Monday, November 10, 2008

Bite size cream puffs and pizzettes = Very busy Sunday





First, I just want you to know it is waaaaaaay past my bedtime. This is unfortunately becoming a Sunday night habit for me. My Sunday started off with a pumpkin muffin for breakfast with Pete and then church with my roommate, followed by a trip to Trader Joes and upon returning to my apartment, a flurry of cream puff making and then off to baking class. Return home, visit with my downstairs neighbors, mix up Royal icing for cake class tomorrow and just as I start to think about going to bed.....Oh I can't disappoint all of you who have been anxiously awaiting my next post (even if it may only be one person). I hope you appreciate my sacrafice of sleep to bring you this up to the minute post.

Tonight was the third class; meaning we covered breads, and sadly also that next week is the last class of the series. Once again very many tempting options to try. I was going to offer to make the Rosemary Garlic bread. Trying to go savory since I've been inudated with sweets lately. No one offered to make the pizzettes; the first recipe on the list. I didn't want my classmates to hungry, so I stepped up the plate.

I've tried making bread on my own before. I get the concept of using yeast, letting the bread rise, ect. My downfall with bread is I get impatient with it. I learned a few things tonight. Apparently, I have never kneaded the bread enough in the past (this I am told will not be nearly as time consuming once I get better at it), and the difference is noticeable now that I have tried it. I experimented with rolling out thin crusts and hand strecthing a slightly thicker crust. I found I prefer the thinner rolled crust. It sgves the pizzette a bit of crunch. The hand crusts were a little too, uh doughy. The pizzettes turned out to be very tasty with great toppings of carmelized onions, portabello mushrooms, peppers and sauteed spinach. I also used fresh and regular mozzerella to top the pizzettes. I can't wait to try this one at home. I love a good pizza.

The bite sized cream puffs turned out lovely. Unfortunately, I ran out of time and had to run off to class. I'll have to make filling later this week. Oh, but then I'll have another reason to post.

Sorry I can't satisfy your hunger for food right now, but hopefully this satisfies your hunger for another post. :-)

3 comments:

Nimgimli said...

Thanks for the post, I'm still reading and I'm sure I'm not the only one!

One of my first jobs in my restaurant career was making the daily bread. It was nothing fancy, just loaf after loaf of french bread. But I love the smell and the magic that comes with watching the dough rise. Having this huge mound of dough and cutting out portions to shape into a baguette...it was the best part of that job.

These days I cheat and use a bread maker, but I still get to enjoy the smell. :)

Elizabeth said...

ohh looks good!!! Hey pete...what makes you think you are the only one?? Maybe it was me :) haha.. I appriciate your efforts of late night blogging jenni! I do check it all the time to see what's new :) luv ya!

Nimgimli said...

The mini-creampuffs came to work with Jenni today. They're AWESOME!!!

Hey Elizabeth, I didn't mean to claim the "one" position. You've got dibbs since you've known her slightly longer than I have. :)