Introduction to Pâtisserie - Taster - The Muffin Man
This is just a Taster class, to give us a gentle introduction to, *checks notes*... muffins. Man.
I've not had very much experience with baking and pastries, nor do I consume very many of them, preferring savoury foods - so reason enough to force myself to learn more about them and their ways.
Know thine enemy!
Anyway, one should always be pushing at one's boundaries - it's what keeps life interesting, right?
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Salted Caramel Muffins
sweet
Aaron largely borrowed this muffin recipe, but made a Crème au Beurre topping instead.
Serves 12
Ingredients
- 100g softened salted butter
- 100g golden caster sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 100g self-raising flour
- 1 tbsp milk
- 6 tsp caramel sauce
For the icing:- 75g soft salted butter
- 150g icing sugar
- 200g caramel sauce
- a pinch of sea salt flakes
Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/Gas 4. Line a 12-hole cake tin with 6 paper muffin cases.
Beat the butter and sugar together with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla extract. Briefly mix in the flour until just combined, and stir in the milk until the batter just falls off the beaters.
Divide the mixture between the cases, leaving about 2 tbsp batter in the bowl. Add a pinch of salt to the caramel sauce if it’s not salted caramel, then add ½ tsp to the tops of each cupcake. Use a teaspoon to cover the caramel sauce with the remaining batter. Bake for 15-20 mins until springy and golden. Leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
Meanwhile, make the icing we made no icing:.
Beat the butter and half of the icing sugar together, then tip in the remaining icing sugar and whisk vigorously until pale and fluffy.
Stir in half of the caramel sauce, then spoon the mixture into a piping bag with a round or star nozzle.
Pipe swirls of icing Crème au Beurre on top of the cooled cupcakes. Stir the remaining caramel sauce with a pinch of salt, if unsalted, then use to drizzle over the icing. Sprinkle over a small pinch of sea salt over each, if you like.
Beat the butter and sugar together with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla extract. Briefly mix in the flour until just combined, and stir in the milk until the batter just falls off the beaters.
Divide the mixture between the cases, leaving about 2 tbsp batter in the bowl. Add a pinch of salt to the caramel sauce if it’s not salted caramel, then add ½ tsp to the tops of each cupcake. Use a teaspoon to cover the caramel sauce with the remaining batter. Bake for 15-20 mins until springy and golden. Leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
We did not add the caramel to the muffin's centre - just half-filled the paper cases with batter and bake.
Meanwhile, make the icing we made no icing:.
Beat the butter and half of the icing sugar together, then tip in the remaining icing sugar and whisk vigorously until pale and fluffy.
Stir in half of the caramel sauce, then spoon the mixture into a piping bag with a round or star nozzle.
We made Crème au Beurre instead
Pipe swirls of icing Crème au Beurre on top of the cooled cupcakes. Stir the remaining caramel sauce with a pinch of salt, if unsalted, then use to drizzle over the icing. Sprinkle over a small pinch of sea salt over each, if you like.
Good muffins!
Crème au Beurre or French Buttercream
sweet sauce
This method I'm not sure you could go so far as to call it a recipe mostly follows
that for French Buttercream in the (surprisingly expensive) Pastry Chef's Little Black Book.
We used six whole eggs, whereas the Black Book uses 8 yolks and one whole egg.
I did learn that if the mixture separates at the end while you're whisking in the butter, you can probably rescue it by vigorously beating with a spatula until it coheres. Thank you Aaron!
This can be frozen but do not refrigerate it!
I can't remember why. Something about it going all sweaty or weepy possibly?
We used six whole eggs, whereas the Black Book uses 8 yolks and one whole egg.
I did learn that if the mixture separates at the end while you're whisking in the butter, you can probably rescue it by vigorously beating with a spatula until it coheres. Thank you Aaron!
This can be frozen but do not refrigerate it!
I can't remember why. Something about it going all sweaty or weepy possibly?
Makes TONS - about 3½lb!
Ingredients
- 400g caster sugar
- 150ml water
- 6 eggs
- 700g butter, cubed
Flavouring of Choice:- tonight we will be mostly using sea salt & caramel
Cut the butter into roughly ½" cubes There's a lot of butter! and allow to come up to room temperature.
In a saucepan, combine the sugar and water.
Using a wet pastry brush, clean all of the sugar crystals from the sides of the pan to prevent crystallization.
Meanwhile, in a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk the eggs to the ribbon stage - light and thick.
As soon as the syrup reaches soft-ball stage very! slowly pour the hot syrup down the sides of the bowl into the whipped eggs with the mixer running. Do not let the syrup hit the whisk attachment.
Whisk until the pâte a bombe is cool and very smooth and thick.
Incrementally add the softened butter and salt optionally into the pâte a bombe until it is all incorporated, scraping down the bowl as necessary.
Give the mixture a final beating with a spatula.
Flavor as desired.
In a saucepan, combine the sugar and water.
Using a wet pastry brush, clean all of the sugar crystals from the sides of the pan to prevent crystallization.
We didn't bother scraping the sides - just shiggle the pan until the sugar dissolves in the water.
Place the saucepan over medium-high heat stick your candy thermometer in the pan - you do have a candy thermometer right?
and cook to soft-ball stage, 235-240°F (113-116°C).Meanwhile, in a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk the eggs to the ribbon stage - light and thick.
As soon as the syrup reaches soft-ball stage very! slowly pour the hot syrup down the sides of the bowl into the whipped eggs with the mixer running. Do not let the syrup hit the whisk attachment.
Whisk until the pâte a bombe is cool and very smooth and thick.
Incrementally add the softened butter and salt optionally into the pâte a bombe until it is all incorporated, scraping down the bowl as necessary.
Give the mixture a final beating with a spatula.
Flavor as desired.
Now you can fill one of those giant commercial piping bags, cut off the corner, and get piping!