Pastry Cream

½ cup sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
hefty pinch of salt
2 cups whole milk
4 egg yolks
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a small saucepan whisk together the sugar and cornstarch. Add the salt and whisk again.  To the milk, add the egg yolks and whisk until smooth (no need to temper the eggs). While whisking, pour the milk-egg mixture into the pan. Add the butter.  Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly.  The butter will melt and the mixture will begin to thicken.  Make sure it comes to a boil to activate the cornstarch. Boil for 1 minute.  Off the heat, whisk in the vanilla. Optional: Strain through a fine mesh sieve.  Cover the pastry cream with plastic wrap, making sure to touch the entire surface of the cream to avoid developing a skin.  You can make pastry cream 2 days ahead.

For a video demonstration, go here.

Cream Puffs

For the pâte à choux pastry:
1 cup water
8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 to 4 eggs

To make the cream puffs: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a large saucepan, bring the water, butter, salt, and granulated sugar to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. When it boils, immediately take the pan off the heat. Stirring with a wooden spoon, add all the flour at once and stir hard until all the flour is incorporated, 30 to 60 seconds. Return the pan to the heat and cook, stirring, 30 seconds to evaporate some of the moisture.

Scrape the mixture into a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix at medium speed. With the mixer running, and working 1 egg at a time, add 3 of the eggs, stopping after each addition to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix until the dough is smooth and glossy and the eggs are completely incorporated. The dough should be thick, but should fall slowly and steadily from the beaters when you lift them out of the bowl. If the dough is still clinging to the beaters, add the remaining egg and mix until incorporated.

Using a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip, pipe the dough onto the baking sheet, in 2-inch diameter rounds or balls. Dip your finger in water and smooth out the peaks. Bake 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375 degrees F and bake until puffed up, and light golden brown, about 20 minutes more. Do not to open the oven door too often during the baking. Let cool on the baking sheet.

For the filling:
2 cup heavy cream
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

To fill* the cream puffs, place a pastry tip on your finger and poke a whole in the bottom of each puff. Whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla until stiff. Pipe whipped cream into each cream puff and chill until ready to serve, no more than 4 hours.

*You can fill them with anything, sweet or savory.

Slight variation of this recipe by Gale Gand.

Sausage Cassoulet

This Sausage Cassoulet is a variation of the one found in Mary Berry's Classic Home Cooking.

1 lb pork sausage
8 oz bacon, chopped
1 large onion
2 cans northern beans, rinsed
2 cans diced tomatoes, blended
1 can tomato paste
1 1/2 cup chicken bone broth
2 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon parsley
1 teaspoon  thyme
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups fresh white bread crumbs or grated cheddar cheese to top

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  In a dutch oven, over medium heat, brown the sausage and bacon.  Remove meat, turn to medium low and cook the onions until soft but not colored.  Return the meat and add the remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil.  Cover and cook in oven for 1 hour.  Sprinkle with bread crumbs or grated cheddar and continue cooking, uncovered, for 30 minutes.