Monday, July 23, 2012

Berliners


Not properly a Chilean pastry, but they are widely popular there, probably due the big German inmigration on the south of Chile. Here in Houston, sadly I have never seen one. During my holidays in Belgium we ate a delicious one, so I decided to tackle this recipe once and for all. They were spectacular and I learned several things along the way. They are not difficult to make and the recipe is abundant enough. I highly recommend them.
They can be filled with jam, Nutella, or pastry cream.
Remember to make the pastry cream the day. It needs to rs very cold and hard.

Berlines
for 35 medium size
Ingredients:
  • 1 cup of warm milk
  • 4 cups (460 grams) all purpose flour 
  • 21/4 teaspoons or 7 grams of instant yeast
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 2 eggs
  • oil or butter for frying
  • pastry cream, dulce de leche, jelly, jam or Nutella to stuff

Preparation:
  1. Dissolve yeast in warm milk with sugar, let stand 10 minutes, you should see some bubbles, so you know the yeast is alive.
  2. In a large bowl with a mixer beat butter until creamy, add eggs and beat until well blended. Add the flour and beat on low speed, while also incorporating the milk with the yeast. You will get a very soft dough.
  3. Cover with a cloth and leave in a warm place to rise for 1 hour, it should double in size.
  4. With floured hands, remove dough from the bowl into a well floured board. Flattened gently with your hands and roll the dough until it is about 8 mm thick.
  5. Cut with a round cutter. I use one of 6 cm in diameter well floured, it is important that they do not  stick.
  6. Let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
  7. In the meantime heat the oil to 350F or 180C.
  8. Fry about 4-6 at a time, about 2 minutes per side, until golden, turning with a stick. 
  9. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towel to absorb excess oil.
  10. Cut a hole with a knife and fill with pastry cream. For this it is easiest to place the pastry cream into a pastry bag with round tip and simply bury the tip in the middle of Berliner and fill.
  11. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.

Recipe adapted from Cooking Popular Mariana Bravo Walker.