Name: Vanilla puffs with milk icecream
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: Vanilla puffs; 1/3 cup lukewarm milk; 80 gram caster sugar; 1 tablespoon or 2 x 7g sachets dried yeast; 200 gram crème fraîche, at room temperature; 1 egg, at room temperature; scraped seeds 1½ vanilla beans; 425 gram flour, plus extra for dusting; 1 teaspoon sea salt; 150 gram softened butter; 100 gram pure icing sugar, sieved; vegetable oil, for deep-frying; Milk ice cream; 1 1/2 litre litres full-cream milk; 160 gram caster sugar; 2 vanilla beans, split and seeds scraped; 125 millilitre cream; 1 tablespoon liquid glucose; titanium-strength gelatine leaf, softened in cold water for 5 minutes

Vanilla puffs with milk icecream

Take a bit of quality time in the kitchen to create these mouth-watering puffs flavoured with aromatic vanilla. Photography and recipe by Gourmet Traveller.

Serves 12

Cook

20M

Marinate

Ingredients

Vanilla puffs

1/3 cup lukewarm milk

80 gram caster sugar

1 tablespoon or 2 x 7g sachets dried yeast

200 gram crème fraîche, at room temperature

1 egg, at room temperature

scraped seeds 1½ vanilla beans

425 gram flour, plus extra for dusting

1 teaspoon sea salt

150 gram softened butter

100 gram pure icing sugar, sieved

vegetable oil, for deep-frying

Milk ice cream

1 1/2 litre litres full-cream milk

160 gram caster sugar

2 vanilla beans, split and seeds scraped

125 millilitre cream

1 tablespoon liquid glucose

titanium-strength gelatine leaf, softened in cold water for 5 minutes

Method

Vanilla puffs with milk ice cream

1.Mix milk, sugar and yeast in a large bowl, then stand in a warm place until foamy (4-5 minutes).

2.Add crème fraîche, egg and seeds of 1 vanilla bean, and whisk to combine (it’s okay if small lumps of crème fraîche remain). Add 385g flour and sea salt, and mix to form a soft dough.

3.Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth, then place on a tray lined with baking paper and refrigerate until firm (30 minutes to 1 hour).

4.Meanwhile, beat butter and remaining flour in a bowl, then set aside at room temperature.

5.Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to a 20cm x 45cm rectangle, then spread evenly with butter mixture. With a short edge nearest you, fold down the top third of pastry and fold the bottom third up, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Repeat rolling, folding and chilling another 3 times, then refrigerate until required (it can be refrigerated overnight at this stage).

6.For milk ice cream, stir milk, sugar and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Simmer, stirring often to stop mixture catching, until reduced to 1 litre (30-40 minutes).

7.Stir in cream and glucose, squeeze excess water from gelatine and add to milk mixture. Stir until dissolved, then strain into a bowl and refrigerate to chill (1-2 hours). Churn in an ice-cream machine and freeze until required. Makes about 1 litre.

8.Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface to 5mm thick, then cut out 12 x 7cm-diameter rounds and place on a tray lined with baking paper, leaving 2cm-3cm between each. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and stand until risen by half (30 minutes).

9.Meanwhile, combine icing sugar and remaining vanilla seeds in a bowl, rubbing with your fingers to disperse vanilla evenly, then spread on a tray.

10.Heat oil in a saucepan or deep-fryer to 180°C. Deep fry pastries in batches, turning occasionally, until golden and cooked through (4-5 minutes), then drain on paper towels and dust with vanilla icing sugar.

11.Halve puffs and sandwich a scoop of milk ice cream in each then serve, dusted with extra vanilla icing sugar if desired.