Easy Cream Puffs

Right, I am back and I'm ready to start sharing recipes again.  The first few I'm sharing are actually recipes I made back in Idaho and never got around to posting because I was in the middle of the big move.

I do have some new ones coming up too, so keep an eye out for those.

So the first recipe I'm sharing today is one that my 16 year old daughter actually made.  It's one of those recipes that is so easy to do and it always looks like you've been working on it for hours.  Matter of fact, cream puffs were one of the first things I learned to make in my teenage years.

We had Home Economics in high school and for cooking, we had to make these.  I've always enjoyed them, and I'm happy to pass on this love of cooking to my children.

The recipe comes from Real House Moms, go on over there and take a look, you're sure to find tons of yummy things to try.

Cream Puffs

½ cup (one stick) butter
1 cup water
1 cup flour
4 eggs
2 small boxes instant vanilla pudding (3.4 oz each)
1⅓ cup cold whole milk
8 oz sour cream
powdered sugar


Cream Puffs:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Melt stick of butter and water to a rolling boil
Stir in flour and stir vigorously over low heat until mixture leaves the pan (comes off the sides) and is in a ball (about 1 minute)
Remove from heat and cool for a couple of minutes
Beat in eggs (one at a time) with a mixer
Beat mixture until smooth and velveety
Drop by spoonfuls (walnut sized) onto ungreased cookie sheet
Bake until DRY, 20-25 minutes (maybe longer)
Allow to cool

Filling:

Mix instant vanilla pudding with whole milk until the pudding is dissolved
Add sour cream until thick
Put mixture in the refrigerator (at least an hour)
Slice the cream puffs in half and fill with the chilled pudding mixture
Sprinkle with powdered sugar
Enjoy

Meat Pie!

Growing up in South Africa I remember the small pies that the stores used to sell, cornish, curry, vegetable etc. I loved these, as a matter of fact in High School I remember walking to town with my friend and we had one every afternoon.

This meat pie reminds me of those but just in a bigger version and it's extremely versatile. My grandmother makes one with just ham and cheese and it's SO good. I like the fact that I can substitute the ground beef for chicken and I can throw in veggies or leave them out....like I said, very easy to change.

Here's the one I fixed for dinner, it always gets rave reviews from the family and the kids devour it, even the pugs beg for a bite LOL

MEAT PIE

1 box puff pastry, thawed
1 lb ground beef
1 envelope onion gravy
1/3 cup white wine
salt and pepper
Ham slices
Cheese slices (I used Pepper Jack this time)
beaten egg (for brushing the pastry)

In a skillet cook the ground beef, onion gravy and white wine until meat is brown. Don't drain, you'll have a nice moist mixture. Set aside and let cool.

On a cookie sheet (you'll notice I always cover mine with foil, it's just to make it easier for clean up).....open the box of puff pastry and place half of it on the sheet.

When the meat is cool, spoon onto the pastry to within an inch or so of the edges.

Add a layer of ham

a layer of the cheese

then top with the remaining half of the dough.....pinch the edges to seal

and then take each corner of the pie and give the dough edge a little twist. It just makes it prettier.

Brush with the beaten egg

and bake in a 450º for about 25 to 30 minutes or until puffy and brown. Remove from oven, let sit for 5 minutes and then cut into rectangles.