Profiteroles

Mmm.  If I had to pick a favorite pastry, creme puffs would be in the top running.
There is something about their light, fluffy poof and cream
That creates a sort of denial of the calories they contain.
It's like the pillowy puff will allow you so much less guilt, than any richer dessert.

I've been a fan of creme puffs for years, and have literally tried my hand at them 
Ever since I was like 13 or 14.  A long time, folks.
But this past Christmas, I made some that just reminded me all over again, Why I love them so much.

I did these for a banquet, and easily doubled and even tripled the recipe with great results.  If this is your first go
at creme puffs, then I'd suggest you start with just the basic amounts before you get too crazy about going for doubles or more.  It will blow your mind how very simple they are to mix and bake.


Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

• Puff Shells
• 1 C water
• ½ C butter (1 stick)
• 1 C all-purpose flour
• 4 large eggs
• Custard  
• 1/2 C. sugar
• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 C warm milk
• 4 egg yolks, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Sweet Cream:
• 1 pint heavy whipping cream
• Granulated sugar to taste
• Vanilla to taste

Instructions

1. For the shells:
2.  Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Set aside a large (12 or more) muffin tin, very lightly buttered.
3. In a medium sauce pan, bring water and butter to a low boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and add flour, stirring well until mixture forms a ball. Remove from heat. Stir in eggs, one at a time, beating with spoon or large fork until dough is smooth. Beat additional 10 seconds to continue to increase volume of the dough.
4. Using a tablespoon, drop dough into deep muffin tins. Divide all the batter between 12 tins. You can also divide the dough by TBfuls onto a cookie sheet, for less puffy, more spread out, shells.
5. Bake shells in 400 degrees oven for 25 to 35 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Important that the puffs are golden/crisp or they may collapse. Remove from oven and cool completely.
6. (The shells can be prepared the day before. Just lightly cover when completely cooled and let sit at room temperature.)
7. For the custard cream filling:
8. Place the 4 egg yolks in a medium bowl. Whisk them together and set aside.
9. Mix sugar, flour and salt in a medium saucepan. Stir in warm milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring almost constantly. Mixture will thicken and bubble. Once it starts to bubble, cook one minute more while still stirring.
10. Remove from heat. Stir about half of the mixture into beaten egg yolks.
11. Blend this back into remaining hot mixture in the saucepan. Stir constantly just until mixture begins to bubble again.
12. Add vanilla and stir until combined. Remove from heat. Set aside.
13. For the sweetened cream:
14. Whip heavy cream until soft peaks form, and add sugar and vanilla to your liking.
15. Assembling the cream puffs:
16. Cut off shell tops and scoop out the insides of top and bottom to make room for the custard and whipped cream.  Often the puff is so full of air inside, there will be a natural indentation and you won't need to do this step.
17. Dip the bottom of the puff into powdered sugar, then repeat with top of puff. This will coat the puffs  and gives a "French pastry"  look.
18. Fill bottom of puff with Custard Filling. Top generously with the whipped cream.
19. Replace top of puff. Place puffs in refrigerator, uncovered, chilling for 4 hours (at least one hour). Do not cover the puffs in fridge or the powdered sugar will disintegrate into the puff. 

Makes about 12 cream puffs if made in muffin tin.

These cream puffs make an excellent carrier for chicken salad, tuna, eclaire fillings, fresh fruit and cream, and the list is almost endless.

*On a side note: I have no idea why the French word for cream puff is sometimes Profiterole.  All I can think of when I read that is: Profit and roll.  Elementary, I know.  I'm just thinking that if I had a restaurant, I'd be making creme puffs to make a profit-roll too.  (I'm not even sure that I should be laughing at myself right now either-major eye roll)

laissez les bons temps rouler!

JO 

(Black is still) The New Black

Black is such a lovely color to me.
If you've ever been in our home, you probably noticed that.
Black and white may just be my favorite colors, 
If they're even allowed to be in the color family.

I notice that black and white pop up when I take pictures,
like the one above.

Our master bedroom is black and white and I find it so soothing.  The only thing I'd really change, is to add in white linen curtains.  I adore linen also.  The curtains we have are actually from the fabric markets in Thailand, they are a sheer black with white ribbon roses stitched onto the sheer.

)

The handwriting on the wall (quite literally) was such a fun project.  I just went at my white wall with a yardstick and a sharpie.  I love it so much.

I've got black on my walls in our living space
and black on cabinets, countertops, and in decorations.

 I have such great admiration for those fun spaces you see in peoples homes.
All full of bright colors, in turquoise, yellows, and so much more.  I'm such a fan of happy spaces. 
But I'm ok with those colors just not being my thing.  
Black and white are calming to me, and I love the freshness
of a space, minus the chaos of color.  
Airy, but dramatic I guess.
All I can say though is, gracious, I hope colors don't identify
your personality that drastically.
Because if that is the case, I'm either dull and boring
or incredibly moody and dramatic, as well as airy.
Let's just not go there.
Even the outside of our house is white.
And if I didn't need to go through the Historic District Board
to do it, my front door would probably be painted,
you guessed it, Black.

 

 My pinterest board looks like someone took an eraser to it
and completely scrubbed out all the colors, 
except for black and white.

One of my favorite online magazines, delivered to my inbox
has so much monochromatic going on, I can hardly stand it.
Est Magazine 

I also love to follow this blog
Her pinterest board is amazing.

I'm in love.
And I think that Black is Still the New Black.

What about you?  Are you a bright happy color person?

JO 

(Chocolate) In A Box

 On Saturday, the Great Day of Hearts (properly celebrated by some, over-celebrated by others, and completely dreaded by the rest of the population), we completely sealed our 'valentines is about others' deal.  I wrote a minor report on what I've taught my kids to think of Valentines, and although I do mildly regret -at times- teaching them it's not just for lovers, I am now withholden to practice what I've been practicing and preaching up until this point.  So they come into Valentines, fully expecting that their father will lather on the goodies for them, and that we'll be treating someone else to some fun Valentines-related treats as well.  The thought never crosses their minds that Myron and I would go out together -sans kids- on Valentines.

This year did not disappoint.  We rose early, made some heart shaped bacon and eggs, and went full on into the day.  We had some fun desserts to prepare, flowers to arrange, new stranger-guests to be had for a delightful afternoon/eve and pizza, as well as some babysitting thrown in there.   Myron and I have some single, guy-friends who had it on their heart to serve some of their lady-friends, a 5 star dinner for the evening, and we got nominated to do dessert.  They put together a fabulous (from what I've heard) dinner, and we provided the dessert and the flowers.  It was so fun to make these chocolate boxes, filled with a light chocolate mousse, brownie bites, and raspberries.  Drizzled in white chocolate. 

While I know Valentines Day is over, at least for this year, I love the idea of these chocolate boxes so much.  They're just a perfect way to serve up something 'a little fancy' and make anyone feel special.  They would make a terrific Easter brunch extra: Made of white chocolate and filled with fruit.  Or bridal shower food.  Or just to show your handsome husband how much you love him. 

Here's the process:

1 chocolate bar of your choice

Extra chocolate for melting.

Cut the chocolate into 4 pieces.  Or you can get fancy and go for 5, using the 5th piece as a 'lid'.

Melt the additional chocolate and dip the 4 pieces into it, on the short ends.  'Glue' the four pieces together by holding them upright until the chocolate has cooled enough to stand on their own. 

Here's my mousse recipe:

Simple and easy version-

3 C. cold milk

1/2C. instant pudding mix 

1 16 oz. carton of heavy whipping cream

Chocolate syrup (if desired)

Place all ingredients into a mixing bowl and beat on high until peaks form.  You can add in as much, or as little, chocolate syrup as you like.

The complex (and very worth it) version involves making your own custard, instead of the instant pudding, melting in the real chocolate and then cooling.  After which you would whip in your heavy cream until peaks form.  I love this version with white chocolate, instead of milk or dark.  

I think mousse almost always screams "Add fruit to me!  I'm not complete or perfect without it!".  Mousse is like the dessert of my dreams...light, fluffy, only mildly sweet, and yet so smooth and easy on the taste buds.

laissez les bons temps rouler!

Jo