Cream Puffs

1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Heat water and butter to a rolling boil and stir in flour vigorously over low heat for about a minute until the mixture forms a ball.  Remove from the heat and beat in the eggs one at a time and continue beating until smooth.  Drop tablespoonfuls 3 inches apart on a baking sheet (ungreased).  Bake for 25-30 minutes until puffed and golden.  Cool and then cut a thin slice from the tops and pull out any filaments of soft dough.  As cream puffs these can be filled with whipped cream, pastry cream or use as an appetizer with other types of fillings like crab, etc.  

Pound Cake

2 3/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups butter
5 eggs
1 tsp Vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup evaporated milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease and flour a bundt pan.  Beat the sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla for 5 minutes.  Beat in flour, baking powder and salt with the milk.  Bake for 70-80 minutes, cool for at least 20 minutes. 

Toothpick test ok

Earthquake Cake

1 cup coconut
1 cup pecans or walnuts
1 chocolate cake mix (chocolate or devils food)
1 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 8oz pkg cream cheese (room temp)
1 stick butter (room temp)
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour a 9 x 13 pan.

Sprinkle coconut and nuts evenly on the bottom of the pan.
Prepare the cake mix according to directions.
Pour the cake mix over the coconut and nuts
Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth, add the sugar and vanilla and beat again and thin with a little milk.
Drop by spoonfuls on top of the cake and do not spread.
Bake for 45 - 50 minutes  

Batter

 Light Airy Batter

1 egg separated
1/2 cup sifted flour
2 tablespoons corn starch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup cold water

In a small bowl, beat egg white until stiff peaks.  Sift flour, corn starch, salt and pepper.
In a separate bowl, beat egg yolk and water until frothy and lemon colored.  Continue beating egg yolk mixture while gradually adding sifted flour mixture and beat until smooth.  Fold beated egg white into egg flour mixture.  Stir occasionally when tempura cooking. 

Golden Puff Batter

1 cup sifted flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 eggs beaten
1/3 cup milk
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or melted butter

Into small bowl, sift flour, sugar, baking powder, seasoned salt and chili powder.  Add eggsm milk and vegetable oil or butter.  Stir until smooth and evenly blended.  Batter can be prepared ahead of time and stored in covered container in refrigerator.  If the batter becomes too thick, stir in 1 tablespoon of cold milk.  

  

 

Triple Layer Key Lime Pie

Brown Sugar Graham Cracker Crust

2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1 stick melted butter

1 - 2 tablespoons egg whites, room temp

Baked Layer

2 14 oz cans sweetened condensed milk

1 cup key lime juice

8 egg yolks, room temp

1/2 cup sour cream, room temp

Chilled Layer

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

1/4 cup key lime juice

1/4 cup sour cream, room temp

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Whipped Layer

1 1/2 cups heavy cream, very cold

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tableponns key lime juice

Preheat oven to 350

Place parchment paper on the bottom of a 9" spring form pan.  Set the ring on top of the parchment paper to close the seal.  Trim the paper on the outside as close to the pan as you can.  This will ensure that you can lift the pie off the bottom of the spring form pan.  Wrap the outside of the spring form pan in aluminum foil to prevent any leakage during baking.  

In a large bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and brown sugar.  Add the melted butter and mix.  Add the egg whites and mix again.  Quickly cover the bottom of the spring form pan and up the sides, make sure the edge of the ring and the bottom where they come together is covered and press the bottom and sides with a glass to pack well.  Move to the oven and bake for 15 minutes.  

While the crust is baking add the egg yolks to a large glass bowl and whisk for one minute.  Add the 2 cans of sweetened condensed milk to the mixture and whisk until well blended.  Add the sour cream and whisk.  All of this should be at room temp.  Add the key lime juice and whisk.  The mixture will begin to thicken, this is a reaction of the acid in the key lime juice and the sweetened condensed milk.  There will be lots of air bubbles, this is okay.  Pour the mixture into the crust that is coming out of the oven and spread evenly.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. The baked layer will set up and be set all the way to the center.  Cool completely before adding the chilled layer.  Do not refrigerate until completely cooled or the crust will absorb moisture and separate.  

To make the no bake chilled layer, cream the 8 ounces of cream cheese and 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar until fluffy.  Add the room temp 1/4 cup sour cream.  Mix well, add the 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk and mix well again.  Add the 1/4 cup of key lime juice and mix well.  

Use a spatula to smooth over the baked and completely cooled layer, this should only come up to about 3/4 to the top.  Chill in the refrigerator. 

The final layer is the key lime whipped cream.  Add the whipping cream to a clean and chilled bowl.  Add sugar and whip to soft/medium peaks.  Do not whip to stiff peaks.  Begin adding the key lime juice, this will cause the mixture to thicken.  Add the key lime juice a little at a time to get the consistency you prefer.  Spread over the pie and chill for several hours before serving.    

Hot Fudge

1 14 oz can Evaporated Milk

1 C Sugar

1/2 C light corn syrup

6 TB Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder
1/2 tsp salt

2 TB Unsalted Butter

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

In a saucepan, combine evaporated milk, sugar, corn syrup, cocoa powder and salt and whisk until smooth.  Bring to a boil over medium heat stirring constantly.  Once boiling, reduce heat to low and stirring frequently simmer for 6 minutes to thicken the sauce.  Remove from heat and stir in the butter and vanilla until fully incorporated.  The sauce should be smooth and glossy.  You can also choose to blend in a blender for 15 - 20 seconds to make it even smoother.  Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.  

Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam

   1 C Heavy Whipping Cream 
1/4 C Pumpkin (100 % pumpkin, no spices)
1/4 C Maple Syrup
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice

Blend