Whether your week has been good or bad so far I think I can make it better. About two weeks ago Quirk Books sent me a copy of Shauna Sever’s new cookbook – Pure Vanilla. A book about baking with vanilla, obviously. I was also able to get a copy to give away to one of you guys!
The book is seriously awesome. Not just because it has so many delicious looking photos but also because of Shauna’s amusing introductions to each recipe.
I’ve made choux paste so many times. In fact, I think I have more choux paste recipes than I have cake recipes. It’s probably because of how delicate and wonderful choux is. It’s slightly crispy on the outside but melts in your mouth as soon as you take a bite. Whether you make churros with your choux paste, éclairs, or something else delectable, it’s guaranteed to be delectable. Since if you’re making something delectable, it has to be delectable to be delectable, if you catch my drift. It’s also because the golden rule of baking is that if it’s made with choux it’s made with awesome. Yeah, the golden rule of baking is much better than the golden rule of life – you know, the one that says do onto others as you’d like them to do onto you. This one involves choux paste after all.
Choux paste is pretty easy to make but it can look really impressive. It’s essentially just boiling water with some butter, stirring in flour, and then beating in a few eggs. The real magic of choux is in the oven, where it expands from tiny dollops of an off-white paste to large puffs of perfection.
This isn’t exactly a seasonal dessert. Unless you read this about half a year from now. If you’re reading this in the future, I have two things to say. First, congratulations – raspberries are in season and you probably have a few boxes in your fridge to make this right now and therefore you should make this right now. Your future (future) you will thank you. Second, you’re awesome.
If you’re not from the future well, that sucks. You’re going to get an awesome recipe for a raspberry tart in October though. I would’ve made it earlier but I was too busy with other things. Yeah, I know, it’s a pretty lame excuse. I was just so busy with sugar, schoolwork, and butter though. There’s something about creaming butter and sugar together that’s kind of mesmerizing (and tasty).
