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Cooking with Intention on Christmas Day.
You know how one good meal can just make you want another one? Last night my coworker and her husband invited me to dinner and it was amazingly delicious: pork loin served on wilted spinach, asparagus with lemon, carrots cooked in maple syrup and brown sugar (unbelievably good), new potatoes with rosemary... yum yum, YUM!!! (plus fat tire (oh i love me some fat tire) w/ shrimp cocktail to begin, and wine with dinner. stuffed!)
So today I thought I had to make SOMETHING to brighten up my lonely Christmas. I decided to go with Pam's French Pastry Puffs. Pam is my best friend from college's mom; she's somewhat of a second Mom to me; she used to send me care packages in grad school; she's welcomed me into her home and heart so many times; and bonus! she's an amazing cook. These are the puffs she makes on holiday mornings, I've been lucky enough to have them at her house on Thanksgiving numerous times.
Pam's French Pastry Puffs
Grease muffin pan / do not use papers. Heat oven to 350.
Cream together 1/2 c. sugar, 1/3 c. shortening and 1 egg.
"Sift" together 1 1/2 c. all purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg. (unless you're an idiot who forgot that she threw out all her old spices and hasn't replaced them all yet and thus has no nutmeg so had to use cinnamon instead.)
Add flour mixture to creamed mixture alternately w/ 1/2 cup milk, beating well after each.
Fill muffin cups 2/3 full (I did 12, but some came out kinda smaller than I ever remember Pam's being so next time I think I would only do 8).
Bake at 350 for 20-25.
Before you take them out of the oven:
Melt 6 tablespoons of butter.
Mix 1/2 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
As you can see when they come out of the oven, they're not really browned (only very very lightly) but they passed the toothpick test (stick it in, if it comes out coated in stuff, they're NOT done), and the tops are firm and done.
Take them out of the oven / take them out of the tin. While they're still hot, dip them in the butter (or roll them around in it like I do) and then roll them around in the sugar/cinnamon mix.
Now they look the way they're supposed to!!
Bite into a hot pastry puff. You will find they are not at all thick like muffins but rather are airy, light and delicious.
Yum! (I've now had three of them...looks like I won't be eating much else today!!)
Although it is no longer Advent, I leave you with words from an Advent hymn, words that echo the gospel of John which is what some of you (those in the ELCA anyway) heard in church this morning rather than the traditional Luke nativity story:
Not of human seed or worth,
But from God's own mystic breath,
Fruit in Mary's womb begun,
When God breathed the Word, his son.
Shining stable in the night,
Breathing vict'ry with your light;
Darkness cannot hide your flame,
Shining bright as Jesus' name.
Peace out, peeps.
Posted by Duff at December 25, 2006
Dude, what are you doing? Didn't you go home for Christmas? Those puffs look tasty!
Posted by: Mariko at December 25, 2006 04:48 PM
Mmmmm. They look extremely appealing even after my eating all day. Hope Monday wasn't too bad.
Posted by: claudia at December 25, 2006 08:13 PM
Those look so tasty! I've been alone at Christmas the last few years so I know what it's like. Hope you still managed to have some fun! ;) Merry Christmas!!
Posted by: molly at December 25, 2006 09:10 PM
Dear dearest Carolyn, I hadn't realized that you weren't going home for Christmas! Do you have to take holdiay turns with coworkers? Your dinner sounds amazing and those pastry puffs are making my mouth water. (I'm also a bit jealous of having some time to yourself...)
Posted by: silvia at December 25, 2006 10:36 PM
Yummy!!! Next year you'll have to visit us!
Posted by: monica at December 26, 2006 10:59 AM
Those pastry puffs are beautiful and look like they taste great, too! Hope you managed to have a little Merry in your Christmas!
Posted by: sarah b. at December 26, 2006 02:18 PM
So much for my new diet! Those look amazing.
Posted by: Gloria at December 26, 2006 03:41 PM
yum those look mighty good!
Posted by: Amy at December 27, 2006 10:14 AM
those pastry puffs look delightful
Posted by: maryse at December 29, 2006 07:07 AM
I made these this morning and they were SO good! Thanks for the recipie and the very good pictures and advice.
Have wonderful New Year!
m
Posted by: Morgan at December 30, 2006 12:45 PM