I never liked caramel-topped cream puffs made with Pâte à Choux but could tolerate eclair because of its chocolate topping. I find it dry, flavorless, and cardboard-y. I made faces whenever the snack cart where I used to work passed by and I couldn't understand why anyone would eat it. But day after day twice a day, the cart came with them without fail. Needless to say, I never made the pastries, ever. Oh, and don't make me start with that horrible croquembouche (croque-en-bouche). Yikes!😵
I recently finished watching a Japanese dorama, EdoMoiselle. The female lead is a high ranking courtesan in Edo, now Tokyo, who time travelled to present day Reiwa period. She started working in the coffee shop owned by a father and his daughter. They also gave her a room in their house. Senka, the Edo courtesan, loves the shop's Cream Puffs filled with Tofu Pastry Cream. The tofu surely piqued my interest but I can't stand the cardboard treat puff pastry so I baked half a recipe of challah and formed the dough into round buns. The tofu cream filling I made has no egg yolk nor flour and the end result is yummy, light, and not too cloying. If you are a fan of cream puff, try this tofu cream filling. It can also be used to fill Scottish Cream Buns or mini Chocolate Waffles instead of sweetened whipped cream.
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon instant yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons sugar
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
4 ounces filtered water
4 ounces filtered water
2 eggs, room temperature
3 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 egg and ½ tablespoon water for egg wash
3 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 egg and ½ tablespoon water for egg wash
confectioner's sugar for dusting
- In a stand mixer bowl with the paddle attachment, stir together flour and yeast. Add the rest of ingredients except butter, egg for egg wash, and confectioner's sugar.
- Mix on low speed until well combined. Leave for 5 minutes.
- Remove paddle and replace with dough hook. Knead on medium speed for 5 minutes. Add water if too dry, half a tablespoon at a time.
- Add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time until fully incorporated, and knead on low for 3 minutes until dough is smooth and springy to the touch; shape dough into a ball.
- Transfer the ball into a lightly oiled container with a lid and turn to coat the surface. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let sit on the kitchen counter for 30 minutes.
- Deflate dough and refrigerate overnight.
- Remove dough from refrigerator and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Transfer into a lightly floured surface. Knead lightly to remove bubbles.
- Divide dough into 3 ounce pieces. Shape into round dough and flatten like hamburger buns.
- Transfer buns into a parchment-lined baking sheet 3 inches apart. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until double in bulk and slightly puffy, about 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat the remaining egg with water. Brush tops with egg wash. Bake for 15 minutes until tops are golden brown. Transfer into a rack to cool completely.
- Split and fill with Tofu Cream or custard cream of your choice.
- Dust tops lightly with confectioner's sugar before serving.
Tofu Cream
½ cup silken tofu
1 tablespoon rum or brandy or preferred flavoring
2 tablespoons sugar, more or less to taste
½ cup whipped heavy cream
- Blend silken tofu, sugar, and rum or brandy using a hand blender until tofu is creamy.
- Gently fold in whipped heavy cream until well combined.
- Refrigerate until ready to fill the buns.
***********************************************************************************
Photos from the Japanese dorama EdoMoiselle
No comments:
Post a Comment