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Cream Puffs (Vannbakkels)

Vannbakkels are Norwegian cream puffs from Erken 1914: choux pastry of 50 g butter, 2.5 dl water, 100 g flour, and 4 small eggs is spooned onto a sheet with a dessert spoon and baked in a hot oven; the cold puffs are cut open, emptied, and filled with whipped cream sweetened with sugar and vanilla, then dusted with powdered sugar.

Source: Henriette Schønberg Erken, Stor kokebok, 1914-utg. s. 526 (falt i det fri)

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About the dish

Cream puffs of choux pastry are one of the best-known dessert cakes in Erken's Stor kokebok. She places great emphasis on precise weighing and small eggs, because the consistency of the dough is decisive for the puffs to rise and turn out hollow.

How to make it

  1. 1

    Boil water and butter

    Bring the water and butter to a boil and take the pan off the heat.

  2. 2

    Stir in the flour

    Stir in all the flour at once. Return the pan to the heat for a moment until the dough "pulls away from the pan."

  3. 3

    The eggs

    Take the pan off the heat and stir in the eggs one at a time. Do not stir much after the last egg goes in.

  4. 4

    Baking

    Spoon the dough onto a greased sheet with a dessert spoon. Bake slowly in a hot oven, about 200 °C (390 °F) at first, then 180 °C (355 °F), for 25–30 minutes in all, until the puffs are dry and baked through.

  5. 5

    Fill

    Cut the cold puffs well over halfway open and remove all the soft dough. Whip the cream stiff with the sugar and vanilla and fill the puffs.

  6. 6

    Serving

    Dust with powdered sugar and serve.

Changes from the original

Measures converted to modern units (2.5 dl water, 5 dl heavy cream). "Baked slowly in a hot oven" is made concrete as about 200 °C (390 °F) falling to 180 °C (355 °F). The amount of sugar in the cream ("1 spoon of sugar") is set at 1 tablespoon, and vanilla to vanilla sugar.

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Time machine – what changed?

Pick two editions and see what Henriette Schønberg Erken added, removed or changed between them.

From19141949Modernised
To19141949Modernised
1949 (proofread, p. 610) → 1914 (proofread, p. 526)~59% of the text changedremovedadded
125 gr. hvetemel 125 50 gr. smør 3/4 ¼ l. vann vand 100 gr. hvetemel 4 egg (små) (200 gr.) 3/4 (smaa) ½ l. kremfløte. Vannet Vandet og smøret gis smørret gives et opkok, tas tages av ilden, irøres alt melet på paa en gang, settes sættes et øieblikk øieblik over varmen varmen, til deigen «slipper gryten». Tas Tages av varmen, ilden, irøres eggene, ett ad gangen; rør ikke meget meget, efter at det siste egget sidste egg er kommet i. Settes Sættes med dessertskje på dessertske paa smurt plate. Stekes langsomt i varm ovn. Vei nøiaktig, ta små egg nøiagtig og vær ikke nysgjerrig, d. v. s. ovnsdøren skal ikke åpnes de første 20 min., så ta smaa egg, saa kan det ikke gå gaa galt. Overskjæres vel halvt når halvt, naar de er kolde; all al bløt deig uttas, uttages, de fylles fyldes med stivvispet fløte, hvori 1 skje sukker, ske sukker og litt vanilje strøes oppå vanilje. Strøes oppaa med flormelis.

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Frequently asked questions

How do I know the dough is ready before the eggs are stirred in?
Bring the water and butter to a boil, take the pan off the heat, and stir in all the flour at once. Return it to the heat for a moment until the dough "pulls away from the pan," that is, gathers together and comes loose from the bottom and sides. Then take it off the heat and stir in the eggs one at a time.
Why should I use small eggs and weigh precisely?
Because the ratio of liquid, flour, and eggs determines whether the puffs rise and turn out hollow. The recipe uses 50 g butter, 2.5 dl water, 100 g all-purpose flour, and 4 small eggs — if these are weighed precisely, "nothing can go wrong." Eggs that are too large make the dough too loose. Also, do not stir much after the last egg goes in.
How are they baked and filled?
Spoon the dough onto a greased sheet with a dessert spoon and bake slowly in a hot oven. When the puffs are cold, cut them well over halfway open, remove all the soft dough, and fill them with stiffly whipped cream (½ l) with 1 spoonful of sugar and a little vanilla. Dust with powdered sugar.

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