Valentine’s Day Blog

Hello! Happy Valentine’s Day on behalf of the Terrier Bakery. I’d like to start out by introducing myself. My name is Lena LePelley and I am a freshman here at Hiram! This is my second semester as a part of the Terrier Bakery. Last semester, we focused on how to bake basic breads, and I specialized in baking our New York Jewish rye. While normally we stick to making customer favorites such as the French baguettes, monkey muffins, and cheddar rolls, this semester we’re kneading our dough in a bit of a new direction, as we are learning to make pastries. This Valentine’s Day, I would like to introduce you to a pastry called Choux à la crème, also known as Cream Puffs. In French, “choux” means cabbage. It is also used in many expressions of endearment, such as: “Tu es mon petit chou,” meaning “you are my little cabbage” or “you are my little darling.”

Cream puffs were introduced in the United States in 1880 although this sweet treat was said to have originated from Europe around 1540. There are many myths about how, who, and where the cream puff was first created. Some believe they were created when a pastry chef made them for Henry II of France. This pastry chef worked for Catherine De Medici, who was the daughter of the famous Renaissance family in Italy, and the Queen of France.

 Cream Puffs are an odd pastry. They are created when flour is added to a boiling mixture of butter and water. After that, they are then cooked at a very high temperature, until they form into a small hollow ball. Before cooling down, these small hollow balls are to be cut in half or else they will completely deflate. By doing this, you can then fill the puff with a sweet cream. Below is a picture of cream puffs, along with a recipe you can use to make this delicious treat!     

http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/bakingdesserts/r/Cream-Puff-Recipe.htm