I bake because i can.

No Martha Stewart receipe here.

Just regular Ee-Ma (my mother's elder sister) that lives down the Street.

Everyone has an aunt like that.

They are the ones that bake all your cousins' birthday cakes. The ones that you would naturally gravitate towards during a party cause you know she has some chocolates or pastry stuck in her handbag.

So presenting, one of the things i've learnt from her:

Cream Puffs

here is the super receipe which apparently was noted by my mom on the 2nd of December 1992, at aunt anna's home.

Ingredients:

* 1 lb. flour

* 1 pint water

* 8-9 eggs

* 1 piece butter (9 oz)

>> Put butter and water in a saucepan, heat and bring to the boil.

>> Sieve flour, pour into saucepan and mix well, it should turn into a consistant looking dough.

>> Break eggs and beat in a mixer

>> Add beaten egg to the flour mixture dough (musn't be too soft or too dry)

>>Scoop flour mixture with spoon onto greased tray.

>>Bake for about 1/2 hr. at very high temperature (250 degress celcius).

After all that... you would think it's over. Unfortunately not.

Next step is the Custard Filling.

Custard Cream Filling

4 tablespoons of custard powder.

1 tin of evaporated milk together with water to make 3 pints.

Mix 1 part with the custard powder (mix well) and the rest to be boiled.

Add about 10 tablespoons of sugar.

When you're done with all that preparation, and the puffs come out nice and fat, make a small slit in them. Fill them with the custard cream filling and you're ready to rock.

End

I learnt one important thing from all this.

Based on logic, i used to think that when something is a little too dry; add water.

In the case of baking.

If your cake or pastry looks too dry, add egg NOT water.

And after all that effort, i'm full.