Robinson Crew Girls 4th 8 - 1' Off Start

Maddie's coach (Lauren) posted 2 great videos of the girls practicing last week.  I am so impressed with the dedication all the girls on the team have to crew.  It is an intense sport; requiring hours of practicing and by the end of the season they will have rowed about 300 miles!

Maddie is seat 3 from the bow...

Snickerdoodle Blondies

These blondies are just too yummy! And so easy to make.

1 cup butter

2 cups dark brown sugar (packed down)

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 ¼ cups flour

(1/2 teaspoon if using unsalted butter)

cinnamon/sugar

Pre-heat oven to 350˚.  Grease 13x9 pan.

Combine butter and dark sugar; mix thoroughly.  Add eggs and vanilla extract.  Beat until fluffy.  Add baking powder and flour. Mix thoroughly.

Dough will be sticky; place in baking pan.  Mix cinnamon/sugar; as much as you want.  I usually make a lot.  Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the dough.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.  No oven bakes the same; I find that I bake the blondies on the middle rack for 20 minutes; turn the pan 180˚; put on the top rack; turn off oven and bake for another 3 minutes.

Enjoy!

Mini Napoleons filled with Lemon Pastry Cream

These gorgeous pastries taste as delicious as they look! And easy to make...trust me.  Just 15 minutes of patience is needed for stirring the pastry cream over the stove.  You will be crowned Pastry Royalty!

Pepperidge Farm Pastry sheets

Lemon pastry cream (recipe below)
Powdered sugar

Fresh raspberries

Follow directions for thawing pastry sheets. Cut each sheet on the folds, will give you 3 rectangles per sheet. Cut rectangles into 4 pieces, will yield 24 puff pastries.  Follow baking instructions on box.

After the shells have cooled, split the shells in half. Scoop a large tablespoon of pastry cream onto bottom 1/2 of pastry shell, spreading pastry cream edge to edge. Place top of shell onto the pastry cream.  Dot a bit pastry on the top of the shell, place raspberry on top. Dust napoleons with powdered sugar.

Enjoy!

Lemon Pastry Cream

4 large eggs

6 egg yolks

3/4 cup sugar 

Juice of 4 large lemons

Zest of 4 large lemons

14oz butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk in sauce pan eggs, egg yolks, and sugar. Add lemon juice and lemon zest. Whisk lightly to combine. Add chopped butter. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly. Cook until thick like a custard. Remove from heat.  Place fine mesh strainer above bowl.  Strain thickened pastry cream into bowl. Place plastic wrap directly onto warm pastry cream, will prevent a "skin" from forming on the pastry cream. Let cool then place in refrigerator for at least 6 hours.