Tower of pinwheel “snowballs”
The tower of sweet mini pinwheels, which we renamed snowballs, looks like the famous croquembouche, but when preparing it, you avoid the slightly risky work with hot caramel.
Ingredients · Servings For 6 people
- 85 ml milk
- 85g butter
- salt
- 85 g plain wheat flour
- 3 eggs
- 200 g powdered sugar
- 30 ml milk
- vanilla paste
- 50 g coconut flakes
- 400 ml coconut milk
- 400 ml whipping cream
- 1 tsp vanilla paste
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
Method · 2 h 45 min
- Pour 85 ml of water and milk into a saucepan over the batter. Add the butter and salt. Heat over medium heat until the butter and salt dissolve. Then increase the heat and bring to a boil. Remove the saucepan from the heat, add the flour and stir quickly. Return the saucepan to the stove, reduce the heat and heat the batter, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes until a film forms on the bottom.
- Tip the dough into a bowl and mix vigorously for a few minutes until it cools down a bit (you can also use a food processor). Then add the beaten eggs in parts, mixing each batch well. You may not need all the eggs. The resulting dough should be smooth and shiny, not dripping off the spoon but falling off in V-shaped pieces. If it starts to tear on the spoon, add a little more egg.
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (fan 170°C). Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a wide, smooth tip and set aside. Prepare a template: choose the largest baking tray and measure and cut a sheet of baking paper accordingly. Using a 4 cm round cookie cutter, trace 12 circles on the template with a pencil. Turn the paper over so the pattern is down (the circles should show through) and pipe the circles according to the template. Smooth the tips in the dough with a finger dampened with water.
- Spray a little water on the bottom of the preheated oven: the steam will help the dough to rise. Place the baking tray in the oven, close the door and bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. After this time, open the oven and gently prick each puff with a sharp knife. Close the door, turn off the oven and leave the puffs to cool inside for another 30 minutes. This step will ensure that they stay crispy.
- For the topping, blend all ingredients except the coconut flakes into a thick, smooth topping. For the filling, take a can of coconut milk out of the fridge and separate the top solidified layer – you should get 100g of solid mass (use the remaining coconut water in a smoothie, for example). Whip the coconut layer with the creamy vanilla paste and powdered sugar until stiff.
- Cut the cooled buns open and fill with the whipped filling. Drizzle a little frosting on top and sprinkle with coconut flakes.
- If you are going to stack the pinwheels, let them cool in the refrigerator for an hour beforehand. Unfilled ones will last in an airtight container for up to 3 days; filled ones should be eaten the same day.