Cream Puffs

Many people that I know are scared of making fancy french pastries. This is probably a valid concern when talking about puff pastry with layers of butter between each layer of thinly spread dough, but cream puffs are seriously very easy. (That can be our little secret. You can let the people you are serving think they are some intricate dessert you have labored over all day.)

Cream Puffs

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup milk

4 oz (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

4 large eggs, slightly beaten

pinch of salt

2 Tbs granulated sugar (if making sweet instead of savory cream puffs)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Bring water, milk, butter, salt, and sugar to a boil. Stir constantly until bubbles appear and add all of the flour at once. Remove from heat and stir vigorously until all of the flour is incorporated into a smooth paste. The mixture will form a ball and the sides of the pan will be clean.

Mix in eggs one at a time. It is very important that the liquid is completely absorbed before adding the next egg. Once all of the eggs are added, transfer the dough into a Ziplock gallon bag and cut the tip off to form a hole approximately 1/2 inch in diameter. Brush with milk or egg wash.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pipe 1 inch circles, leaving at least an inch between each. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown, then turn oven off and crack the door slightly. Let the puffs (Haha. I don't know what else to call them) bake for an additional 10 minutes to dry out.

For the filling, you can use vanilla ice cream, custard, or whipped cream. We did whipped cream and loved them. Just whip some heavy cream with a few Tbs. of powdered sugar and a tsp. of vanilla until stiff, then pipe into the cut shells.

Homemade Fries

Alright, I know this isn't a dessert of any sort. I just had to share it with you! This recipe is adapted from Joy the Baker and makes just about the best fries I've ever had.

French Fried Potatoes

3-4 medium Russet potatoes

2 Tbs olive oil

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp crushed dried rosemary

Salt and pepper to taste

Wash and slice potatoes into thin strips (I like leaving on the skins but you can peel them if you would like). Toss with olive oil and herbs and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 40-50 minutes or until crispy and golden brown, turning every 10 minutes.

Bananas Foster

I got the idea for this from the golf course restaurant by my parent's house. My dad would always take me there for my birthday dinner and I remember the best part of the night was the end-- the chef would come out with a skillet of flaming bananas that he would pour over vanilla ice cream. Hence, the rum flavoring in this. :) I love it.

Bananas Foster

5 ripe bananas

1 14-oz can peaches in light syrup

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp rum flavoring

3/4 cup brown sugar

Vanilla bean ice cream

1 package pastry sheets (I use Pillsbury Farm frozen sheets. You can find them by the frozen pie crusts in a regular grocery store)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and cut 9 equal squares out of the puff pastry sheet. (There are two sheets in each package, but for this recipe you will only be using one.) Place them on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown and flaky.

Skin bananas and cut lengthwise twice. You should have 3 long banana pieces from each. Lay these lengthwise in a large skillet and cover with the brown sugar, cinnamon, rum flavoring, and peach juice. Reserve the peaches for later use. Let simmer until bananas are soft and the syrup thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. To assemble, place a pastry square on serving dish and top with ice cream and bananas.