Pastry Puffs (with a gluten free version)

Submitted by Jim

I like this recipe because it has ingredients that you usually have on hand - butter, flour and eggs. This is the standard profiterole recipe that you find when making cream puffs or eclairs. You can fill them with custard (or instant pudding) and glaze them with chocolate frosting for the classic cream puff/eclair. You can also fill them with chicken, ham, shrimp or egg salad for appetizers. Another option is to toss a cup or two of cubed cheese into the batter and dust the puffs with Parmesan before baking. Give them a pretentious French sounding name and your friends will be impressed.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
• 1 cup flour
• 4 eggs

For a gluten free recipe substitute the flour with:

• 1 cup gluten free flour
• 1 teaspoon Xanthan gum

Both of these ingredients are available in mainstream supermarkets

Place the butter and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. As soon as the mixture boils, remove from heat. Stir until the butter is melted.

Add the flour all at once and stir with a fork until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan.

Add the eggs one at a time, stirring with a fork until each egg is completely incorporated after each addition. This can be a workout for your forearms but it really shouldn't take all that long.

Drop in double tablespoonfulls onto baking sheets.

Bake until puffs inflate and begin to brown - about 25 minutes.

Reduce heat to 300 and bake for 30 more minutes or so. This allows the puffs to dry out inside which keeps them from collapsing when removed from the oven. To be sure that the puffs have set completely, remove one with a metal spatula and place it on a metal rack to cool. If it collapses, the puffs need to bake longer. You'll get a feel for this after you have tried this recipe a few times and you won't need to sacrifice as many puffs..

Remove baking sheets from the oven. With a metal spatula, carefully move the puffs to wire cooling racks. Cool for 20-40 minutes.

Split each puff with a fork or a knife and remove the soft partially baked pastry from the inside.

Fill with whatever you like and serve.

These work best when served shortly after baking. If left for too long they can get dry and crisp or gummy and soft depending on the humidity.

Note: If you use the gluten free substitution, the puffs won't smell good while they're baking. Don't let this worry you. It seems to be a feature of the gluten free ingredients. They will taste just as good as the traditional ones.

Chicken Salad Spead

submitted by Jim

• 6 boneless chicken breasts
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2/3 cup finely chopped celery
• 2 tablespoons minced onion
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried tarragon

Note: With the exception of the chicken, have a little extra of each of the other ingredients on hand so you can adjust for taste at the end.

Place the chicken breasts in a large pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil until completely cooked. About half an hour should do the trick but test them by cutting into the thickest one to make sure it's done. You can't really overcook this so if in doubt, give it a little more time.

Remove the chicken pieces and run them briefly under cold water. They should still be warm.

Cut the chicken into one-inch cubes and put them in a large mixer bowl. Mix on low speed for a minute or so. I use a Kitchenaid mixer. I'm not sure how well this will work with a more traditional mixer with two beaters.

With the mixer running, add all the other ingredients, starting with the mayonnaise. Mix until well blended.

Taste to see if it needs more of anything. Adjust the seasonings and refrigerate until ready to use.

The flavors of the pepper, onion and tarragon will develop over time. If you plan to use this right away, you might need more of those. If you keep it in the refrigerator for a few hours, those flavors will get stronger on their own. More celery will give it some texture without changing the flavor. Add a little mayonnaise if you want a more spreadable consistency. Many people prefer Miracle Whip for recipes like this but in this case I think the sharper taste of mayonnaise works well.

This goes well at parties when served with crackers. It also makes a good filling for sandwiches or little pastry puffs. I'll be posting the recipe for the puffs next.

Mississippi Mud Cake

submitted by Jim

• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 9 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 1/2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 8 ounces (8 squares) semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400. Grease and flour a 9-inch springform pan.

Stir or whisk together the flour, cocoa powder and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, cream the butter until light. Gradually add the sugar, beating well after each addition.

Drizzle the oil into the mixture while the mixer is running and beat for 2 minutes at medium speed until the mixture is smooth.

Add the beaten egg a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Take your time with this. If you add too much of the egg at once, the mixture will be grainy and it's difficult to recover from that. The mixture should be fluffy. Add the vanilla and corn syrup and beat at medium speed for three more minutes.

Beat in the melted chocolate.

Using a strainer or a sifter, sift the dry ingredients over the batter a little at a time and fold well after each addition. Gently stir in the chocolate chips. The mixture might be a little dense for folding. Do the best you can. It will probably work out well.

Pour and spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly.

Bake for 35 minutes or until a cake tester inserted half an inch from the edge of th cake comes out clean. the center of the cake will be soft and gooey. Don't let that bother you. This cake behaves like a pan of brownies. If you overbake it, the sides will be tough and crusty. Some people like that.

Let the cake cool for five minutes in the pan on a wire rack. Run a knife around the edge of the cake and then release and remove the side of the springform pan.

Leave the cake on the bottom of the pan and place on a serving platter.

Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream. The kind from an aerosol can is OK but real whipped cream is always better and isn't difficult to do.