Parmesan Puffs…. and Hazelnut Loaves and Raspberry Swirls

Yet another catch up post.   I have been baking all along, but the posting dates have not been corresponding to my baking dates.   I have no life changing excuse like a move or a new job or newborn baby, just regular life with all its irregularities and oddities.  It resembles this set of recipes.  When put all together they seem a bit odd and mismatched and overwhelming.  But individually they were all quite delicious and not too taxing.

From most recent to the not so recent:

Parmesan Puffs: an exercise in deep frying (deep frying puff pastry nonetheless).  Yum.

Hazelnut baby loaves: obviously not a baby loaf, but one big one, delicately flavored.

Raspberry Swirls: genoise rolled and layered, my only successful genoise yet.  (It doesn't hurt that it is dipped in chocolate.)

Rhiannon: my faithful taster.

Please check others' posts at the blogroll: Tuesdays with Dorie. 

Sunny-Side Up Apricot (Plum) Pastries

These became plum pastries for me,  as apricots will not be found in our grocery store or markets for another nine months.  And oddly enough it has been warm enough here to keep the plum and peach season lasting a bit longer than normal. No complaints here.   Although I do lose the effect of sunny side up "eggs" as intended.  

This recipe was the first in our puff pastry month with Tuesdays with Dorie.  I had all intentions of making the puff pastry myself, especially after reading the recipe as it seemed no harder and less fussy than croissant dough.  But I decided to take it easy, stay on schedule and use some of the local, awesome puff pastry dough from Grand Central Bakery.  

Overall, this turned out well, and with a few minor changes I might make these again.  I would cut the circles larger and roll the dough out less as I feel these were rolled too thin.  I would use a smaller fruit to help the ends puff up more.  I would continue using the pastry cream recipe with vanilla beans and maybe double it as it was so tasty.  I would pull the skins off the poached  fruit to help with appearances (no effect on taste).  And I would heavily sugar the rolling surface; I only lightly dusted mine, and the pastry could have stood up to more. 

I am looking forward to the second puff pastry recipe in a few weeks.  My dough scraps are in the freezer, waiting. 

Rhiannon