Vanilla filled Eclairs

As I start my final month studying at Le Cordon Bleu and London is going into another lockdown I thought it was the best timing to look back and reflect. And oh, how I've reflected. I took my very first step into the doors of Le Cordon Bleu in September 2019. And what a journey it has been since - life, knowledge, society - literally everything has changed since then. I've learnt so much since my first day at school and I have all the chefs to thank for that. Recipes I didn’t know existed, skills I didn’t know I could develop and an industry I've learnt so much more about.

With Covid-19 and England going in to Lockdown my studies where postponed from March to September and I got stuck in my little Swedish hometown. Needless to say it was an emotional spring but looking back it was also a lovely one. I got to work together with my family in my mothers bakery and practice all the skills I so recently learnt. And these eclairs where one of many Le Cordon Bleu remakes I did.

Eclairs where one of our first practicals at school and with my days at LCB ending - here we go Eclairs2.0. I made these ones in April so they’re a little spring themed - but apart from the strawberries which aren’t in season right now - they are the perfect snack on a cosy fall day. Replace the strawberries with blackberries, apples, pears or why not plums and you’re good to go.

Recipe:

100 g melted butter

125 ml water

125 ml milk

5 g sugar

2 gram salt

150 g flour

250 g eggs

How to:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius

2. Grease a tray and place to the side

3. Melt the butter in a pan

4. Once melted pour the water and the milk in the pan and bring to a boil

5. Sieve the flour

6. Once the liquid is boiling take the pan off the stove and stir in the flour. Once combined take the pan back on the heat and keep stirring for a minute till the mixture forms a ball and doesn’t stick to the sides.

7. Place your flour and milk mixture in a separate bowl, either a freestanding mixer bowl or you can mix it by hand. Bring the dough to the sides of the bowl and let it cool down while cracking your eggs.

8. Crack the eggs in a separate bowl and whisk them together.

9. Add the eggs in portions to the dough and whisk in between. You want to achieve a V-shaped drop when you pick the dough up with your spatula. If the dough drops and it doesn’t form a "V" add more eggs.

10. Once the "V"-shape is achieved place your dough into a piping bag with a plain or eclair shaped nozzle.

11. Pipe your eclairs directly onto the greased tray - no baking paper is needed. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until they’re golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Recipe (vanilla diplomat cream):

300 ml milk

90 g eggyolks

50 g sugar

20 g cornflour

20 flour

5 g vanilla bean paste

200 g whipping cream

How to (vanilla diplomat creme):

1. Heat up the milk in a pan and bring to a zimmer

2. Blanch the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl

3. Sieve the flour and corn flour and add to the blanched egg yolk-mixture together with the vanilla bean paste

4. Pour 1/3 of the warm milk over the mixture and stir well until its all combined

5. Pour the egg-mixture back in the pan and bring to a boil.

6. Pour the custard on a tray and cling film it, let it cool in room temperature.

7. Whip the cream to firm peak and fold it in together with the pastry cream.

8. Put the cream in a piping bag with a saint honoree nozzle and pipe on top of the eclairs.

9. Decorate with chopped fruit of your choice.

Enjoy!

Rhubarb cake filled with raspberries

Mmmmmmmm! This is a recipe you don’t want to miss out on! Now is the time to use those frozen rhubarbs you've kept in the freezer since this summer. Ad some raspberries and cardamom and you got yourself the best cake to keep you warm this fall.

This cake was a success at Hjort-Olars this summer. Everyday I prepared two trays of these - whipped Italian merengue and decorated with fresh raspberries and lemon leafs. And at the end of each day they'd all be sold out. I understand it though - serve a slice of this with vanilla sauce and you’re all set. The perfect fika.

But this cake isn’t only for summer. Nej, nej. It works perfectly to bake in the fall. The spices in it makes it the perfect cake to serve all fall long.

Recipe:

6 eggs

500 gram caster sugar

250 g melted butter

600 gram flour

1 tbs cardamom

1 tbs baking powder

1 tbs vanilla extract

How to: Rhubarb cake

1. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius

2. Melt the butter and set aside to cool.

3. Whisk eggs, vanilla extract and sugar until pale and fluffy in a clean bowl.

4. Sieve flour, baking powder and salt into the egg mixture.

5. Pour in the cooled butter and combine everything to a smooth batter.

6. Pour the batter into a 40 x 30 cm tin and place chopped bits of rhubarb bard and whole raspberries all over.

7. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes and let it cool completely before adding the Italian merengue.

Recipe:

200 g caster sugar

100 ml water

90 gram egg whites

How to: Italian merengue

1. Combine the water and sugar in a pan and cook to 120 degrees Celsius.

2. When the sugar syrup has reached 110 degrees start whipping the egg whites in a free standing mixer.

3. At 120 degrees take the sugar syrup off the stove and pour it into the egg whites. Keep whisking until stiff peak.

4. Place in a piping bag with a Saint Honore tip and pipe onto the cake.

Enjoy!

Marshmallow fluff biscuits

WE'RE BACK! Quarantine did make me bake lots but still I haven't found the time to sit down and blog. Since march I've been in Dalarna working at my mothers bakery Hjort-Olars Cafe for the second year in a row. And what a success it's been. From nervously opening in April focusing on take away and cake orders, not knowing if anyone would dare to come out out their houses, to ending it with the double last year sales.

If you want you can read more about the bakery and it's journey in THIS post that Siljan News wrote about us or watch this movie from Leksands Bank.

Basically, it has been a busy summer with early mornings and late days. Baking, baking, baking. But not posting in this long means I got lots of recipes to share with you now. I will start with these raspberry filled biscuits topped with marshmallow fluff and white chocolate.

These biscuits are adorable and just as tasty! Also super instagram friendly, just look at that color.

Recipe:

4,5 dl vetemjöl

1 dl strösocker

1 tsk bakpulver

2 tsk vaniljsocker

200 g smör, rumsvarmt och mjukt

1 dl hallonsylt

How to: Cookies

1. Preheat your oven to 175 degrees Celsius

2. Sieve all dry ingredients in a bowl

3. Cut the butter into cubes and ad them to the dry mix and work it into the flour until everything is combined.

4. Divide the dough equally in to 15 shaped balls

5. Use a thumb or a tool and press down to create a dimple and fill it with raspberry jam

6. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes and let them cool before adding the marshmallow fluff

Recipe:

240 g sugar

75 g water

115 g glucose

140 g egg whites

How to: Marshmallow fluff

1. Bring sugar, glucose and water to a boil and cook till it reaches 120 degrees

2. Start whipping the egg whites till it creates a light foam

3. Pour the sugar syrup in the foam and whisk it for 10 minutes till doubles in volume and creates a stabile stiff peak

4. Pipe the marshmallow fluff onto the biscuits and let them set for 30 minutes before dipping them in chocolate.