Blueberry Galette

My friend told me several times that I should try this bakery at the Old Port. Every time I was down there, I would forget. Well, I decided to spend some girl time with my youngest daughter. We went to Portland for manicures. My daughter tried to talk me into taking her to her favorite restaurant but I felt it wouldn't be fair since the guys weren't with us. Instead, I took her to the bakery my friend recommended. My daughter and I picked up an almond raspberry galette, a tart, and a baguette. My daughter loves sweets so she was in heaven. Afterwards, she told her Dad that we will have to go again especially for the galette. While we were at the bakery, I saw a copy of their cookbook for sale. I decided to checked out the Standard Baking Co. Pastries cookbook from the library. For my daughter, I made the galette she loved so much. My daughter loved it even though I picked a blueberry filling. I will definitely make this dessert again and I will be purchasing the cookbook. Now, what will be the next thing we will have to try at the bakery?

Almond Blueberry Galette
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups all purpose flour
pinch of salt
3/4 cup sugar plus more for topping
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup blueberry jam

Directions:

1. Grease a tart pan with nonstick baking spray. Set aside.
2. In a food processor, pulse the sliced almonds until grounded. Set aside.
3. In a mixer, mix the butter, flour, and salt until well incorporated. 
4. Add the sugar and the ground almonds. Mix until incorporated. 
5. Add 1 of the eggs and mix until the dough holds together.
6. Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface. 
7. Working with half the dough at a time, knead the dough about 10 times.
8. Roll out the dough into the size of the bottom of the tart. 
9. Carefully, wrap the rolled out dough with plastic wrap and place into the refrigerator to chill.
10. Roll out the other half of the dough into the bottom of the tart pan.
11. In a small bowl, lightly beat the other egg with 1 tsp of water. 
12. Lightly, brush the outside edges of the tart with the egg wash.
13. Spread the jam evenly inside the egg wash border.
14. Carefully top the tart with the other rolled out dough piece.
15. Lightly, press the dough along the edges to firmly seal the two layers over the jam layer.
16. Brush the top of the tart with the egg wash. 
17. Sprinkle a little sugar on top of the tart. 
18. Place the tart in the refrigerator to chill for 10 minutes.
19. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 
20. Bake the tart for 20 minutes. 
21. Rotate the pan and bake for another 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Recipe adapted from the Standard Baking Company Pastries Cookbook.

One year ago....................................................I made Broccoli Cheddar Soup.
Two years ago..................................................I made Apple Cinnamon Loaves.

Did you already know..............................
-Galette is a French pastry cake.
-Galette tend to be flat, round or free forming pastries.
-In Canada, galettes tend to be more of a cookie.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

My husband has ordered broccoli cheddar soup for the last three times that we ate out. He has even influenced our children so they have been ordering the soup too. Since it is so popular in our household, I wanted to show my husband how easy it is to make. We don't eat out a lot but I think we will be eating out even less now. This soup is so good. He told me that he could easily make this soup for us. Here you go babe!

Copycat Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup
4 oz. butter, unsalted
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 cups half and half
2 cups chicken broth
1 lb. fresh broccoli, chopped into small pieces
1 cup carrots, julienne
1 Tbsp paprika
2 tsp season salt
1/4 tsp ground mustard
4 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat.
2. Add the onion and saute for 2 minutes.
3. Sprinkle the flour over the onion and mix. Allow to cook for 1 minute.
4. Whisk in the half and half with the chicken broth. Allow to simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Stir in the broccoli, carrots, paprika, season salt, and ground mustard.
6. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
7. Stir in the cheese and allow to melt before serving.
8. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe adapted from The Recipe Critic.

One year ago......................................I made Chewy Brownies.
Two years ago....................................I made Fresa Agua Fresca.

Did you already know.......................
-Broccoli was a popular vegetable of the Romans.
-In the 1900s, Italian immigrants introduced broccoli to the U.S.
-The head of the broccoli is made up of tiny buds that are ready to flower.

Pinwheel Cupcakes

For Mother's Day brunch, I wanted to make my Mom some flower cupcakes. I've been places where a real flower was stuck in the middle of a straw and then stuck into a cupcake. When I started researching which plants were poisonous, it became apparent that maybe it wouldn't be a good idea to use real flowers. The petals of a flower may not be poisonous but the stalk or leaves could be. Since there were going to be children present, I wouldn't be able to observe if they were eating the flowers. Most likely, it would have been my son so I figured I would have to substitute the flower with something safer. Since I remembered how my grandmother had pinwheels, I thought it would be a nice connection with her too. The pinwheels worked great. Plus the kids thought it was wonderful to blow on them. My wonderful sister gave me a grass decorating tip which made frosting the cupcakes easier. Also, none of the kids tried eating the pinwheel.

Photo taken by my son!

Pinwheel cupcakes
12 chocolate cupcakes
1 cup green frosting
12 pinwheels

Directions:

1. Using a multi-opening decorating tip, pipe the green frosting onto the cupcakes to resemble grass. (My sister gave me a Wilton Decorating Tip #233).
2. Cut the pinwheel stick in half.
3. Clean the pinwheel stick before inserting in the middle of the cupcake. 

Enjoy!

One year ago.........................................................I made Abstract Art Sugar Cookies.
Two years ago.......................................................I made Seven Cheese Bread.

Did you already know.............
-In 2003, Omikami Amaterasu became the oldest mother when she gave birth to a son.
-More babies are delivered in the month of August.
-By age of 44 years old, 81% of women have given birth.

Happy Mother's Day!

Breakfast Potato Bake

Since my Mom has four children, I like to celebrate Mother's Day with her a week early. My younger sister tends to do the same. Then my other sisters does something special for her on Mother's Day. It is nice since my Mom celebrates Mother's Day for two weekends and not just one. Yes, she is that special! I know my Mom likes potatoes so I wanted to make sure I had a potato dish for her Mother's Day brunch. I also figured breakfast sausage would be a great addition. When I looked for a recipe to make, the majority of the recipes had frozen hash browns. I wanted to take the extra steps and make it from scratch. Also, my husband's family makes this wonderful potato dish on the grill so I used it as my inspiration. My Mom said she liked the dish. My son said he really liked it. He did help me so he took the credit. It does encourage him to help me more in the kitchen if he gets the credit.

Breakfast Potato Bake
2 lbs. red potatoes, scrubbed
1 tsp vegetable oil
2 tsp unsalted butter
1/2 lb. breakfast sausage
1/2 cup green peppers, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
2 eggs, lightly scrambled
2 tsp season salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
4 oz. cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Spray a 13x9 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. 
3. Parboil the potatoes for about 10 minutes.
4. While the potatoes are cooking, heat the vegetable oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
5. Brown the sausage, onion, and green pepper in the skillet. Set aside.
6. Drain the potatoes. 
7. Place the potatoes in a food process to grate.
8. Add the potatoes, eggs, season salt, and pepper to the sausage mixture. Mix until incorporated.
9. Evenly distribute the potato mixture into the baking dish.
10. Top with the cheese.
11. Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
12. Uncover and allow to bake for another 15 minutes or until the top is golden brown. 

Recipe by Jen of Sweet Morris.
 
One year ago...............................................................I made Fruit Cups.
Two years ago.............................................................I made Pizza Sauce.

Did you already know................................................
-Potatoes originated in South America.
-In the 18th century, salted potatoes were served as a dessert.
-Potato is a vegetable.

Hawaiian Rolls

This week my recipes are inspired by my Mom. My Mom loves Hawaiian King Rolls so I made a bunch of them and gave her a bag full. My husband surprised me by saying that he had never had them. I did point them out at our local store and he still said he never had them. (Yes, we even have them in our stores in Maine.) My Mom told me that she liked them. My family really liked them. If you have never had them either, they are sweeter than a typical roll.

Copycat Kings Hawaiian Bread
1 egg
2/3 cups pineapple juice
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp ground ginger
2 1/4 cup all purpose flour, plus more for surface
1 (1/4 oz.) envelope of yeast
1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, add 1 cup of flour. Set aside. 
2. In a small bowl, whisk the egg before adding pineapple juice, sugar, ginger, and the butter.
3. Add 1 cup of flour to the egg mixture and incorporate well.
4. Sprinkle in the yeast and mix well.
5. Add another 1 cup of flour. Mix until incorporated.
6. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm surface until doubles about 1 hour.
7. Once doubled, place the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead in the remaining 1/4 cup of flour.
8. Shape the dough into equally sized rolls.
9. Cover the rolls and place in a warm place and allow to rise for 1 hour.
10. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
11. Remove the plastic wrap from the top of the rolls. 
12. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown and cooked throughly.

Recipe adapted from Food.com.

One year ago.............................................I made Fresh Orange Juice.

Two years ago...........................................I made Dulce de Leche Arborio Rice Pudding.

Did you already know.............................
-In the 1950s, Robert Taira opened Robert's Bakery in Hawaii.
-In 1977, the business opened a new bakery in California. 
-Currently, the third generation of the Taira family are running the business.

Chicken Enchiladas

When I lived in Colorado, I loved eating at the local Mexican restaurants. Since moving back home, my favorite local Mexican restaurant closed. I have found there are many Mexican restaurants in Portland but my husband isn't a fan of driving for awhile just to go to a restaurant. I'm not going to disagree with him since he doesn't complain when we drive over an hour to go to my favorite beach. The beach is more important. My husband will make Mexican dishes for me but he hasn't made enchiladas for us yet. When I made this dish, he really liked it. The kids liked it. The best part about the recipe it is very easy since leftover chicken can be used or a store bought rotisserie chicken. I still don't have the knack of rolling those corn tortillas without some of them breaking.

Chicken Enchiladas
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 Tbsp flour
1 cup chicken broth

1 1/2 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
15 oz. can of tomato sauce
3 cups cooked chicken, shredded
12 corn tortillas
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
optional toppings: sour cream, chopped tomatoes, lettuce, etc

Directions:

1. Spray a 13x9 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.
3. Add the onion, garlic, and pepper. Saute for 1 minute.
4. Sprinkle the flour over the onion mixture and stir.
5. Stir in the chicken broth, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and tomato sauce. 
6. Bring to a boil over high heat.
7. Remove 1/2 cup of the sauce and set aside.
8. Add the chicken and stir to coat in the sauce.
9. Cook for 5 minutes.
10. While the chicken is heating, cover the tortillas with a damp towel and microwave for 25 seconds.
11. Preheat the oven on high broil while assembling the enchiladas.
12. Take a corn tortillas and spoon about 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture into the center.
13. Roll the corn tortillas and place into the baking dish. Continue to assemble with the remaining tortillas.
14. Top the rolled tortillas with the remaining 1/2 sauce that had been previously set aside.
15. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese over the top of the enchiladas.
16. Broil the enchiladas for 3 minutes or until the cheese has melted on top.
17. Serve with desired toppings.

Recipe adapted from My Recipes.

One year ago.............................................I made Migas in a Taco Bowl.
Two years ago...........................................I made Chicken Salad Roll Up.

Did you already know............................
-Tortillas originated from the Mayans.
-The first tortillas were made from corn.
-Corn tortillas tend to be gluten free.

Mexican Rice

My family loves rice. I prefer my rice to have a little more flavor. Normally, my husband request just white rice. Many times I have made the flavored rice packages but my husband told me he doesn't care for them. They also tend to be high in sodium. I figured I would try making my own Mexican rice. My husband really liked it. It has a nice subtle flavor. When I made this dish, I offered the kids some Mexican rice. My son said Mexican rice, what? I replied Mexican rice like Spanish rice. My husband interrupted and said that it really was French rice. Since my son really looked confused, I had to tell him to ignore his Dad. I explained that in Mexico you speak Spanish since Spain once ruled over Mexico just like England ruled over the States. My son said he liked the Mexican rice.

Mexican Rice
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup rice
2 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup parsley

Directions:

1. In a medium pot, heat olive oil over medium heat.
2. Add the rice and stir until the rice is lightly toasted for about 2 minute.
3. Add the garlic, salt, cumin, and chili powder. Stir for 1 minute or until the rice is golden brown.
4. Stir in the tomato sauce and chicken broth. 
5. Once the chicken broth begins to boil, cover and turn the heat to low.
6. Simmer for about 18 minutes. 
7. Turn off the heat and allow to sit for 1 minute before fluffing with a fork.
8. If desired, top with the parsley before serving. 

Recipe adapted from Favorite Family Recipes.

One year ago...............................I made Guacamole.
Two years ago.............................I made Pasta Salad.

Did you already know.......................................
-The Spaniards introduced rice to Mexico.
-The Spanish word for rice is arroz. 
-In Northern Mexico, often rice is served with tomato sauce and chicken broth.

Profiteroles

For awhile, I have been wanted to try making profiteroles. They are a pretty neat dessert since they puff up which makes it easy to fill. The fillings are numerous. The profiteroles really didn't take long to make. I actually think the fillings took me longer. I decided to fill these with pastry cream and whip cream. My son said they were his favorite dessert ever.

Profiteroles aka Cream Puffs
1 cup milk
1 stick (8 Tbsp.) unsalted butter
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup all purpose flour
4 eggs
1/4 tsp heavy cream

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. 
3. In a medium pan, heat the milk, butter, and salt over medium heat. 
4. Once the butter has melted and the milk is steaming, add the flour and mix with a wooden spoon until a dough forms.
5. Lower the heat to low and continuing stirring the dough for 2 minutes.
6. Remove the dough from the pan and place into a food processor.
7. Allow the dough to rest for 1 minute.
8. Place the egg yolks in a small bowl. 
9. Remove 1 Tbsp of  the egg yolk and set aside.
10. Add the eggs and pulse for 30 seconds or until the eggs are incorporated.
11. Remove the dough and place into a pastry bag.
12. Pipe into large mounds about 1 inch high and wide.
13. Combine with the 1 Tbsp of egg yolk with the heavy cream. Whisk lightly to make an egg wash.
14. Gently, brush the egg wash over the mounds of dough.
15. Place the dough into the oven and bake about 15 minutes and the profiteroles are golden brown.
16. Turn off the oven. Allow the profiteroles to sit in the oven for 10 minutes.
17. Remove from the oven and make a small slit into the profiteroles to allow the steam to escape.
18. Allow the profiteroles to cool completely before filling.

Recipe adapted from Ina Garten.

One year ago..............................I made Chocolate Chip Cookie Bar.
Two years ago............................I made Double Chocolate Cookies.

Did you already know...........................
-Profiteroles derive from France.
-In the U.S, profiteroles are called cream puffs.
-Some popular fillings or toppings are whip cream, ice cream, custard, chocolate, caramel, and fruit.

Lemon Bars

Oh Lemon Bars, how I love you. I feel sometimes I neglect you over chocolate. I'm not sure why I always want to add lemons to my drinks instead of desserts. It seems like my husband reminds me of my love for you. Maybe it is because you are so rich and divine. Maybe it is because I always think of my Mom and oldest daughter's love for lemon desserts but I promise you I will start to make more desserts with lemons.

Lemon Bars
1 cup and 2 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 lemon
2 eggs
1/2 tsp baking powder

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Spray an 8 inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Line the baking pan with parchment paper.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk 1 cup flour, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tsp lemon zest, and salt.
5. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender (or forks, knives, or fingers) until the flour mixture resembles the size of peas.
6. Press the butter mixture into the baking pan. 
7. Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly golden.
8. Zest the remaining zest into a large bowl.
9. Squeeze the lemon and add 3 Tbsp of lemon juice to the bowl.
10. Add the eggs and 1 cup of sugar to the lemon juice. Whisk until foamy about 2 minutes.
11. In a small bowl, whisk 2 Tbsp flour and the baking powder.
12. Add the baking powder mixture to the egg mixture. Whisk until incorporated.
13. Remove the golden crust from the oven.
14. Carefully pour the lemony egg mixture on top of the hot crust.
15. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until the filling is set and golden.
16. Allow the lemon bars to cool for 5 minutes.
17. With the parchment paper, remove the bars from the pan and allow to cool completely on a wire rack before serving. 

Recipe adapted from Williams-Sonoma Sweet Treats cookbook.

*I've made lemon bars before but I think I prefer this recipe better. 
 
One year ago......................................I made Softies Morning Rolls.
Two years ago....................................I made Stove Top Chili Mac.

Did you already know.........................
-An average lemon holds 3 Tbsp of juice
-In 1493, Christopher Columbus brought lemon seeds to America.
-In 1849, the demand for lemons were high to the malnourished gold miners to help prevent scurvy. 

Steak Sandwiches

Lately, I've been looking for quick meals to make. I just want to be outside enjoying the weather. I normally do not cook with a lot of steak. If I'm going to cook with beef, it is hamburger. For a change (and with the children's encouragement), I decided to make steak sandwiches. The children love it. The kids liked a little bit of arugula. I love arugula so I topped my sandwich with a little more. I only made three sandwiches since my husband wasn't feeling the best. Poor guy!

Steak Sandwiches
12 oz. or more Steak (T-bone or Porterhouse)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and pepper, for taste 
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
1 roasted red pepper
1/2 cup arugula
Rolls


Directions:

1. Cut the steak into thin strips.
2. Season with salt. 
3. Allow the steak to rest at room temperature for 10 minutes. 
4. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, and minced garlic.
5. Place the mayonnaise sauce in the refrigerator to chill.
6. Heat a skillet over medium heat with the olive oil.
7. Add the steak and cook for at least 3 minutes before flipping the pieces.
8. Add pepper to the steak. 
9. A minute before the steak is cooked to desired doneness add the butter.
10. Cook for 1 minute.
11. Remove the meat and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
12. While the meat is resting, spread the garlic mayonnaise mixture onto the inside of the rolls. Top with roasted red peppers and arugula.
13. Add the meat and form a sandwich. 

Recipe by Jen of Sweet Morris.

One year ago..........................I made Roasted Hazelnut Ice Cream.
Two years ago........................I made Oatmeal Crisps.

Did you already know...........................
-The most tender steak is the tenderloins like filet mignon. 
- The word steak is derived from the Old Norse word steik.
-Since the Vikings liked to cook their meat on sticks, the word steik means meat on a stick.

Pound Cake

I hope everyone had a great weekend! The Easter bunny made his way to our house. Of all the things to forget, our Easter bunny forgot jelly beans. He did remember to bring the edible grass which is very popular. My favorite part is visiting with family members. I think my husband's favorite part is dessert. Lately, he has been requesting lemon desserts so it is definitely Spring. I would have to say pound cake is one of my favorite desserts especially this recipe.

 Pound Cake
2 sticks (16 oz.) unsalted butter
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
3 cups sugar
5 eggs
3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup milk 1 Tbsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. With nonstick cooking spray, grease a bread pan. 
3. In a mixer, cream the butter and shortening together.
4. Add 1 cup at a time of the sugar. 
5. Add one egg at a time. Mix until just incorporated.
6. In a medium bowl,  whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. 
7. Add 1 cup of the flour mixture to the butter mixture followed by 1/3 cup of the milk.
8. Continue to alternate adding the flour mixture then some of the milk until combined.
9. Mix in the vanilla extract. Mix until incorporated.
10. Pour the batter into the greased bread pan. 
11. Bake for 1 hour until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Recipe adapted from Paula Deen.

Two years ago..................................I made Breakfast Bruschetta.

Did you already know......................
-Pound cake originated from Northern Europe.
-The original pound cake did not have any livening agents. 
-Pound cake was an easy recipe to remember even for those who couldn't read recipes.

Disappearing Bunnies Cupcakes

My sister makes cupcakes for her girl's classroom. No wonder my sister is very popular at her girl's school. A few children have even put in request for the next type of cupcakes my sister should make. The best part about my sister making cupcakes for her girl's class is that she always brings a few over for us. Aren't these cupcakes so cute. My daughter could not wait to have one.

Disappearing Bunnies 
Cupcakes
Frosting
Food coloring
Oreo cookies, crushed
miniature marshmallows
candy melts


Directions:

1. Dye 3/4 of the cupcakes green and the remaining frosting brown.
2. Set a few cupcakes aside.
3. The remaining cupcakes pipe the green frosting onto the cupcakes using a 233 tip.Set aside.
4. Roll the remaining cupcakes in the crushed Oreo cookies.
5. In the center of the Oreo cupcakes, insert a miniature marshmallow for the bunny tail.
6. On a piece of parchment paper, draw the outline of the bunny's foot like a figure 8.
7. Melt the candy melts and pipe the melted candy melts in the outline of the bunny's foot. 
8. Once the candy has set, stick the candy melt feet onto the Oreo cupcake one on each side of the marshmallow to space out the feet. If needed, stick a little frosting on the bottom so the candy melt feet stick.
9. On top of each candy melt feet, pipe one large circle on the side closest to the marshmallow. On the other side of the candy melt feet, pipe 2 smaller circles to make the paw pads.

Recipe adapted from Hello, Cupcake! cookbook by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson.  

One year ago.......................................I made Fried Cheese Sticks.
Two years ago.....................................I made Burritos.

Did you already know........................
-Baby rabbits are called kit.
-A rabbit's front teeth never stop growing.
-Never pick up a bunny by it's ears.

Happy Easter!

Pastry Cream

I probably watch Food Network more than any other channel. I was watching Barefoot Contessa make this divine looking Strawberry Tart. Since I really didn't want to make a tart, I comprised and filled strawberries. I wanted to try the cream before making something more elaborate. Normally, I have an easy time taking photos of my son. Not this time, he just wanted to eat all the filled strawberries. He also made lots of faces. He looked angry. He crossed his eyes at me. He looked scared. He ate the filled strawberries bottom first. I am really surprised he didn't make a mess. Most of the photos were not even in focus. It is hard to take a photo if one is laughing. He does make me laugh often.

Pastry Cream
5 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
3 Tbsp arrowroot 
1 1/2 cup  milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp heavy cream

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar for 4 minutes in a mixer on medium high speed.
2. Add the arrowroot and mix well.
3. In a medium pan, heat the milk until steaming. Stir constantly.
4. Slowly, pour a Tbsp of heated milk into the mixer while the mixer is mixing.
5. Gently, pour a little more of the heated milk into the mixer to temper the mixture.
6. In a steady stream, add the remaining amount of the milk into the egg mixture. 
7. Add the egg mixture into the medium pan and heat over low heat for 7 minutes. Stir constantly.
8. Once the mixture begins to become a thick pudding, whisk the mixture for 2 minutes.
9. Remove from heat.
10. Stir in the vanilla, butter, and heavy cream. 
11. Transfer the pastry cream into a bowl.
12. Cover with plastic wrap. Press down so the plastic wrap is touching the top of the pastry cream.
13. Refrigerate the pastry cream until cooled completely.

Recipe adapted from Ina Garten.

One year ago.............................I made Steak Sandwich.
Two years ago...........................I made Banana Split Cake.

Did you already know........................
-Pastry cream is a rich custard.
-Custards have been around since the Middle Ages. 
-Pastry cream is the filling for eclairs and Boston Cream Pie.