Profiteroles (dairy-free)

Pretty Perfect Profiteroles 

These always make us feel special —and not too hard to make— I think it must be the impressive rise in the oven from a blob into a fanciful pastry shape in under half an hour once they go in the oven. I mix them all by hand and simply drop them with a spoon onto a baking sheet for a rugged chic profiterole style. You may have seen other recipes pipe the paste onto the baking sheet for a more uniform look. I find this uniformity not only unnecessary but wastes a bit of the paste. I enjoy the inexpert shapes created when these look hand-made, still pretty in their imperfection. I definitely want to err on the side of more puffs. I used to make these with regular butter and milk and dairy until I figured out how to translate the recipe for those who (very sadly) can't eat dairy (now including myself). This adaptation, I think, is better than the original. There I've said it. 

For the Choux Paste

Ingredients:

Measure and set aside

1 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour

Combine in a medium pot:

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup soy milk

7 tablespoons vegan butter (i like Miyoko's or Earth Balance)

1 T sugar

3/4 t salt

Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over medium heat. As soon as it is boiling well add the flour quickly and stir vigorously with a dough whisk or large wooden spoon. Keep stirring until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.

With your dough whisk or  a mixer on low speed, beat in 5 large eggs one at a time, make sure the paste is smooth before adding the next egg. Continue mixing until the dough is smooth and a bit shiny.

Bake the same day within a few hours.

Preheat oven to 400°F

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

With a large spoon gently place scoops of choux paste onto the parchment paper, with a few inches of space between each to allow for the puffs as they expand. This recipe makes approximately 15 medium sized puffs. 

Break an egg into a small dish and whisk thoroughly, brush a little of the egg mixture on top of each puff. This step is not too be missed, as it makes them shiny and improves the texture of the puffs.

Bake the puffs at 400° F for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350° F. Bake for 10-15 minutes more until golden brown and firm to the touch.

Allow them to cool completely. When you are ready to serve. gently pull or slice off the top of your puff and fill with vegan vanilla ice cream. Drizzle warmed vegan chocolate sauce over the top and serve. I used Hey Boo Coconut Chocolate Spread and it was INCREDIBLE.

So delicate, so fluffy, so special. These still bring a big WOW kind of smile to my kids' faces every single time. The choux paste comes together quickly, in only 20 minutes. The baking is only 30 minutes. In under an hour you can make profiteroles at home.

oh hey

 Hope you are well and good.

A lot has changed since my last post. The important thing tho, is that I am back, alive and well. Now living in California in Marin County and eating differently. More soon, including how to make these dairy-free profiteroles, that are honestly better than the original. Happy 2021 everyone!

New Imperative: MAKE ART

my handsome son completed an important milestone today.
i asked him "what we should do now, with the rest of our lives?"
he replied, "um, that's a big question (split second pause) make art!"
of course, that's exactly what we will do.
this is a photo from the new york times today, hawaii, where my friend christine is right now, and where they want to put an enormous telescope. we can't please everyone. you can check it out the story on the telescope here.

but we can make art. everyone is an artist, only some people notice. we are all engaged in the act of creating and designing our lives, there is an art to that. i am so proud of dylan, he has accomplished extraordinary things already. i can't wait to see what he'll do next.

happy winter happy everything xoxo

new work in the studio

i've been painting again and have added a few new pieces to my art website and saatchi online gallery please check them out if you are at all interested. i have started a site on society6 as well, which is a cool creative site out of LA. there you can have your images made into charming housewares and personal products like throw pillows, cell phone cases, shower curtains, and tee shirts. the art and designs are so original and interesting on this site that i may never buy another mass-produced and designed product again, the throw pillows alone are groundbreaking and so unlike what you can find in your local home furnishing store. also quality is quite good and prices are low. have a look cupandtable on society6. 

i am really excited to be painting again after taking a hiatus due to moving out of my studio space and into a barn with far less room to paint. it's been a challenge creating space and time to work, but i can never stay away from it for long. it's a compulsion for me and it is kind of like the ideas build up inside me until i get the chance to express them in paint. kind of cathartic really.

these latest paintings are a bit of a departure for me as they all feature gardens and plants. i am far more used to working with distant landscapes and abstraction. the plant kingdom is a fascinating place. more to come on that. also i've been taking a japanese ceramics class in nyc at togei kyoshitsu, really interesting. i just love japanese ceramics. so inventive. so many different shapes for plates and dishes, hexagons, rectangles, not all the dishes are round like standard issue american ceramics. it's been really fun playing with clay and wheel throwing. the last time i did wheel throwing i was in middle school and i would come to my mom's art classroom in a neighboring school district, she was an art teacher, to do ceramics on my days off. my mom is a brilliant crafter, and can make almost anything out of almost anything. her skills include weaving, sewing, jewelry making ceramics, pen and ink, etching, crochet, water color and photography to name a few. she's the kind of person who just might have a pair of needle nose pliers in her purse just in case, she is also a kitchen magician who easily pulls off things like baked alaska and maintains a beautiful garden with elaborate plantings. she still mows her entire lawn--and it's hilly and large--with her little electric push mower, she was born in 1935, and she's a force of nature. she was an excellent pottery teacher. but anyway, i'll show you some of the pottery i threw, nearly 30 pieces, course as soon as they come out of the kiln for the last time. it's been great to relearn something i haven't done in years. i hope you are enjoying this last bit of spring in the northern hemisphere. the stone fruits are in, nectarines, apricots, plots, an embarrassment of riches. xo, g