Lifestyles

Cream puffs
prove to be

HOW EASILY a recipe can fall flat. Many years ago, my
good friend and neighbor tasted my chocolate cake and re-
quested the recipe. She planned to make the cake next day

for her husband’s birthday.

The recipe called for “% cup
covoa. So, instead of using the dry
mix (unsweetened, pure cocoa) she
mixed up a half cupful using her
favorite sweetened miz.

Do I need to tell you -vhere she
bought the birthday cake?

On another occasion, she needed
a dessert to take to her church
group. She wanted something easy
but dra.natic and | suggested
cream puffs.

Later that day, she arrived on
my doorstep in tears. Three bat-
ches later and all she had was one
helluva messy kitchen and globs of
dough.

Cream puffs are probably the
easiest creations in the world to
prepare when the ‘‘puff’’ part of
the creation is made full-sized. It is
marvellous filled with cream and
dusted with icing sugar.

and return the cap.

For smalt puffs: Drop in balls
about the size of a marble (I-
slightly rounded teaspoonful) on
sprayed cookie sheet. Bake 20
minutes at 400°F. Dry out as for
large puffs.

These may be frozen. Thaw
completely in air, uncovered. Re-
crisp in a moderate oven for a
couple of minutes.

Fillings
Large puffs: Whipped cream, gar-
nished with either icing sugar or
rippled, melted semi-sweet choco-
ate.

Vanilla custard, garnished with
melted semi-sweet chocolate.

Your favorite seafood in wine
(or chicken or turkey) garnished
with fresh parsley, egg slices or
olives — one large or two medium

budget
beaters

by Barbara McCreadie

Others like to dribble chocolate
sauce or icing over the cream-filled
puffs.

However, Choux Pastry, the
formal name for the puff dough, is
marvellous for tiny appetizers. Just
measure carefully and follow
directions.

Choux Pastry
1 cup water
Y2 cup butter or margarine
% teaspoon salt
I cup flour
4 large eges

Using a 1% quart saucepan
(your middle-sized one), bring
water, butter and salt to a full boil.

Dump in the flour and stir rap-
idly with a wooden spoon until the
mixture forms a ball. Remove
from heat.

Have your electric mixer ready
to go. Crack one egg into the
flour-water mixture and slowly
mix, using lowest speed, until the
egg is completely mixed in and the
batter is no longer shiny. Do not
overmix.

Repeat with each of the remain-
ing eggs.

For large yuffs: Drop mixture
by roundca tablesoconsful on
Pam-sprayed cookie sheets, keep-
ing the mounds 3 inches apart.

Bake at 400°F for 10 minutes
then lower the heat to 350°F and
bake 25 minutes more.

Siab each puff with a sharp
knife and return to the oven (off)
with the door slightly onen for
another {0 minutes. ,

To fill, slice off a bit of the top.
Remove doughy membranes from
inside. Add filling of your choice

is right for lunch.

Sinall Puffs: Use your imagina-
tio. ! Here are a few fillings I've
tried:

*Diced chicken, diced almonds,
diced celery —- equal amounts,
with a bit of mayonnaise (real) to
moisten,

*All of the above but with a bit
of curry powder.

*A tin of flaked white tuna
combined with grated hard-cooked
eggs (2). Add a bit of diced green
onion and add enough mayo to
moisten.

*A tin of crab, well drained and
cartilage removed. Add % cup
shredded green pepper (drained), a
tablespoon of sherry and mayo to
moisten.

Remember, these puffs are tiny.
Keep the fillings finely chopped.
Use a coffee spoon to fill the little
puffs. Make sure the filling is just
moist, not wet. They don't stand
too well so wil the puffs at the
second-to-last niinute. A pastry
bag works wonders!

Getting back to my friend, I
dried her tears, made another pot
of coffee and whipped up some
puffs. She was really popular with
her church group.

Later, { experimented with a
class of unruly Grade Nines —
imagine 24 of them, in groups of
four. They not only prepared the
Choux Pastry, but managed to
make an assortment of fillings,
both sweet and savory, and were
able to eat and clean up the kitch-
ens inside of a one-hour class. Sce
what I mean? This stuff is easy.

49 - Wednesday, December 17, 1986 — North Shore News

This Sony Sports Walkman is a
definite favorite! (and it’s available
in Christmas red).

Our AM/FM Cassette Sports Walkman is great for
the outdoors — splash-proof, snow-proof, sand-
proof, and built to take it. In-the-ear stereo head-
phones are water-resistant, and the cassette player
is auto-reverse. What a great gift for the outdoor-lover
on your list

Romnge

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