Your favorite desserts

[OldLady]

There used to be a little place in Ellsworth that made the best pie I ever ate. It was some variation of Angel pie: a thick layer of crispy, light meringue as a crust, lots of it, then a layer of fresh raspberries soaked all soft in sugar, then a layer of marshmallow fluff, then more raspberries and topped off with a layer of whipped cream. It's the only time I've ever ordered dessert twice. It's really sweet but light as air. I'm so sorry they've gone out of business.

 

[MisterBeale]

My favorite dessert is something you will not really find anywhere in the world outside my family.

I mean, you will, but you won't.

Some call them Eclairs, and some call them Cream Puffs.

See, the thing is, with Eclairs, they are filled with. . . well, some sort of cream. And with Cream Puffs, they are different, they are filled with Ice cream.

My family uses the traditional Eclair recipe, but then makes homemade vanilla ice-cream, the whole old fashioned process, ice, rock salt. ect.

The entire dessert is very labor intensive. But. .. . you will never, ever have anything better. Nor will you find the process described anywhere else on-line.

They are good with ice cream, and nothing beats homemade.

A shortcut variation is mini puffs made with Stella Doro Anginetti cookies, which they don't make any more, but some folks have tried to perfect a copy to make at home. They're crispier than regular cream puff shells and are very lightly glazed, no chocolate to overpower the flavors. They're finger food size, so they're good for parties (if you're sure they'll get eaten quick before the ice cream melts).

It's the homemade icecream that makes it heaven, though.

Yeah, whenever we have them for special occasions as a family, we dish them up altogether after the meal at once so the ice cream doesn't melt. You have to have the chocolate though. . . everyone fights for the ones with the most chocolate on them. lol

I experimented with the recipe my grandma had some years back. It is interesting really. The more eggs in the recipe, the more they would fluff up and better tasting, but then, they would be less crisp. . it is a fine balancing act.

I also found, that the quicker you could handle them right out of the oven and "scoop them out" the better. . . yet they would burn your hands if you tried to do it too quick.

 

[OldLady]

My favorite dessert is something you will not really find anywhere in the world outside my family.

I mean, you will, but you won't.

Some call them Eclairs, and some call them Cream Puffs.

See, the thing is, with Eclairs, they are filled with. . . well, some sort of cream. And with Cream Puffs, they are different, they are filled with Ice cream.

My family uses the traditional Eclair recipe, but then makes homemade vanilla ice-cream, the whole old fashioned process, ice, rock salt. ect.

The entire dessert is very labor intensive. But. .. . you will never, ever have anything better. Nor will you find the process described anywhere else on-line.

They are good with ice cream, and nothing beats homemade.

A shortcut variation is mini puffs made with Stella Doro Anginetti cookies, which they don't make any more, but some folks have tried to perfect a copy to make at home. They're crispier than regular cream puff shells and are very lightly glazed, no chocolate to overpower the flavors. They're finger food size, so they're good for parties (if you're sure they'll get eaten quick before the ice cream melts).

It's the homemade icecream that makes it heaven, though.

Yeah, whenever we have them for special occasions as a family, we dish them up altogether after the meal at once so the ice cream doesn't melt. You have to have the chocolate though. . . everyone fights for the ones with the most chocolate on them. lol

I experimented with the recipe my grandma had some years back. It is interesting really. The more eggs in the recipe, the more they would fluff up and better tasting, but then, they would be less crisp. . it is a fine balancing act.

I also found, that the quicker you could handle them right out of the oven and "scoop them out" the better. . . yet they would burn your hands if you tried to do it too quick.

I haven't made them in years, but I seem to remember poking a few holes in the sides to let the steam escape so they would stay crisp? They were hollow inside though--what do you scoop out?

 

[MisterBeale]

My favorite dessert is something you will not really find anywhere in the world outside my family.

I mean, you will, but you won't.

Some call them Eclairs, and some call them Cream Puffs.

See, the thing is, with Eclairs, they are filled with. . . well, some sort of cream. And with Cream Puffs, they are different, they are filled with Ice cream.

My family uses the traditional Eclair recipe, but then makes homemade vanilla ice-cream, the whole old fashioned process, ice, rock salt. ect.

The entire dessert is very labor intensive. But. .. . you will never, ever have anything better. Nor will you find the process described anywhere else on-line.

They are good with ice cream, and nothing beats homemade.

A shortcut variation is mini puffs made with Stella Doro Anginetti cookies, which they don't make any more, but some folks have tried to perfect a copy to make at home. They're crispier than regular cream puff shells and are very lightly glazed, no chocolate to overpower the flavors. They're finger food size, so they're good for parties (if you're sure they'll get eaten quick before the ice cream melts).

It's the homemade icecream that makes it heaven, though.

Yeah, whenever we have them for special occasions as a family, we dish them up altogether after the meal at once so the ice cream doesn't melt. You have to have the chocolate though. . . everyone fights for the ones with the most chocolate on them. lol

I experimented with the recipe my grandma had some years back. It is interesting really. The more eggs in the recipe, the more they would fluff up and better tasting, but then, they would be less crisp. . it is a fine balancing act.

I also found, that the quicker you could handle them right out of the oven and "scoop them out" the better. . . yet they would burn your hands if you tried to do it too quick.

I haven't made them in years, but I seem to remember poking a few holes in the sides to let the steam escape so they would stay crisp? They were hollow inside though--what do you scoop out?

ew. . . big mistake.

The steam is what makes them puff up.

You set the oven temp on high to make the eggs puff them up initially, then lower it down to crisp the outsides till they are creamy tan/brown.

After that. . . you take them out, let them cool down to just to the point where you can handle them, but before they collapse. Then you slice them around the sides, and scoop out the insides. Rather than just discard the doughy insides, I like to eat them, the insides will have a consistency of a combination of flour mixed with scrambled eggs. I like to put butter on it and eat them. It makes a nice morning dish.

It is a very difficult dessert/pastry to master. It is why I was always messing with the egg to flour and heat ratio. But don't screw with that steam.


Yeah, I double checked, the majority of the recipes on-line recommend "scooping out" or "Discard soft dough from inside. Cool eclairs" And you have to do it quickly before they cool.

If they were hollow inside, with nothing to scoop? Chances are, you recipe was heavy on the flour with not enough egg, and they were flat.

 

[OldLady]

I'm sure you're right. I don't remember much about it.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

In my book, a proper, well made cheesecake.
No cherries or anything else. Not only does it not need it, but ruins it.
However, I will take the cherries on the everyday poor substitute called cheesecake... it does need it.

 

[Shawnee_b]

I like rye whiskey or local shine for desert.

 

[lg325]

sweet potato pie, pecan pie .banana pudding, home made ice cream strawberry or peach but any flavor will do. coke floats.

 

[Devils_Advocate]

Tirmisu.

My late spouse had a fantastic home made recipe that was never written down.

I am with you on that...

I met this woman from Colombia and she made one of the best Tirmisu... I love Baklava but from Lebanon or Turkish made...

 

[Devils_Advocate]

sweet potato pie, pecan pie .banana pudding, home made ice cream strawberry or peach but any flavor will do. coke floats.

Get a Mexican Coke and HEB 1905 Vanilla Ice Cream and you discover heaven!