Book Review: My Paleo Patisserie (+ Giveaway)

I am thrilled (and a little belated) in writing a review and giving you a recipe from the book My Paleo Patisserie. I have to tell you, this book is one of my favorite cookbooks of all time. It has a special place in my heart because it’s all grain free and paleo. But it is one of the best written and most creative cookbooks on the market (healthy or not). When I got this book I cracked the cover and read the introduction like a novel. Jenni has a way with words and it made me so excited to page through every one of her recipes.

This cookbook is not your average paleo dessert cookbook. Jenni created this not to be a quick everyday dessert book. It is an art form of baking that that takes time, learned skill and is made to be the perfect addition to your special occasion. When you eat grain free there are a lot of options out there for meals, snacks and every day desserts. What I feel was missing was the amazing fancy desserts that made up special occasions. I have some fun cakes and cupcakes on my website that work great. But what I mean we are missing out on is the desserts that remind us of something we used to purchase from a fancy bakery or that is featured in the display cabinet at the nicest restaurant in your town.

Jenni’s book My Paleo Patisserie meets this need. It brings you back into the kitchen with detailed recipes that allow you to flex your baking muscles while still eating grain free. The textures, the flavors, the pictures are all amazing.

I am sharing with you a recipe for Pate a Choux which is a a bread. Oh man, it makes the best sandwiches and burger buns. My husband and I went to a park for date night and made sandwiches with these buns. We filled them with deli turkey, cheese, onions, pickles, banana peppers, cucumbers with mayo and mustard. So delicious because sandwiches are one of my most favorite things. It was heavenly.

When you make this recipe it can be a little tricky to get correct. We tried 2x before getting this texture and recipe right. The ones that were “wrong” still tasted great and we still used them. But when you get the recipe right, it’s even more amazing. I share with you I got this recipe incorrect because like I said earlier there is a learning curve and an art to the recipes in this book. It’s about making some mistakes and learning how to bake well. I have to say I forgot a lot of baking technique since switching to grain free baking. I used to be better at making pies and cakes but have gotten a little lazy with it since using almond and coconut flour. This book challenges me and I can’t wait to dig into this more and more.

My next recipe: Tiramisu. It’s my all time favorite dessert and I can’t wait to try it.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 cup (120g) arrowroot flour

2 Tablespoons coconut flour

1 teaspoon maple sugar

Pinch of salt

1/3 cup (65g) palm shortening

1/2 cup (120 ml) full-fat coconut milk

1/4 cup (60ml) water

4 large eggs, room temperature

1 large egg plus 1 tablespoon water, for the egg wash

Method

Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C) and grease and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, and salt. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the shortening, coconut milk, and water. Once the shortening has melted, continue to heat the mixture till a few bubbles just break the surface. Do not let it boil. This step will determine how many eggs you will end up needing later, as the heat of the mixture will affect the absorption rate of the arrowroot and the evaporation of the water. You may need more or less egg in the final phase to get the desired consistency of dough.
Remove from the heat and pour the flour mixture into the hot mixture. Immediately stir, slowly at first to incorporate the flour, then vigorously til the mixture forms a big, soft blob of dough. Transfer the dough to a stand mixture fitted with a paddle attachment. Stir on low speed for about a minute to cool it down. While the mixture is cooling, beat one of the eggs in a small bowl and set aside.
Turn the mixer up to medium speed and add one egg at a time to the dough, beating each egg before adding it. Allow each egg to be completely incorporated before adding the next, as the dough will break or separate with each addition. After adding the first three eggs, increase the mixer speed and beat for about a minute or till the dough smooths out. Add more beaten egg a little at a time til the dough is creamy looking and reaches the desired consistency. To determine the ideal consistency, take a little dough between your index finger and thumb. You should be able to pull it into soft, sticky threads. The best way I can describe the texture is that it should be like chewing gum on a hot sidewalk.
Using a medium-sized mechanical scoop, scoop out approximately 8 level mounds of the pate a choux onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Alternatively, you can use a 1/4-cup (60 ml) measuring cup to portion out the dough.
Prepare an egg wash by whisking together 1 large egg and 1 tablespoon of water. Using a pastry brush on your fingers, gently coat the piped dough with a thin layer of egg wash.
Bake for 15 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 350 F (177 C) and bake for approximately 20-25 more minutes, til puffed, golden, and firm to the touch.
Pipe and bake the dough following the instructions on pages 76-77 (if you have the book and are making a variation of the choux dough instead of the buns. If making the buns follow the instructions above)