Soft, warm rolls with butter melting inside. A loaf of crusty bread for those lunch sandwiches. Buttery, moist cupcakes with sugary, sweet icing and colorful sprinkles. Big, round cookies with gooey chocolate chips. Pastries, cakes and more… that’s what I want to bake and share.
I remember, growing up, someone… my grandma, mom and aunt… baking on a Saturday morning for coffee and cake at 3 o’clock on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Kaffeeklatsch! A time for the family to get together, share something sweet and maybe the latest village gossip.
I can see it now, my mom gently pouring the gelantine over that fruit tart with a spoon, my grandma rolling out dough on a big cutting board so we could cut out the cookies and my aunt showing me how to mix the ingredients for the pound cake, letting me hold the mixer and after, letting me lick the cake batter out of the bowl.
It seems baking and the enjoyment we get from it runs in the family. I recently rediscovered my love for baking and decided to host a bi-weekly link-up for all things sweet, gooey and doughy.
Part of it is to keep track of my journey, the learning process and the joy. Another part is that I hope, you’ll share your delicious recipes so we all can enjoy some sweetness… and for me to maybe give them a try and then share that.
<div align="center"><a href="http://bocafrau.com" title="bocafrau" target="_blank"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-9UVVgt2k97E/T5N9bvPs9ZI/AAAAAAAACU0/IXcU5XV6TsM/s200/I%2527m%2520Baking...Thursdays%2520Badge.jpg" alt="bocafrau" style="border:none;" /></a></div>
My first recipe as part of my I’m Baking… series are Cream Puffs. I made them for the first time this past weekend. They were such a big hit that I got to do it all over again yesterday. My gang managed to wolf down eat six of them in short order. They were not small.
Cream Puff Shells
Ingredients:
1/2 cup shortening
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup boiling water
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
4 eggs
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400° F. In a medium sauce pan, combine the shortening, salt and boiling water and heat until the entire mixture boils. Reduce heat, add flour all at once and stir vigorously until mixture forms a ball. Remove from heat and add the eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Continue beating until mixture is thick and shiny and breaks from spoon.
Pipe or spoon onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake 20 minutes, reduce heat to 350° F and bake an additional 20 minutes, or until golden and sound hollow when tapped. Cool, cut in half and fill with pastry cream and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
(*Note: I only baked mine for about 12 additional minutes at the reduced cycle.)
Pastry Cream
Ingredients:
2 cups of milk
1/4 cup of white sugar and 1/3 cup of white sugar
2 egg yolks, plus 1 egg
1/4 cup corn starch
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
In a heavy saucepan, stir together the milk and 1/4 cup of sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and egg. Stir together the remaining sugar and cornstarch; then stir them into the egg until smooth. When the milk comes to a boil, drizzle it into the bowl in a thin stream while mixing so that you do not cook the eggs. Return the mixture to the saucepan, and slowly bring to a boil, stirring constantly so the eggs don’t curdle or scorch on the bottom.
When the mixture comes to a boil and thickens, remove from heat. Stir in the butter and vanilla until the butter is completely blended in. Pour into a heat-proof container and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled.
I made the pastry cream first and let it chill while I worked on the shells.
(**Note: Both recipes are courtesy of Allrecipes.com)
I would love it if you could help me spread the word about this new link-up. Please, tell your friends, tweet it, share it on Facebook and Google+. Thank you so very much. I look forward to trying and tasting your yummy additions.
xo, Susi
Mmm I love the idea of a recipe link up! I don’t bake, but I love eating baked goods. Maybe your post (and the ones that link up) will give me some inspiration to get in the kitchen!
Bits of Bee recently posted..A Tree Was Hugged On Earth Day
I just recently started baking again and forgot how much I enjoy it. I have some fairly simple and quick recipes on here. With more to come.
I just happened to have shared a recipe for a Chocolate Lave Cake yesterday so I’m linking up:0
Poekitten recently posted..Another Week Down…
Yay. Thank you. Can’t wait to check it out!
Choux à la crème (alternatively, its close relative the éclair) was a staple in my mother’s baking repertoire. If I remember correctly, they seem easier said than done.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane
Megan@MondayMorningMusings recently posted..april 24, 1915
Eclairs are made with the same kind of pastry dough as a cream puff. Definitely, one I want to try. I love Eclairs.
The beginning of your post had me rummaging through the kitchen, but alas none of those yummy things could be found. So here goes, I am now committed to making these cream puffs whether or not they turn out as pretty as yours, well that is another story
http://www.practicallyperfectprincess.com/
Jennifer recently posted..Rebekah Grace- Now available in ebook format!
Good luck. They really are pretty simple to make. I thought, they were going to be much harder.
Next time can I be a member of the gang?
The more the merrier, I always say!!!
Hi Susi! You cannot post delicious recipes like this because I am supposed to be eating healthy and how on earth will I have the willpower to not bake these creamy cream puffy puffs??
Kerry recently posted..ANZAC Day {WW}
I’m so sorry.
But every once in a while you have to enjoy the sweet things in life.
Oh my word, oh my word. Those look decadently delicious! YUMMY!
Liz @ A Nut in a Nutshell recently posted..Chipotle Tamale Pie
Thanks Liz. According to the family they were just that!!!
I promised my boy that I would make him a chocolate creme filled version next!!!
Twitter: beeswithhoney
says:
Oooh, a baking link-up. I might have to join in. I love getting new recipes and cream puffs? YUM!
Thanks, Bruna. I look forward to your recipes.
Twitter: hallienoves
says:
Excited for a new recipe linkup! Thanks for hosting. Those cream puffs turned out beautifully!
Helen recently posted..Patchwork Paper Tree {kid craft}
Thank you. I’m very excited about this and i hope, that I’ll be able to keep up and share many fantastic recipes.
Oh….just when I had my new exercise routine going well…..ta, da,da, da!!! cream puffs!
I’m not the baker/cook in the family — I’ll have to leave that to my cousin Paul over in the Kitchen.
RoryBore recently posted..Quotable Bits #16 – Love Sticks
I have my exercise routine for precisely this reason. And I don’t think, I’m anywhere close to Paul”s culinary talents. He seriously rocks.
Thank you but I disagree. Pastry cream from scratch, you’re my kind of baker. ; )
paul recently posted..Cue the Mennonites
Thank you, Paul. That’s what this whole link up is about– baking from scratch as much as feasible.
Twitter: RebeMecomber
says:
Yummmmmmmmm.
Rebecca recently posted..26 Years Ago….
Glad you like.
Noooooooo, I was going to try and be good and cut back a little and you post cream puffs. They look so good, I swear I can hear them calling to me. Nicely photographed too, I need to practice more with my camera.
I’ll be boosting your link up, great idea. Maybe I’ll try and find a healthy sweet recipe. ROFL, who am I kidding.
paul recently posted..Cue the Mennonites
Hahaha… I am definitely considering adding a few gluten free or whole wheat type bread recipes. And thanks for the boost!!!