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 :)