The Puffs went Poof

Life is interesting. I tell myself those words so often it is amazing. The times I try and be true to a recipe letter and measurement, it falls flat. The best part is with cream puffs or pate choux when it goes south there is no resurrecting the offending product.
It all started with an innocent plea to catch up on a cooking lesson that had been canceled weeks back. Being confident that it was still possible to pull together a lesson in 50 minutes while preparing dinner at my own home was just a lapse in judgment. Despite my best efforts I am not an aspiring witch at Hogwarts who can turn back time and be in two places at once--I did apply to the school though and received a delightful rejection letter in return as I have no magical powers beyond that of the typical womanly wiles. In the end my girls and I whisked, stirred, piped and processed the dough to the exact specifications of the recipe to very meager results. they were the right color taste and shape but seriously lacking and height and airiness. Nonetheless, being a lesson we determined as a group what we had learned, and filled the flattened faux pas for our tasting delight.
So instead of setting forth the failed recipe I am giving you one that is tried and true. Hope you enjoy. Remember when cooking with kids it really is about he journey not the end product. We had a fabulous time making a tidy mess. Cheers to you my favorite girls. Thank you to my sweet angels for bringing my inflated ego back to earth.
In honor of the kids here is my favorite salt dough recipe. I recently used it to create the bases for flower arrangements at our last church party. Simple form the shape you want and stick the fake flower stems in an aesthetically pleasing fashion. The stems hold their shape beautifully for the evening,and the guests have something to play with while they are waiting to be called up to fill their plates. Who knew play dough was the answer to a center piece dilemma?
Salt Dough
2 cups flour
1 c salt- regular table salt
2 cup cold water mixed with food color of choice
1t cream of tartar
1 T vegetable oil.
Mix in sauce pan over medium heat until it leaves the sides of the pan. Remove from pan place on parchment or wax paper. Let cool until you are able to handle it, then knead it for 4 min. Store in air tight container or bag.
PS Don't eat this one.