Cream puffs are usually considered a slightly fussy dessert. I don’t do fussy, so this is my rustic homestead version. These are best eaten the day you make them, as they tend to get a bit soggy on the second day. (Don’t worry, though—leftovers never seem to be a problem.) These puffs will happily hold pudding or pastry cream mixtures, but I love the lightness of the cocoa whipped cream.
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
4 large eggs, at room temperature
Cocoa Cream Filling (recipe follows) or filling of your choice
Powdered sugar or cocoa powder, for serving (optional)
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium saucepan over low heat, heat the butter and 1 cup water until the butter is melted. Add the flour and salt, stirring with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a soft ball. Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat in the eggs one at a time on medium speed until the mixture is glossy and smooth.
Drop the dough in 12 evenly sized mounds onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and bake for an additional 10 minutes, until the tops are golden brown.
Cool the puffs completely, about 30 minutes, then split them in half crosswise, scoop out the inner flesh, and fill with cocoa cream filling or other filling of your choice. Put the tops of the cream puffs back on and dust with powdered sugar or cocoa powder, if desired.
Cocoa Cream Filling
1 cup cold heavy cream
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
3 tablespoons maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine all the ingredients and beat on high speed until stiff peaks form about 7 minutes.
Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream :
There’s blueberry ice cream, and then there’s this blueberry ice cream that gets all fancy and special with bits of cream cheese and the rich tang of buttermilk. If you plan to make homemade ice cream a part of your routine, I recommend investing in a machine with a refreezable bowl. I know, it’s not as old-fashioned as a hand-crank machine, but it makes the process so much simpler. You don’t need bags of ice and boxes of salt to stand between you and homemade ice cream bliss.
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
¾ cup sugar, preferably organic whole cane sugar
8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon lemon zest
Pinch of sea salt
2 cups heavy cream
Crushed graham crackers, for serving (optional)
In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the blueberries, sugar, and 1 tablespoon water and bring to a simmer. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the berries soften and the sauce begins to thicken. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
In a blender, combine the cooled blueberry sauce, cream cheese, buttermilk, milk, vanilla, lemon zest, and salt. Process on high until completely blended and smooth, about 1 minute.
Pour the blueberry mixture into a large bowl and stir in the cream. Cover tightly and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Freeze in a 2-quart ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Serve immediately or, if you prefer firmer ice cream, cover tightly and place in the freezer for at least 1 hour to harden up a bit. When ready to serve, scoop into dessert dishes or small bowls and sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs, if desired.
Chocolate Frozen Yogurt :
Believe it or not, froyo on the homestead is even easier than homemade ice cream. For the very best results, only use high-quality whole-milk yogurt (preferably the kind with the cream top). Skip Greek yogurt (it’s too tangy) and definitely avoid skim or low-fat yogurts (they create too many ice crystals). Or just make your own yogurt using the instructions. If chocolate isn’t your thing, omit the cocoa powder and mix in 1 cup pureed fresh berries for a fruity frozen yogurt.
4 cups plain whole-milk yogurt
½ cup sugar, preferably organic whole cane sugar
¼ cup cocoa powder
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients until the sugar and cocoa are mostly dissolved (a blender is especially handy for this). Taste the mixture and add more sugar if needed. I’ve found frozen yogurt tends to fade in sweetness after you freeze it, so add more sugar at this stage if you are craving a sweeter dessert. Freeze in a 2-quart ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
We like our frozen yogurt soft-serve style, but you can also transfer it to a container with a lid and keep it in the freezer for later. The texture won’t be as smooth, but it’ll still be yummy.
The sweet floral notes of lavender mingled with honey make this smooth baked custard nothing short of dreamy. If you have them, duck eggs add an extra degree of silkiness. At the moment, I have three male ducks and no females, which is less than handy when you need duck eggs. You can bet there will be ducklings coming to the homestead this spring to remedy that situation.
2 cups whole milk
1 tablespoon dried lavender buds
4 duck or chicken eggs
⅓ cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine the milk and lavender and bring to a very gentle simmer, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, to allow the lavender to infuse into the milk. Strain the milk and discard the lavender.
In a separate medium bowl, beat the eggs, honey, vanilla, and salt. Slowly whisk in the lavender milk a little bit at a time. Divide the custard among four custard cups or ramekins.
Place the cups in a baking dish and fill the dish with hot water to halfway up the sides of the cups to create a water bath. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until the custards are set but still loose. I check by touching the top lightly—a little jiggle is fine, but they should not still be liquid.
Remove the cups from the water bath and cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes before serving, or cover and refrigerate the cooled custards for at least 3 hours for a chilled dessert. Custards will keep tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
If you have any sourdough skeptics in your life, you can easily convert them with these brownies. It may seem like an unlikely combo at first glance, but sourdough and chocolate go together like peanut butter and jelly. The richness of the chocolate plays beautifully with the tanginess of the sourdough, making these brownies a sweet way to keep excess starter from (literally) going down the drain.
½ cups packed brown sugar, preferably organic whole cane sugar
1¼ cups coconut oil, melted
3 large eggs
1½ cups sourdough starter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup cocoa powder
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9 x 13–inch pan.
In a large bowl, combine the sugar and oil, then mix in the eggs, sourdough starter, and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt and add to the wet ingredients, stirring until just combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle with the chocolate chips and let them sit for a few minutes to soften before spreading them evenly across the top of the brownies.
Cool for 30 minutes, then transfer them to the freezer for 1 hour. Let the brownies sit at room temperature for 20 minutes and slice before serving. Store tightly covered at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Caramel corn is always a hit at gatherings, and I love that this version doesn’t use corn syrup like so many other recipes. It comes together in a flash, so it’s my emergency dessert when I’ve committed myself to bringing something to a potluck or party and then have promptly forgotten until a few hours before heading out the door. When you’re ready to combine the popped kernels and caramel sauce, use a bigger bowl than you think you’ll need—the popcorn likes to fly out of the bowl when you’re mixing everything together.
¾ cup unpopped popcorn kernels
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter or coconut oil
⅓ cup honey
½ cup packed brown sugar, preferably organic whole cane sugar
Pinch of sea salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pop the popcorn on the stove top or in an air-popper and place it in a large bowl. (Use a bigger bowl than you think you’ll need so you have plenty of room for mixing.)
In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter with the honey, sugar, and salt. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring continuously.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the baking soda and vanilla. It will foam up and then settle down as you stir. Pour the caramel sauce over the popped corn. The sauce will rapidly begin to harden, so work quickly with a wooden spoon to fully coat all the popcorn with the sauce.
For slightly less sticky caramel corn, spread the coated popcorn on baking sheets and bake at 250°F for 30 minutes, stirring two or three times during baking to make sure it cooks evenly. We don’t mind sticky caramel corn, so I usually skip the baking step.
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