t h e m a y f i l e s is foremost a family blog, chronicling everyday life. Life including natural, healthy eating (with recipes thrown in at random), home educating (with ideas popping up sporadically), an attempt to homestead on .2 acres (with very meager yields), raising 3 of 4 children with a rare genetic disorder, and lots of highly personal family triumphs and failures. You may also find an eclectic array of musings on politics, exercise, sewing, emergency preparedness, backyard chickens, and religion. This blog isn't a campaign to glorify anyone or anything. Just simply a record.

1.19.2009

Lemon Custard Agave Cream Puffs

Lemon Custard Agave Cream Puffs (scroll down for refined sugar free recipe)

I helped put on a baby shower this last weekend. My responsibilities included a soup, cornbread and a dessert. This seemed completely within the scope of my abilities...

Sidenote... Lately, I feel like I am running in a million directions a million miles an hour. I get to bed about midnight and then wake up between 5-5:45 am. I need to slow down. Today I actually crashed for a nap while my girls were playing and Em was sleeping. What the catalyst has been for this busyness, I can't quite put my finger on...

Trying to be diligent and prepared I made my soup the day before the shower. Which, btw, I lost my recipe and searched the internet frantically, to no avail. My aging 31 year old brain came to rescue and I actually was able to remember it decently. The end result was a satisfying Butternut Squash Bisque. Quite a few recipe requests...will post soon.

With all this forethought I felt in good shape for Saturday. I hadn't chosen my dessert however. On my morning run, Marie (in charge of the shower) began mentioning her cute pink cupcakes with little baby booties on them. Of course, I wanted to make something pretty and feminine too, as I enjoy this type of thing obviously. What to make? I scoured my cook book, and found what I thought to be the perfect dessert. Individual meringue shells, filled with lemon custard. The picture in the book was beautiful. I set out on my adventure with 4 hours from shower start.

One word. Disaster. My pale pink shells were a more fitting bridal shower "Victoria's Secret" hot pink! The picture does make them look a little worse (I dug them out of the garbage to snap a shot) but not much. They were sickenly sweet, and whether the xylitol's fault or mine, the "stiff peaks" of the meringue proved illusive.

My resulting blobs were not appetizing in the least. Even sweet-toothed Ellery, at first was mesmerized with their apparent pink girlish beauty, took one nibble and said,"Mom I don't think I really like this."

In a panic I sent Brent to Costco to find something presentable while I figured out what to do. I decided to put make a cream puff pastry, to fill with the lemon agave custard I made, which turned out amazing. Racing the clock they came out great and received rave reviews. So here is the resulting recipe creation...

Lemon Custard Agave Cream Puffs

Lemon Custard


1/2 c agave nectar

2 T cornstarch

3 beaten egg yolks

1/3 c water

1 t finely grated lemon peel

1/3 c fresh squeezed lemon juice


Combine ingredients in saucepan. Cook over medium heat until bubbly. Stir and cook for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. Cover and let cool (mixture will be thick).


Puff Pastry Shell

1 c water
1/2 c butter

1/8 t salt

1 c Multigrain flour

4 eggs

In a medium saucepan, combine water, butter and salt. Bring to boiling. Add flour all at once, stirring vigorously. Cook and stir until mixture forms a ball. Remove from heat. Let cool 10 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well with a spoon after each addition.
Drop dough by 12 heaping tablespoons onto a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes or till golden. Cool on a wire rack. Cut tops from puffs. Remove soft dough from inside. Fill with lemon custard. Garnish with fresh fruit and a sprig of mint.

p.s. I searched the internet to post a picture of a meringue shell that looked like the gorgeous one in my book...I didn't finda single one. They must be plastic :)

4 comments:

Jessica said...

Hi Rebecca,
I made both the multigrain cereal and granola this weekend- my husband is so happy! Yesterday he asked if "Rebecca had any new recipes posted" - LOL! Just wanted to see if you had any recommendations on an alternative for the agave in this recipe as I am pregnant and can not have agave. Any ideas? Thanks so much!

Rebecca said...

Jess, you bring up an interesting point. I had never heard this discussed before this point. I had agave through my entire pregnancy with Emmett and the whole time I have been nursing. I did some research, I can't find the warning attached to the agave nectar but to the herbal roots and leaves, used medicinally. But I would never recommend you use it against your own judgment. Where did you find your info, as it would be pertinent to include on my postings? As for another recommendation...the lemon is strong enough it would most likely mask the strong flavor of honey, that would be an option, your best bet would probably be brown rice syrup. My guess is that would work great. But try honey if you don't have any brown rice syrup on hand.

Jessica said...

Hi!! Thanks for the response- turns out it is the herb prego ladies can not have. The nectar is absolutely okay. Sorry for the confusion and thanks again for the great information!

My Year Without said...

Your lemon custard puffs look delicious! I can't wait to try sugar-free lemon custard!