar into a heavy-bottom saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring to aid melting, until sugar has completely melted. Continue cooking, without stirring but swirling pan occasionally, until sugar is a deep brown colour. Add almonds and stir to mix in well.

 

Remove from heat. Spread caramel mixture over a foil-lined baking pan to about ¼-inch thickness. Cool until set, about 30 minutes. Refrigerate mixture for 15 minutes to chill.

 

Chop up praline and use as needed. Praline may be kept in an air-tight container, in a cool dry place, for up to 1 week.