Happy Birthday to me! Yes, March is the month that I celebrate my wonderful birthday. It’s such a blessing to see another birthday. There’s something about how we celebrate and prepare for our birthdays. Some of us are excited and we stretch our special day out for a week or even a month; that’s me! On the other hand, we have others who don’t even want to discuss their birthdays like it’s not a blessing that God has given us this day. For me, my birthdays are not only blessings but an excuse to eat whatever the heck I want!

       Have you ever noticed that most people have a favorite meal on their birthday or a favorite cake or dish? This month I am going to have my favorite dessert, which only became my favorite dessert last year at the Big E when I fell in love with cream puffs! They are so delicious. I love the airiness of the puff and the sweet creamy center. When the Big E ended, I was going through withdrawal until one day I stumbled upon them at Big Y. My eyes began to glow with intense excitement and my mouth started to salivate. I didn’t want to seem too eager or greedy even though I  had no idea who the bakery person behind the counter was. It still felt a bit embarrassing ordering three Cream Puff Pastries!

       Thinking back I suppose I could’ve made up something like “Oh, these are for my co workers,” but I just felt like she could see right through me since my expression was like that of a lottery winner. Needless to say I devoured them as soon as I got into the car. This became a weekly ritual for me until I purchased a stale cream puff pastry one day and then I knew I had to learn how to make this delicate dessert for myself and make it my way.

       I tried to make this dessert three times before I mastered it. Looking back I probably would have perfected it on the first try but I was too eager to see the finished project. Have you ever made something that looked good but didn’t taste good? That was me until I slowed down and used my sense of taste to make the perfect birthday gift for me.

 

Cream Puffs

1 cup water

1 stick of butter

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon salt

4 large eggs

Combine water and butter in a saucepan and bring to boil. Add flour and salt to mixture and stir vigorously until a smooth ball is formed. Remove from heat for about 5 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time until dough is smooth. Drop about 8 spoonfuls of dough on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden. Cool away from drafts and then cut off the tops and fill puffs with cream filling and dust with powdered sugar.

Filling:  For the cream filling beat 2 cups of heavy cream with 3 teaspoons vanilla extract until you get stiff peaks.