Flaming Miniature Cream Puffs

There is no photo to attach to today's recipe, so I found this from the same cookbook - The Holiday Cookbook from Southern Living and Progressive Farmer, from about 1962. (No clear date given.) I do love this photo - how on earth were those shrimp attached? Can you imagine picking some off to eat?

The week of Three Shows continues nicely. Last night at Itasca Community Library I enjoyed the warm, funny crowd, and the staff and facility were a dream. The Gethsemani Fruitcake continues to be a big hit. Tonight I go to the Lisle Library and am looking forward to it! I just hope the voice holds out - pretty scratchy right now...

Flaming Miniature Cream Puffs are listed in this cookbook as a Christmas Eve Meal staple. While they are likely tasty, I can't imagine the work on this or lighting them up.

1 c. boiling water

1/2 c. shortening

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. sifted flour

4 eggs

2 qt. ice cream

Raspberry sauce

1/2 c. curacao

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine the water, shortening and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the flour all at once and stir vigorously over low heat for 1 minute or until mixture leaves side of pan. Remove from eat and beat for about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, and beat until satiny (???). Drop from tablespoon onto an ungreased baking sheet 2 inches apart, making 16 mounds and swirling each as dropped from spoon. Bake for 50 minutes or until browned and puffy. Make a small slit in each puff with a knife and cool on cake rack. Split cream puffs through the side and fill each cream puff with ice cream. Place in freezer until ready to serve. Remove from freezer and place pyramid-fashion on a serving platter. Pour raspberry sauce over pyramid. Warm the curacao in a small saucepan and ignite. Pour over raspberry sauce. This recipe is credited to Mrs. James Myers, Leesville, Louisiana.

Wow - love the descriptions - both the 'satiny' and the 'swirling'. I love how Mrs. James Myers has no first name. I've never seen flaming cream puffs in a cookbook before - but am getting more and more curious about flaming desserts. I may have to try one. I do have an extinguisher; don't worry.

I'm guest blogging over at Fictionistas today too on readers advisory for teens.

This month I've solicited many guest bloggers with holiday recipes, but on Monday will be the start of an exciting new event for Vintage Cookbooks: Molly Macrae Monday. You've met my funny mystery writer friend Molly with her Prune Whip last month on here. She loves all kinds of vintage foods I love to ridicule, so we agreed that she can honor all those scary vintage traditions once a month now. So prune lovers and fans of salmon mold or sandwich loaf now have a kindred spirit on here. Here first post is this coming Monday, and then every first Monday after that. I am very much looking forward to seeing what she will write about.