Peaches and Cream Spiced Cream Puffs

Puff Pastry:

1/2 C. margarine 1 C water

1/4 tsp. cinnamon 1/8 tsp. nutmeg

1/8 tsp. ginger 1/8 tsp. salt

1 C. flour 4 eggs

1. In a medium saucepan, combine margarine, water, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Bring to a boil.

2. Add flour all at once, stirring vigorously. Cook until a ball forms that won’t separate.

3. Remove from heat. Cool 10 minutes.

4. Add eggs one at a time, stirring with a sturdy wooden spoon until smooth after each addition. The dough will be very thick and difficult to stir.

5. Drop by heaping tablespoons, 3” apart, onto a greased baking sheet (make enough for everyone in your lab section).

6. Bake at 400° for 25 to 35 minutes, until golden brown. Remove puffs to a cooling rack and turn your oven off.

7. Let puffs cool in the turned-off oven for 10 minutes (this will dry them out). Let puffs cool on a rack in the dispensary freezer.

8. When cool, cut 1/4 off the top of each puff. Scoop out any soft dough inside.

Filling:

1/2 C. whipping cream 2 Tbsp. peach preserves

1/4 C. powdered sugar 1/2 tsp. almond extract

1 (8 oz.) cream cheese 1 1/3 cup canned peaches, drained and finely chopped or 2 med. peaches, peeled and chopped

1. Beat whipping cream until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1/4 C. powdered sugar.

2. Add the cream cheese, almond extract, and peach preserves. Continue beating until smooth. Stir in chopped peaches.

3. Fill each cream puff with peach mixture. (You may fill up to 1 hour before serving.)

4. Replace tops. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Chocolate Glaze

1 C. semisweet chocolate chips ¼ cup corn syrup

¼ cup butter 1 ½ to 4 tsp. hot water

1. In 1-quart saucepan, heat chocolate chips, butter and corn syrup over low heat, stirring frequently, until chocolate chips are melted. Cool about 10 minutes.

2. Stir in hot water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until consistency of thick syrup. Glazes one 10-inch angel food or chiffon cake or top of an 8- or 9-inch layer cake.

Fruit Dip

1 package (8 ounce) cream cheese

½ cup sour cream

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup sugar

1-2 tablespoons maple syrup

1. Using your KitchenAid mixer with the wire whip attachment, beat on high speed until smooth, about 5 minutes.

2. Chill and serve with fruit kabobs.

Shrimp Fettuccine

1 bag (1 lb) frozen peas, carrots, peapods and corn (or other mixture)

9 ounces fettuccine

½ lb shrimp, cleaned

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup half-and-half

1 container (5 ounce) garlic and herb spreadable cheese

1 clove garlic, minced

¼ teaspoon salt

1. Thaw and drain vegetables. Set aside.

2. Get a good sized pot depending on how much pasta you are cooking. Make sure it is big enough so the water doesn't spill when it's boiling. Fill the pot up with water.

3. Set the stove to high.

4. When the water starts boiling, dump the container of pasta into the pot. Agitate it slightly with a long serving spoon.

5. Keep your eye on it as it continues to boil and stir it just enough to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom every 1-2 minutes.

6. When it's been boiling for about 7 minutes, take a piece of the pasta out and taste it.

7. If it's too hard to bite, tastes funny when you bite it, or if you see white in the center, it needs to cook a little longer. When it's chewy but firm in the center, it's ready. This is referred to as al dente in Italian.

8. Empty the entire pot of pasta into a strainer. Shake out the excess water and then pour back into the pot.

Meanwhile:

9. Clean shrimp. Remove any peel and veins. Cut each shrimp in half.

10. Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add cleaned shrimp and garlic. Cook until shrimp begins to turn pink. Remove from pan and set aside. Keep warm.

11. In same skillet, stir in vegetables. Cook about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender.

12. In a small microwave-safe bowl, mix the half-and-half, cheese spread, and salt until smooth. Heat in microwave until mixture is warmed, checking every 30 seconds so you do not overheat the milk proteins and milk sugars. Add this creamed mixture to the vegetables and stir to coat the vegetables.

13. Gently add the cooked shrimp and the fettuccine. Heat through and serve.

Quick Breadsticks

This recipe uses yeast for leavening, but is rather quick to make. It makes a good pizza dough as well.

1 ¼ cup warm water

1 tablespoon yeast

2 tablespoons sugar

½ teaspoon salt

3-3 ½ cups flour

¼ cup butter or margarine, melted

garlic salt and parmesan cheese, optional

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water.

2. Add sugar, salt and 2 ½ cups flour. Mix to form dough.

3. If more flour is needed, add up to 1 cup more. Mix about 3 minutes.

4. Let dough rest for 10 minutes.

5. Put half of melted butter or margarine in jelly roll pan.

6. Using rolling pin or hands, flatten dough into buttered jelly roll pan.

7. Spread remaining butter or margarine over top of dough.

8. Using pizza cutter, cut dough into strips.

9. Sprinkle with garlic salt and parmesan cheese, if desired.

10. Let rest another 10 minutes.

11. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

12. Cut with pizza cutter again.