School’s Out FOREVAH! (And a quick spinach puffs recipe)

Hi Debs!

After 3 years of nailbiting examination panic, sleepless nights of covering for last-minute submissions of lazy group project members and, of course, the endless afterwork hours spent trawling the library for academic papers to reference, I have FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY graduated!

Yes, that’s right!  I am now Master A Becky Lee of Professional Accounting!  All Hail!

So now, I have recently discovered this thing called “a good nights sleep” and have even acquired the mythical “free time”.  Of course, this means that it is time to PARTY…

…and by party, I mean plan to have a party at a time when everyone is back from their holidays and perhaps not as partied out since the Christmas break only just ended.

I was thinking of having a recess-themed party, with party games like five stones and catching and food that’s from the school canteen only better.  So, over the next few weeks, I’m going to show you some of the party foods that I’m planning to make.  Hopefully, they’ll be of better quality than the ones in the school canteen.

This spinach puff recipe is my perinnial party favourite and go to recipe because it’s super quick and easy to make.

My Spinach Puffs! You will love them!

You will need…

• 500 grams of frozen spinach
• 1 packet of powdered cream of anything that isn’t tomato soup mix and doesn’t contain noodles[1]
• 250 grams of sour cream
• A few handfuls of shredded cheddar cheese
• Puff pastry sheets
• Oven preheated to 180 degrees celcius
• Milk or egg (optional)

Step 1: Prepare the Spinach

Nuke the frozen spinach in the nucleator (aka microwave) for about 2 minutes, or until it’s somewhat heated up.  Drain the excess water and add the powdered soup mix while it is still hot.  Stir well and set aside to cool.

Salty powdered goodness

Step 2: Add Sourcream

Leave the spinach aside to cool, or cover it and put it in the fridge.  Add all the sour cream when, and only when, the spinach is cold.

Lite sour cream can also be used, if you don’t want the puffs to have any flavour

Warning:  Do not under any circumstances add the sour cream when it is hot and then put the subsequent runny mixture into the fridge to fix it, because it will not be fixed.  Instead, it will be ruined and disgustingly oily[2].

Step 3:  Wrap and Create the Puffs

Cut the pastry sheet into 9 squares and start wrapping the puffs.  I usually set up a puff-making station so that I have everything I need within easy reach.

Puff making station!

Generally, each square should have one heaped spoonful of the mixture and a large pinch of cheddar cheese on it.  Place the mixture diagonally across the square, then put the cheddar on top and turn the corners inwards.  Secure the pastry by smearing one of the corners over the other.

You should end up with a number of rolls…

Like this!

WARNING: By the way, if you have chosen to use “Butter Puff Pastry Sheets” in Singapore weather, then I send you my condolences.  Butter puff pastry melts within seconds of being exposed to Singapore’s room temperature and then proceeds to stick to EVERYTHING.  So, unless you are capable of wrapping all nine puffs within 7 seconds, good luck.  My best timing is currently 15 seconds for 9 puffs[3].

AWESOME EXPERT TIP: Completed puffs can be frozen raw and stored for a later date.  Make sure to store in an air-tight container and use the plastic of the pastry sheets to separate them from each other.

Step 4:  Bake and Enjoy!

Shove the puffs in the oven for 18 minutes and then enjoy!

Ugly exploded puffs courtesy of The Boobook, who has freakishly big wrecking balls for hands

Allow the puffs to cool until they stop breathing[4], then serve while the pastry is still crisp!

OPTIONAL AWESOME EXPERT TIP: For that very pretty professional look, you can glaze the puffs by brushing them with full-cream milk, or a beaten egg.

Now you know my secret recipe!  I have yet to throw a party where I have any of these left over.  They’re a big hit with adults and children alike!

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[1] Unless you are very diligent and willing to pick all the little noodle bits out.

[2] The same applies to butter. Melted butter oil never becomes butter again when you freeze it. It just stays as some sort of gross translucent congealed mass with little bits of yellow ick floating in it.

[3] Butter puff pastry is delicious, though, so if you have more than one wrapper and are up for the challenge, you should TOTALLY give this a try. BUt don’t say I didn’t warn you.

[4] There’s really no other way to describe this. You’ll know what I’m talking about here when you try the recipe for yourself.