Summer means strawberries, and strawberries are one of Samwise’s favorite foods! Join Kili to learn how to make one of Mr. Gamgee’s specialties! Recipe below.

SAMWISE’S STRAWBERRY CREAM PUFFS

For the Puff:

Ingredients

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs
Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a medium saucepan, combine the water, butter, sugar, and salt.
Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove the pan from the heat and sift the flour directly into the pan. Stir the mixture into a paste with a wooden spoon. Return the pan to a medium heat. Stir the mixture until it pulls away from the sides of the pan and is slightly shiny, about 3 minutes.

Transfer the paste to a medium bowl, and beat with a wooden spoon until slightly cooled, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, incorporating each one thoroughly before adding the next just until the batter is smooth and tight. If the batter starts to get loose, don’t add all of the last egg.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Centers should be dry. Place on a rack to cool.

While the puffs cool, slice one pound of fresh strawberries lengthwise.

For the Cream:

Ingredients

2 cups (1 pint) of heavy cream
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1+ teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Begin to whip the cream and vanilla. Gradually add the sugar. Whip until smooth and stiff but be careful not to over-whip (it may become butter!)

To Assemble:

Once the puffs are cool, slice them in half and fill with the cream. Place the strawberries on the cream (and top with strawberry sauce/glaze if you so wish). Return the top of the pastry to make a sandwich then sprinkle with powdered sugar.

These don’t keep long, so be sure to eat them all soon like Sam would!

AND REMEMBER!

Happy Hobbit is going to Denver Comic Con (Jun 13-15th). For the first time, we’ll have our very own panel. Hope to see you there!