Back to an Old Favorite

On Memorial Day I made Cream Puffs. Remember those? Home Ec Class in high school? The lesson about leavening agents--that eggs and air and steam could make desserts rise, i.e. angel food cakes, sponge cakes, cream puffs, eclairs. According to FOOD LOVERS' COMPANION,  a cream  puff is also called choux pastry (shoo) pastry. Just in case you missed the lesson in Home Ec, during the baking, the eggs make the pastry puff into irregular domes. They are easy and fun. Not everyone in my family likes therm, but that's just fine. (The more for me idea.)

In case you cannot find the recipe, here is the Old One from JOY OF COOKING, 1952 edition.

CREAM PUFFS

"Please cease  to think of these as something to try out in your more adventurous moments. No need to shine up your rabbit's food--just have all ingredients at room temperature. But once the cream puffs are filled with, be sure that they are stored in a cool or refrigerated place, as they are subject to bacterial activity which maybe highly toxic and give no evidence of spoilage...."

Sift before measuring: 

     1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Heat:

      1/2 cup milk or water

Add: 

      1/4 cup butter

Bring these ingredients to the boiling point. Add the sifted flour:

      1/8 teaspoon salt

Cook and stir the batter until it leaves the sides of the pan and forms a ball. Remove it from the heat. Beat in one at a time:

      2 eggs

Be careful to beat l egg until well blended before adding the other. Place spoonfuls of batter in 2 inch rounds on a greased tin*, heaping them well in the center.  Allow 2 inches between the puffs. In France the dough is chilled before being baked. Bake them in a hot oven 400 F for 1/2 hour. Reduce the heat to 350 F. Bake them 5 minutes longer. Test the puffs by removing one from the oven. If it does not fall it is thoroughly done. When the puffs are cool, cut a gash in the side of each puff and fill them with sweetened whipped cream  custard, etc.

The puffs were fun. Now I need to work on making a custard that is not lumpy!!!! However, Karyn's ice cream was good in them.

*An easier method--line a pan with parchment paper.

20 Bottles of Wine on the Wall, 20 Bottles of Wine. Take One Down and Pass it Around....

By Pure Luck I won twenty bottles of wine at the Kentucky Derby Party held at the Texas Sports Hall of Fame and sponsored by the Lions' Club Foundation. This was a fund raiser for the Lions' Park that has been a place for kids to have fun for many years. Those Lions know how to give a party!!!!!

Now the question is, What to do with 20 bottles of wine? Drink some it. Yes. Share some of it. Definitely. Cook with some of it. Of course.

Drinking Some

With some Pinot Grigio or Chianti

Stuffed dates or figs:

12 dates, pitted, or 12 figs

2 to 3 ounces Stilton cheese, crumbled

6 thin slices prosciutto, cut in half lengthwise

Preheat oven to 350F. Line an baking sheet with aluminum foil

Cut a lengthwise slit in the date/fig. Stuff each one with just enough cheese to fill the cavity, but not spill out. Pinch dates/figs closed. Wrap each date/fig in a piece of prosciutto and arrange them, seam side down, on the prepared pan.

Bake for  10 minutes. Remove the oven and, using tongs, carefully turn dates/figs. Return to the oven and bake until browned and crisp, about 10 minutes longer. Serve warm or at room temperature

(From Wine Bites--Simple Morsels That Pair Perfectly with Wine. by Barbara Scott-Goodman.--Available at Gourmet Gallery.)

With some Cabernet Sauvignon: 

1 - 11 oz box of Cornmeal Rosemary Shortbread Cookies from Wackym's Kitchen (Available at Gourmet Gallery)

Some softened butter

Some crumbled bleu or Gorganzolla cheese

Mix butter and cheese.

Place a little dab on each cookie. 

Enjoy with sips of wine.