Cream puffs/ Eclairs

Hubby was looking for sweets and immediately mentioned eclairs.  We both enjoy them and when you make your homemade custard they are hard to resist.

The puff recipe is super easy and as long as you store them in a cool place they should keep for a few days.  Lightly cover with wax paper until you are ready to fill.

Note:  Make sure you scoop out all of unbaked dough in center after you cut them and dis guard.

Original recipe 10-1-16

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Puff ingredients:

1 cup water 
1 stick butter 
1 cup flour
Bring water and butter to boil, lower heat. Add flour stirring constantly until mixture works away from sides...Take off stove beat in 4 eggs one at a time into flour mixture.

Grease and flour cookie sheet.  By heaping Tablespoon spoon dough into large mounds or a little narrower making sure to leave space in between for dough to spread out if you want a eclair (oval) type look.

Bake 400 degrees for 40 minutes.  Turn oven off leave in oven 15 min. more.
When completely cool cut half way across and scoop out any remaining dough in center.  Fill with custard cream and either sprinkle powdered sugar on top for making a chocolate icing.

For years I have made the custard recipe below.  I used to make it on top of the stove and always worried about it burning/scorching so a few years back I decided to try it in our microwave and have made it this way ever since.  Enjoy!

NOTE:  USE AN ICE CREAM SCOOPER TO MAKE MORE UNIFORM CREAM PUFFS..


Microwave Custard Filling:
1/4 cup corn starch

1/3 cup sugar
2 cups milk( I used 2%)Or whole Milk is the best.
2 Egg yolks
2 Tablespoons butter
1 tsp. vanilla

In a medium glass bowl combine corn starch and sugar.  With a whisk , gradually stir milk into the corn starch.

Place above milk, cornstarch, sugar mixture in microwave on high power for 5 to 7 minutes or until thickened and bubbling, stirring after each 2 minute interval.  

Take out of microwave using whisk gently whisk half of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks and then add the rest of the egg mixture into remaining hot mixture..

Microwave on high power for 1 1/2 to 2  1/2 minutes or until thickened and heated through, stirring after each 45 second interval.  Using a wire whisk blend in butter and vanilla.

Chocolate Topping:

Start with 1 Tablespoon softened butter
1 Tablespoon cocoa
1 Tablespoon powdered sugar
1 tsp. milk

With a wire whisk blend all ingredients.  

Depending on how many cream puff/eclairs you are going to fill, adjust recipe.  The above was able to top 3 nicely.  I only do a few at a time or as needed.  My recipe made 10 puffs of average size.  Store puffs in a cool place or fill and refrigerate. You can also sprinkle powdered sugar on top instead of chocolate.  

Happy Baking from my kitchen to yours,

Maraschino-Cream Sandwich cookies

After coming across this in a People Magazine I thought id get a little baking in today.

I going to type this recipe so hopefully you might want to make them for a Special occasion or Christmas.

The recipe for the cookie is more like a shortbread but its firm and melts in your mouth with flavor. 

Today was the perfect day and since it wasn't a large recipe it didn't take very much time at all to make these cookies. The recipe was a little difficult to read so I am attempting to get it out to you so you will  understand it better.

   Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS FOR COOKIE

2 1/4 cups All purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup powdered sugar

3/4 cup unsalted butter softened

1/4 cup vegetable shortening

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Icing:

6 tsp. softened butter

1 Tablespoon maraschino juice(you could add more for darker color)

2 Cups Powdered sugar

1-2Tablespoons heavy cream

Whisk together melted butter, cherry liquid and remaining two cups powdered sugar to combine. add 1 Tablespoon cream and whisk to combine.

Note: The filling/icing should not be runny so if you decide to add more cherry juice for color, watch amount.

Spoon icing on one side of cookie(about 1/2 tsp. of icing seems enough for me) and push down.  

Let sandwich set for at least an hour then either serve or refrigerate until using.

Note: this recipe only makes 24 cookies so it's a manageable .   Double recipe if you need more than 24.

***I'm refrigerating mine then freezing for later use.  We did mange to eat a dozen.  They are very good and rich so small size bits work very well.

The filling should be spreadable.  Spoon 1 tsp. of icing on one side of cookie and then top with the other cookie.  Press down slightly.

Cookie Batter:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl  place flour, salt,1/2 cup powdered sugar set aside.

  Using your hand mixer stationary mix softened butter, shortening and vanilla

Slowly add flour mixture to your creamed butter mixture until all in incorporated and beat until smooth.

Portion dough into 48 small uniform balls. Roll balls in the palm of your hand.  Place on parchment paper 2 inches apart.  Use a lightly flour fork to cross  hatch pattern( Similar design when you make peanut butter cookies.

Bake in pre heated 350 oven for 8 to 12 minutes.  Mine needed the 12 minutes.  Do no over bake  They'll start to brown slightly around edges.

Cool cookies in pan for 5 minutes then transfer to wire rack to completely cool.

Remove to cooling rack and don't ice them until cookies are completely cooled.

Caramel Puffed Corn

Who can resist Caramel Corn?  So light with just the right amount of light sugary coating to snack on.  Whether it is watching a football game or having a few friends over to visit this is one great snack! I first tasted this caramel delight when visiting a friend and I couldn't wait to get home to make it.!   Happy Snacking!!!!

After I took it out of the oven I dried it on parchment paper to avoid a mess on my cookie sheet..

I managed to get the recipe from my friend and  today I went and bought all that was needed to make this snack..I plan of giving some containers as small tokens of appreciation to several of my friends...Note:  For those of us who can't eat nuts or regular pop corn this is a great alternative!!!

 Puffed Corn (Hull less) Butter

1 1/2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar 
1 1/2 cups dark Karo syrup
pinch of salt
8 oz. or more salted peanuts (optional)

2 1/2 bags large Puffed Corn (Butter) not cheddar

Heat all the above ingredients except the corn..until a slow boil.

Using a large roasting pan(or disposable aluminum roasting pan) pour melted ingredients over corn and stir so that most of corn is covered with syrup mixture...Toss well..Bake approx. 50 minutes at 225 degrees..stirring every 10 minutes..


Dump corn mixture onto a large cookie sheet when baking is complete to cool..


When totally cool, break apart and store in air tight container..





12/8/11
12/12/13
11/30/15

Dot Nougat candy

To all the Aldi store shoppers.  My ingredients are from Aldi.  Dot candy was bought at the Dollar store.  Enjoy!

I decided I could not wait another day after seeing so many recipes for these delightful nougat candy.

They are delicious.  Most recipes called for you to cut the DOT candy in small pieces and then add them.  I did not!  I used full size DOT candy.

Nougat:

2 tbsp Butter
2 bags Mini Marshmallows
2 bags White Chocolate Chips
2 cups Gumdrops ( cut into pieces)

In a large Dutch oven coated pot Melt butter, add white chocolate chips stirring constantly.  When the white chocolate starts to melt,  slowly add marshmallows stirring constantly until smooth.

Mix in gumdrops.  Spread on parchment paper lined 9x13 pan.  Chill overnight in fridge.  Cut into squares.
**can be stored in freezer**

Note:  I was experimenting with products and used white chocolate bark instead of white chocolate chips.  They melted nicely with no problem.

Also I would use an 8x8 pan next time to make a deeper and thicker nougat size piece.

I think you could easily melt the ingredients in the microwave using a microwaveable bowl in 30 second intervals stirring in between intervals.

Enjoy!

Marinated olives

My recipe for marinated olives.  Great for picnics and the holidays.  It's bound to be a hit. Enjoy!

Easy to do recipe.

Several large jars of various large size pitted olives( drained)
Red wine vinegar ( approximately 2 cups)
1 to 2 tsp. Italian seasoning
Red pepper to taste
Sea salt to taste(a pinch or two)


Drain olives.  Add olives to a large pot.  ( large enough to be able to toss without crushing olives)Add vinegar and seasonings. Toss gently with wooden  or silicone spoon.

For the best taste allow olives to marinade over night in refrigerator or even better several days.  Toss gently with large spoon every day until serving.

Berry Glazed Spiral Ham

 I lost my copy of my Better Homes and Gardens magazine so I am going to do this recipe from the top of my head since their recipe is nowhere to be found.

1 spiral ham approx. approx. 10 lbs.
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup raspberry jam
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup fresh raspberries(optional) to add to glaze
1/4 cup chopped jalapeno

Place orange juice, raspberry jam and honey in saucepan over low heat.  Cook until blended and syrupy. . Set aside

 Brush ham with slight amount of glaze and cover loosely with foil and bake 325 degrees for 1 1/2 hours or until warmed through occasionally basting with glaze.  After one hour or so take foil off ham and baste with remaining glaze(add raspberries to glaze and jalapeno)  and bake at 425 degrees for an additional 10 minutes or until crispy.  Let stand for an additional 10 minutes and serve. 

4/21/14

A little sweets!

I’ve started some Christmas treats.

Melted chocolate and tossing mini marshmallows

Spiced pecans

Toasted coconut clusters

Mini Pretzel Snacks!

Great snacks for everyone.

Top these pretzels with anything you like.  I even added a few cashew halves to them.
4/27/17

Mini Rolo's, chopped pecans and snaps

Two of these were done with mini peanut butter pretzel sandwiches.  The third was done with a snap pretzel and a junior mint.  The mint one doesn't look too good but it tasted great!

Mini Hershey piece and mini peanut butter pretzel sandwich

Mini Rolo and mini peanut butter pretzel sandwich

After placing mini rolo on top of pretzel bake in 300 degree oven for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from oven and top with whole pecan, chopped pecans or a whole cashew and gently push pecan/ cashew into the caramel. Cool completely before storing.

Happy Easy Baking from my kitchen to yours,

9/5/12
12/4/12
12/12/13
12/3/15
3/21/16