What Would Martha Do?

good old Martha ... smiling all the way to the bank

We have an on-going joke in our house. Whenever there is a domestic quandry from cooking to cleaning to organizing to decorating to entertaining , the question gets asked, "What would Martha do?"  Sometimes it is clearly tongue-in-cheek, but sometimes it is muttered with dead seriousness.

How omnipresent Martha Stewart has become in our media-driven culture. Her magazines, homegoods, books, television programs, and website posts have saturated everyday life with tips, recipes, and crafty projects. And that was her goal when she formed her media enterprise. She is quite clearly a business phenom and deserves being included on the list of 50 Women Game-Changers . This week Mary of One Perfect Bite has challenged us to deal with Martha Stewart ... business phenom, domestic goddess, established 'brand', media diva.

When I began thinking about one thing that is quintessential 'Martha', I immediately thought of all her entertaining tips and recipes. Then, I thought of her clever little ways of using a simple classic recipe and putting a simple and sometimes rustic touch to it. So, I chose to create a small wine and cheese dinner for my husband and I for a Friday evening. What is more classic Martha than a tray of hors d'ouerves, a nice glass of wine and a little table in the garden?

the classic ...pâte a choux & the rustic ... a simple curried onion filling

I think she'd approve. So, I am making classic pâte a choux puffs. I'm going to make her curried onion filling, chill a bottle of Pinot Grigio, prepare a small cheese board, make a platter of mini crabcakes and place them in nests of shredded salad greens and have a small 'garden party dinner' ... here's to Fridays and Martha Stewart.

Pâte A Choux

courtesy of The Martha Stewart Cookbook – Collected Recipes for Everyday

Ingredients:

1 c. water
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
¼ tsp. salt
½ tsp. sugar
1 c. flour
4 large eggs

Glaze:

1 egg beaten with 1 tsp. water

Making the Puffs:

1. Combine the water and butter in a deep heavy saucepan and bring to a boil.

2. When the butter has melted, add the salt and sugar.

3. Remove from the heat and add the flour, stirring until smooth.

4. Place the saucepan over high heat and cook, stirring constantly until a smooth mass forms and the bottom of the pan is coated with a thin film (the flour is cooked at this point).

5. Transfer the flour mixture to a mixing bowl and cool slightly.

6. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating the batter until very smooth.

7. Preheat the oven to 425° F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

8. Place the pâte in a pastry bag with a ½ inch tip and pipe onto the baking sheets, making mounds that are about 1 inch diameter and about ¾ inch high.

smooth and creamy dough that oozes so sweetly

9. Lightly brush the tops with the glaze, smoothing the tops of each puff.

no perfectionist, I just dabbed down the curleycues with egg wash

10. Bake for ten minutes and then lower the oven temperature to 375° F and continue baking for another 20 minutes until the tops are golden brown.

11. Lower the heat again to 325° F and bake until the puffs are firm and the insides are not doughy … about another 8 to 10 minutes.

mini muffin pans will give more loft and a popover appearance to the little puffs

12. Cool the puffs on a rack. They can be used immediately or divided and frozen for later use. To use, warm in a preheated 350° F oven.

13. Slice crosswise with a serrated bread knife and fill both halves with a dollop of your favored filling.

sliced in half, one finds a nice little bubble of space for placing a bit of filling

Suggested Fillings:

- crabmeat salad with chive garnish
- sauté of peaches in cinnamon sugar with sweetened brandied whipped cream
- curried onion filling with cilantro garnish
- warm lobster in mascarpone cheese and tarragon sauce

A note on this recipe. I made these puffs in mini-muffin tins so that they would rise high and leave a nice cavity for me to stuff. My recipe made 24 puffs - plenty for me to make my curried onion starters for this evening and some for the peach dessert on another evening. I will freeze the puffs in an airtight bag.

two bites of fluffy pastry and smooth creamy curry and onions

Is this where I say, "It's a good thing." ? Yum!