+ RECIPES
THE GREAT BRITISH
BAKE OFF We tried it!
Bakers unite! A few of our staff decided to try some of the recipes made on the popular English show. We don’t know how many handshakes Paul Hollywood would give out, but we had fun baking these recipes that would be great for Christmas.
Jamie’s Chocolate Mousse Milkshake & Churros BY JAMIE FINN
Episode finder 2019 Christmas Special
Baker: Crystal Rappleye First thing, I binge-watched some Great British Baking episodes to get pumped. After reading over the ingredients, I Googled a few things to find out what they were and where I could buy them. I was able to purchase all the ingredients except the double cream (although it is available on amazon). I already owned a food scale, and that came in handy when it came to measuring according to the recipe. The mousse turned out to be the tricky part, mostly because it took patience to get the sugar to dissolve and the chocolate to melt. To my surprise, everything turned out. Paul would have told me my churros were a little underdone in the middle, but I would like to think I would have received a handshake for my chocolate mousse. Either way, everything was delicious, and I think I may be adding these recipes to our traditional Christmas-time sweets.
28 syracuseconnection.com | December 2021
For the mousse: 300 ml. double cream 4 large egg yolks 135 g. caster sugar 150 g. 54% dark chocolate, chopped 2 tbsp. orange liqueur For the topping: 150 ml. double cream 1 tsp. caster sugar 25 g. milk chocolate, finely grated For the raspberry coulis: 100 g. raspberries 1 tbsp. icing sugar For the churros: 30 g. caster sugar 90 g. unsalted butter 1 tsp. vanilla extract ½ tsp. salt 160 g. plain flour, sifted 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 1 liter sunflower oil, for frying 150 g. caster sugar mixed with 1 tsp ground cinnamon, for dusting Make the mousse. Place the double cream in a small bowl and, using an electric hand whisk, whip the cream to soft peaks. Place the egg yolks in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Mix on a low–medium speed until pale. Place the sugar in a small pan with 1 tablespoon of water. Cook over a low heat until the sugar dissolves, then increase the heat and cook until it reaches 120°C/248°F on a sugar thermometer. Remove from the heat. Turn the mixer speed up to medium and pour the sugar syrup into the egg yolks in a thin, steady stream. Increase the speed to high and whisk until the mixture is pale, fluffy, and cool to the touch. Melt the chocolate in a medium bowl over a pan of gently simmering water. Once melted, remove from the heat, stir until smooth, and leave to cool slightly. Fold a heaped tablespoon of the
whipped cream and all the orange liqueur into the chocolate, then fold the chocolate mixture into the egg yolk mixture with the remaining cream, trying to keep as much air in the mousse as possible. Spoon equally into 6 serving glasses; cover and chill for about 1 hour to set. Once the mousses are set, make the topping. Whip the double cream and caster sugar together until the mixture holds soft peaks, then place the sweetened cream in the medium piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle. Pipe the cream on top of the mousse and sprinkle with grated milk chocolate to finish. Chill until ready to serve. Make the coulis. Blitz the raspberries in a food processor, then sieve the pulp to remove the pips and leave a smooth purée. Stir in the icing sugar, to taste. Chill until ready to serve. Make the churros. Place 240 ml. of water, sugar, and butter in a medium pan over a medium heat and heat until the butter has melted. Bring the mixture to boil, then immediately remove the pan from the heat, add the vanilla and salt, and tip in all the flour. Beat with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a smooth paste that cleanly leaves the sides of the pan. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then using an electric hand whisk, gradually whisk in the eggs until you have a smooth, thick paste. Spoon the mixture into the large piping bag fitted with the fine-toothed nozzle. Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer (or large, deep pan) until it reaches 190°C/374°F on the thermometer. In batches, pipe the churro dough into the hot fat, making each churro about 10 cm. long (cut each length off with scissors or a knife). Fry for 3–5 minutes per batch, turning the churros as they cook, until golden brown all over. Remove with a slotted spoon, then set aside to drain on kitchen paper while you fry the next batch. Roll the warm churros in the caster sugar and cinnamon mixture to coat. Serve with the coulis for dipping, and the mousses alongside.
