I am partnering with Sunday Supper and Florida Dairy Farmers because June is National Dairy Month. For generations, Florida’s more than 130 dairy farming families have remained true to their values & committed to producing a fresh supply of wholesome, quality milk. These hardworking men & women are caretakers of their cows, stewards of the land, & leaders in their communities. I have never been able to visit a Florida dairy farm, but hope to one day, so I can see what it’s like to be on a Florida dairy farm and meet the farmers.

The state’s more than 130 dairy farms are primarily owned and operated by second and third-generation farmers. Most of the dairy cows living in Florida are Holsteins – the black and white cows. Lafayette and Okeechobee are Florida’s leading dairy counties and most Florida dairy herds range in size from 150 cows to 5,000 cows. With all those cows, Florida dairy farmers recycle about 170,000 tons of byproducts such as citrus pulp, brewers’ grain and whole cottonseed that are consumed by the cows instead of ending up in landfills. There are about 123,000 dairy cows in Florida that collectively produce about 2.34 billion pounds of milk a year. The total represents 277 million gallons of Florida-produced milk in the grocery store.

I absolutely love dairy, and we enjoy it every day. #ToddlerLnC starts her day with a sippy of milk, and I use milk in my morning cup of coffee. We use milk in smoothies and other recipes for lunch or dinner. Three cups of milk a day is recommended to get your daily allowance for dairy. Milk contains 9 essential nutrients and vitamins: protein, vitamins A, D, and B12, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, riboflavin, niacin, zinc, and magnesium.

Did you know that each Florida dairy cow produces about 6-8 gallons of milk each day and is milked 2-3 times per day? You can find out more about Florida Milk in the kitchen, in schools, and in the news at these links and by following them on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Chocolate Eclairs
Adapted from a culinary school recipe

Pastry Cream Ingredients:
 – 500 grams Whole Milk
 – 100 grams Granulated Sugar
 – 100 grams Egg Yolks
 – 100 grams Granulated Sugar
 – 40 grams Cornstarch
 – 75 grams Unsalted Butter
 – Seeds from 1 Vanilla Bean or 1 teaspoon Vanilla Bean Paste

Pastry Cream Directions:
 1. In a stainless steel pot (not aluminum) heat Milk and first measure of Sugar until sugar is dissolved and the milk is hot but not boiling.
 2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the Egg Yolks, Sugar and Cornstarch. Temper* milk mixture into yolk mixture.
 3. Pour tempered egg mixture back into the pot and return to a boil, cooking about 2-3 minutes or until nappe**
 4. Strain the pastry cream through a fine mesh sieve into the bowl of your stand mixer and beat on the lowest speed. Add in the Butter and Vanilla Bean Seeds or Paste after it has cooled for a few minutes.
 5. Pour into a clean medium-sized bowl, cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface and allow it to cool to room temperature before storing in the refrigerator.
– It is best made the day before the Pate a Choux, so it has time to fully chill.

Pate a Choux Ingredients:
 – 240 grams Whole Milk
 – 113 grams Unsalted Butter (1 stick)
 – 2 grams Sugar
 – 2 grams Salt
 – 110 grams All Purpose Flour
 – 225 grams Eggs
 – 1 Egg for egg wash
 – Powdered Sugar (optional)

Pate a Choux Directions:
 1. Heat oven to 400F. Prepare sheet pans with parchment or silicone mats.
 2. Bring the Milk and Butter to a boil. Add in Flour, Salt and Sugar and cook on medium-high, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until a paste is formed. The mixture should form a ball or leave a film on the bottom of the pot.
 3. Remove from the heat and place in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Beat on low for a minute then add in the eggs, one at a time, making sure the previous one is incorporated before adding the next one.
 4. Once all the eggs have been added and the mixture is a bit cooler, put in a piping bag fitted with a large circle tip. Pipe strips of choux on the sheet pans, trying to not create a point when lifting off. Using a pastry brush, or your fingers, gently brush the egg wash over the eclairs, trying to make sure there is no point sticking up.
 5. Bake at 400F for 5 minutes, then turn the oven down to 375F for the remaining time. It should take about 30 more minutes, or until the puffs are dry and golden brown. Do not crowd the oven. You might need to bake these in two batches.
 6. Let them cool completely before filling. To fill, gently pipe the pastry cream into the eclairs. Refrigerate or freeze until glaze is done.

Chocolate Glaze Ingredients:
– 5 ounces chocolate chips
– 1/2 cup heavy cream
– 1/2 tablespoon corn syrup

Chocolate Glaze Directions:
1. Place chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Heat Heavy cream and corn syrup in a small saucepan until it just starts to boil.
2. Pour the hot cream over the chips and let it sit for a minute. Whisk the chocolate and cream to make a ganache.
3. Gently dunk each eclair into the glaze and shake off any excess. Place onto baking sheet or serving tray. Chill until serving. Can be made ahead and chilled.

*Tempering: eggs are tempered when a hot liquid, usually milk, is slowly streamed into them, while whisking constantly, to bring the eggs up to a warm temperature without cooking them.
**Nappe: French term referring to a liquid “coating the back of a spoon”. With pastry cream, if you run your finger through the (hot) pastry cream on the back of a wooden spoon, the lines will stay separate.

Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!

Milk in the Morning:

• Blueberry Coconut Muffins by Take a Bite Out of Boca
• Lighter Breakfast Quiche by The Healthy Fit Foodie
• Spinach Artichoke Strata by Helpful Homemade
• Strawberry and Cream Breakfast Smoothie Bowls by Family Foodie
• Strawberry Orange Banana Sunrise Crepes by The Gold Lining Girl

Milk during the Day:

• Fettuccine Alfredo by Recipes Food and Cooking
• Hamburger Gravy by My World Simplified
• Homemade Mozzarella by An Appealing Plan
• Langostino Mac and Cheese with Crispy Bacon and Chives by Pook’s Pantry
• Margherita Penne Pasta by Life Tastes Good
• Simple Polenta Recipe by Healing Tomato
• Summer Corn Soup by Casa de Crews
• Sweet Onion Tart by Flour On My Face

Milk in Desserts:

• Boozy Hazelnut Frozen Hot Chocolate by GO Epicurista
• Cannoli Cupcakes with Chocolate Pistachio Crunch by The Crumby Cupcake
• Chocolate Eclairs by Love and Confections
• Hot Milk Sponge Cake with Blueberries by The Hungry Goddess
• Mini Bread Puddings with Whiskey Caramel Sauce by Dessert Geek
• Nutty Cookies & Cream Ice Cream by Family Around The Table
• Strawberry Milkshake by Desserts Required
• Southern Buttermilk Pie by Sunday Supper Movement

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement



Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Florida Dairy Farmers in conjunction with a social media campaign through Sunday Supper LLC. All opinions are my own.

My Mom and I gave my sister a bridal shower recently and I made the dessert table. One of the first things I knew I wanted to make was cream puffs or profiteroles. There is nothing else like a homemade cream puff filled with fresh vanilla bean pastry cream. It is truly delicious

Cream puffs are pretty easy to make. The most time consuming thing is waiting for the pastry cream to cool down. I usually make my pastry cream a day ahead, just so it can be nice and cold when I get ready to fill the puffs.

Cream puffs are made with Pate a Choux dough. This dough is different from many batters because it uses steam for leavening, instead of chemical leavening like baking powder or baking soda or natural leavening like yeast. The high initial temperature helps create the steam, then the oven is lowered for the rest of the baking time.

Cream Puffs
adapted from culinary school recipes

Pastry Cream Ingredients:
 – 500 grams Whole Milk
 – 100 grams Granulated Sugar

 – 100 grams Egg Yolks
 – 100 grams Granulated Sugar
 – 40 grams Cornstarch
 – 75 grams Unsalted Butter
 – Seeds from 1 Vanilla Bean or 1 teaspoon Vanilla Bean Paste

Pastry Cream Directions:
 – In a stainless steel pot (not aluminum) heat Milk and first measure of Sugar until sugar is dissolved and the milk is hot but not boiling.
 – In a medium bowl, whisk together the Egg Yolks, Sugar and Cornstarch. Temper* milk mixture into yolk mixture.
 – Pour tempered egg mixture back into the pot and return to a boil, cooking about 2-3 minutes or until nappe**
 – Strain the pastry cream through a fine mesh sieve into the bowl of your stand mixer and beat on the lowest speed. Add in the Butter and Vanilla Bean Seeds or Paste after it has cooled for a few minutes.
 – Pour into a clean medium-sized bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow it to cool to room temperature before storing in the refrigerator.
 – It is best to make this the day before the Pate a Choux, so it has time to fully chill.

Pate a Choux Ingredients:
 – 240 grams Whole Milk
 – 113 grams Unsalted Butter (1 stick)
 – 2 grams Sugar
 – 2 grams Salt
 – 110 grams All Purpose Flour
 – 225 grams Eggs
 – 1 Egg for egg wash
 – Powdered Sugar (optional)

Pate a Choux Directions:
 – Heat oven to 400F. Prepare sheet pans with parchment or silicone mats.
 – Bring the Milk and Butter to a boil. Add in Flour, Salt and Sugar and cook on medium-high, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until a paste is formed. The mixture should form a ball or leave a film on the bottom of the pot.
 – Remove from the heat and place in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Beat on low for a minute then add in the eggs, one at a time, making sure the previous one is incorporated before adding the next one.
 – Once all the eggs have been added and the mixture is a bit cooler, put in a piping bag fitted with a large circle tip. Pipe small mounds on the sheet pans, trying to not create a point when lifting off. Using a pastry brush, or your fingers, brush the egg wash over the puffs, trying to make sure there is no point sticking up.
 – Bake at 400F for 5 minutes, then turn the oven down to 375F for the remaining time. It should take about 30 more minutes, or until the puffs are dry and golden brown.
 – Let them cool completely before filling. You can dust with Powdered Sugar or use a poured fondant or chocolate frosting. Enjoy

*Tempering: eggs are tempered when a hot liquid, usually milk, is slowly streamed into them, while whisking constantly, to bring the eggs up to a warm temperature without cooking them.
**Nappe: French term referring to a liquid “coating the back of a spoon”. With pastry cream, if you run your finger through the (hot) pastry cream on the back of a wooden spoon, the lines will stay separate.

Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!

Some of life’s greatest pleasures are desserts and pastries. Whether you’re a fan of cookies, cakes, pies, tarts, petit fours, pavlovas, etc., they are all delicious and appeal to everyone in their own way. My personal favorite are French Macaroons – but that’s for another day.

Whenever I meet a new Pastry Chef, I try and ask them what their favorite dessert or pastry is. I think it is a great way of getting to know more about the chef and a little insight into their personality. Executive Pastry Chef Stephane Cheramy, at the JW Marriott/Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes likes Apple Almond Tarts. Executive Pastry Chef Steven Rujak, at the Hyatt Grand Cypress, likes Shortbread Cookies. Chef Erik Perez, from Boiron frozen Fruit Puree, likes tarts the best. These pastry chefs have been in the industry for years, create confectionary masterpieces daily, and still love these simple yet delicious pastries.

Cream Puffs are said to have originated in Renaissance France and Italy. Choux paste is different from other types of pastry because when baking, it uses the high moisture content to create steam to puff the pastry. When it rises, it produces a hollow center, which can have sweet or savory fillings. Pâte à Choux is a thick batter made from flour, milk, butter, and eggs. Choux paste is typically known for making profiteroles (cream puffs), croquembouches, eclairs, French crullers, beignets, and Gateau St. Honore. The shape resembles a cabbage, choux in French, hence the name Pâte à Choux.

I decided to make Cream Puffs today. They are relatively simple to make and extremely delicious! I filled my Cream Puffs alternating Pastry Cream and Chocolate Mousse. Both are suitable for Profiterole filling and easy to make. A Pastry Cream blog post will be coming soon, but for now, you can get the Chocolate Mousse recipe here. Enjoy!

Pâte à Choux Recipe:
from the Daring Baker’s Challenge, May 2010

– 175 milliliters Water
– 85 grams Unsalted Butter
– ¼ teaspoon salt
– 1 tablespoon Sugar
– 125 grams All-Purpose Flour
– 4 large Eggs

For Egg Wash:
– 1 Egg and a pinch of Salt

Pâte à Choux Directions: – Pre-heat oven to 425◦F/220◦C degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
1. Combine water, butter, salt and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and stir occasionally. At boil, remove from heat and sift in the flour, stirring to combine completely.
2. Return to heat and cook, stirring constantly until the batter dries slightly and begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.
3. Transfer to a bowl and stir with a wooden spoon 1 minute to cool slightly.
4. Add 1 egg. The batter will appear loose and shiny.
5. As you stir, the batter will become dry-looking like lightly buttered mashed potatoes.
6. It is at this point that you will add in the next egg. Repeat until you have incorporated all the eggs.

Piping the Pâte à Choux Batter:1. Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a large open tip (I piped directly from the bag opening without a tip). Pipe choux about 1 inch-part in the baking sheets. Choux should be about 1 inch high about 1 inch wide.
2. Using a clean finger dipped in hot water, gently press down on any tips that have formed on the top of choux when piping. You want them to retain their ball shape, but be smoothly curved on top.
3. Brush tops with egg wash (1 egg lightly beaten with pinch of salt).

Baking the Pâte à Choux:1. Bake the choux at 425◦F/220◦C degrees until well-puffed and turning lightly golden in color, about 10 minutes.
2. Lower the temperature to 350◦F/180◦C degrees and continue baking until well-colored and dry, about 20 minutes more. Remove to a rack and cool. Can be stored in an airtight box overnight.

Until next time,
Love & Confections!

Daring Bakers Challenge The June 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Dawn of Doable and Delicious. Dawn challenged the Daring Bakers’ to make Chocolate Pavlovas and Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse. The challenge recipe is based on a recipe from the book Chocolate Epiphany by Francois Payard.

I personally love Pavlovas. Meringue is a great light, sweet and tasty dessert. Paired with chocolate, and it is heaven. I also like to eat Pavlovas with fruit, for a lighter dessert. Pavlovas are easy to make and once you start, you’ll be hooked. I piped a few simple designs with a medium size pastry tip. I piped a base and either “built” it up on the sides to create a little cup or piped little peaks around the outside.

This recipe is comprised of 4 parts:
1. Chocolate Meringue
2. Mascarpone Mousse
3. Creme Anglaise (used in the Mascarpone Cream)
4. Mascarpone Cream

Chocolate Meringue Recipe:
– 90 grams Egg Whites
– 110 grams Granulated Sugar
– 30 grams Confectioner’s Sugar
– 30 grams Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder

Chocolate Meringue Directions:
1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 200F. Line one or two baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment and set aside.
2. Put the Egg Whites in a bowl and whip until soft peaks form. Increase speed to high and gradually add granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until stiff peaks form. (The whites should be firm but moist.)
3. Sift the Confectioner’s Sugar and Cocoa Powder over the Egg Whites and fold the dry ingredients into the whites. (This looks like it will not happen. Fold gently and it will eventually come together.)
4. Fill a pastry bag with the meringue. Pipe the meringue into whatever shapes you desire. Alternatively, you could free form your shapes and level them with the back of a spoon or an offset spatula.
5. Bake for 2-3 hours until the meringues become dry and crisp. Cool and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse Recipe:
– 335 milliliters Heavy Cream
– Zest of 1 average sized Lemon
– 255 grams 72% Chocolate, chopped
– 390 milliliters Mascarpone
– Pinch of Nutmeg
– 30 milliliters Grand Marnier or Orange Juic

Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse Directions:
1. Place 120 milliliters Heavy Cream and Lemon Zest in a saucepan over medium high heat. Once warm, add the chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and let sit at room temperature until cool.
2. Place the Mascarpone, remaining cup of Cream and Nutmeg in a bowl. Whip on low for a minute until the Mascarpone is loose. Add the Grand Marnier and whip on medium speed until it holds soft peaks. (Do not overbeat as the Mascarpone will break)
3. Mix about 1/4 of the Mascarpone mixture into the chocolate to lighten. Fold in the remaining Mascarpone until well incorporated. Fill a pastry bag with the mousse or free form mousse on top of Pavlova.

Mascarpone Cream Recipe:
– 1 recipe Creme Anglaise (recipe below)
– 120 milliliters mascarpone
– 30 milliliters Sambucca (optional)
– 120 milliliters Heavy Cream

Mascarpone Cream Directions:
1. Prepare the Creme Anglaise. Slowly whisk the Mascarpone and Sambucca into the Creme Anglaise and let the mixture cool. Putt the cream in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until very soft peaks are formed. Fold the cream into the Mascarpone mixture.

Creme Anglaise Recipe:
– 235 milliliters Whole Milk
– 235 milliliters Heavy Cream
– 1 Vanilla Bean, split or 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
– 6 large Egg Yolks
– 75 grams sugar

Creme Anglaise Directions:
1. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until the mixture turns pale yellow.
2. Combine the Milk, Cream and Vanilla in a saucepam over medium high heat, bringing the mixture to a boil. Take off the heat.
3. Pour about 1/2 cup of the hot liquid into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly to keep from making scrambled eggs. Pour the yolk mixture into the pan with the remaining cream mixture and put the heat back on medium. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens enough to lightly coat the back of a wooden spoon. Do not overcook.
4. Remove the mixture from the heat and strain it through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until the mixture is thoroughly chilled, about 2 hours or overnight.

Pavlova Assembly:
– Pipe the Mousse onto the Meringues and drizzle with the Mascarpone Cream. Dust with confectioner’s sugar and fresh fruit if desired.

I hope you try this recipe. It it very easy, delicious and great for summer!

Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!

MORE PICTURES TO COME… my computer is not liking me right now and I can’t upload any more pictures…