#MEwx Cold, clouds and holiday Boston Cream pie

Good morning Augusta

This morning we have mostly cloudy skies with highs in the upper 20s. Light and variable winds.

Tonight we’ll have mostly cloudy skies this evening, becoming partly cloudy. Lows around 14. Light and variable winds.

The readings from my weather instruments are:

The Wind Chill is 17.8°F, Dew Point is 9.0°F, the humidity is 68%, and the outdoor temp is 17.8°F.

The wind direction is Northwest between 0.1 MPH and 0.3 MPH.

The Relative pressure is 29.96, the Absolute pressure is 28.76 and falling with a weather graphic indicating clouds.

Visibility is 10.0 miles / 16.1 Kilometers with scattered clouds to 7500 ft / 2,286 M  and more scattered clouds to 12,000 ft / 3,657 M.

The UV rating is 0 out of 16, Sunrise is 7:13 A.M., Sunset is 4:04 P.M., Moonrise is 6:29 P.M., Moonset is 8:52 a.M. and the moon phase is Waning gibbous being 95% illuminated.

Augusta’s RAW METAR readings are:

METAR KAUG 241153Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM SCT075 SCT120 M08/M11 A3003 RMK AO2 SLP175 T10781106 11078 21089 58008  | 

We didn’t receive any additional rain or snow here over the past 24 hours.

Here in New England Christmas means many things to many people. For those who are dyed-in-the-wool Bostonians This dessert is a favorite any time of year.

BOSTON CREAM PIE (and cupcakes)

Filling:

1/2 cup sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg plus 3 egg yolks, at room temperature

2 cups whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Make the filling: In a medium saucepan off-heat, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir in the whole egg and the 3 yolks, and then stir in the milk. Turn the heat on to medium high and cook the mixture, uncovered, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens, 12 to 15 minutes. It will feel very thick.  Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while you make the cake. Be sure to place the plastic wrap directly onto the custard to prevent a skin from forming.

Make the Cake: 

Prepare any white or yellow cake mix as directed.  For a whole pie, spread batter into 2 round cake pans.  For cupcakes, line a muffin tin with paper or foil liners.  Bake as directed on package.

Make the Ganache Topping:

1 cup heavy cream

1 ½ cups chocolate chips

To make the chocolate ganache, in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the cream to a boil, then immediately remove from the heat. Add the chocolate chips to the cream and stir until completely melted.

Now you Assemble them:

To assemble, place one cake layer on a plate.  Spread the custard filling over the cake, then top with the second layer of cake. Spread the ganache over the top of the cake, allowing it to drizzle down the sides.

For cupcakes, make a deep hole in each cupcake with a cupcake corer or a spoon.  Spoon custard into a zip lock bag, pushing it into a corner.  Snip off the corner and squeeze the custard into the hole in each cupcake.  Spoon the chocolate ganache over each top.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Store covered in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.