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Cream Puffs or Countdown to 40 Giveaway - I'm 39 8/12 years old!

Cream Puffs with Vanilla & Chocolate Pastry Cream
One cream puff for every year...

As I mentioned exactly a month ago, I'm turning 40 this year. And it kinda knocked me over a bit. So, I started my celebration last month and will continue to celebrate the end of my 30's until December 7, 2010. Today I'm 39 8/12. (And yes, math nerds, I know I can reduce that to 2/3, but just work with me here... ;)

Last week, Chef-in-Training Johnson & Wales student Rosie came over and taught me and my friends how to make Challah (see post here), Cream Puffs and Pastry Cream. I've always been afraid of pastry cream, but Rosie's excellent teaching technique brought us two perfect batches: vanilla and chocolate.

Cream Puffs with Vanilla & Chocolate Pastry Cream
Aren't these cute? Just wait til you see what's inside...

Cream Puffs with Vanilla & Chocolate Pastry Cream
Oh yes! Glorious chocolate and vanilla pastry cream. I could (and did) eat a boatload of these little gems of goodness.

Cream Puffs with Vanilla & Chocolate Pastry Cream
Here is the 8/12th cream puff! :) Heading toward 40...

We used Vanilla Paste - an inexpensive alternative to real vanilla beans. It gives you all the flecks of vanilla beans for much less green.

Cream Puffs with Vanilla & Chocolate Pastry Cream
Making some cream puffs. Rosie brought over her family's sheet tray...um, it has some "patina" on it.

Cream Puffs with Vanilla & Chocolate Pastry Cream
All lined up. Ready to be eaten! :)

To celebrate my birthday, I'm having a MONTHLY giveaway until I turn 40. For the "4 month" countdown, I'm giving away a $39 8/12 Sur la Table gift card to one lucky winner! ($39.67 US Dollar gift certificate to Sur la Table). FCC Disclosure: My birthday giveaways are paid for by me.

To enter, just leave a comment (if you aren't connected to a blog, leave your email address...and if you have a blogger account but it's private so I can't see it...leave your email address). Deadline is Saturday, August 14, 2010 at midnight PDT. (*Updated 8/8: I had Wed 8/14, but that is wrong so it is now corrected to Saturday, 8/14! Thanks Edana for the correction!)

**Updated: Contest is closed. Congrats to Laurie #22 who won!**

Cream Puffs with Vanilla & Chocolate Pastry Cream
Thanks to Rosie for the great pastry class, and thanks to all my readers for the warm pre-birthday messages last month. Yes, 40 is the new 30! Whooo hooo! - mary

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