Happy Cream Puff Day

In Dale’s family, Valentine’s Day is affectionately called “Cream Puff Day.” I still remember our first Valentine’s Day together, back in 1997. Dale and I used to meet at his house for lunch every day back then and he greeted me at the back door with a plate of cream puffs and the exclamation, “Happy Cream Puff Day, baby.” I asked him why we had cream puffs on Valentine’s Day and he said he didn’t know why but his mother always made them and it was a tradition.

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Me being a librarian, I had to know the whole story so I walked next door and asked Dale’s mother, Ruthie, to explain the cream puff tradition. She told me that it dated back to Valentine’s Day, 1948. She and Dale’s father, Jack, who was in the Air Force, were stationed in Roswell, New Mexico (yes, that Roswell – but that’s another story) and she was pregnant with her first baby. They had no money to buy Valentines for anyone and she really wanted to do something special for the guys in Jack’s unit. So she turned to her cookbooks and looked for something she could bake to give as gifts to these men. She found a recipe for cream puffs and realized that she had all the ingredients on hand and they sounded pretty simple to make. And a tradition was born.

By the time I came along, Ruthie was making dozens of cream puffs every Valentine’s Day. She complained about how much work it was and how much time it took to make so many but I’m pretty sure she secretly loved the task. She made them for her and Jack plus their kids and grandkids. I was horrified when I realized that none of Dale’s kids even liked the cream puffs but Dale never told his mother because then she wouldn’t have given him as many. Then I tasted one and realized that sometimes a little deception is a wonderful thing.

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During the last few years of Ruthie’s life, she was unable to make the cream puffs anymore. Jack, wanting to carry on the tradition, purchased them from a bakery instead but they just weren’t as good as Ruthie’s. So last year, on the first Valentine’s Day without dear Ruth, I made the cream puffs. I was a little hesitant to do this. After all, I’m not Ruthie’s daughter, I’m just her daughter-in-law and it seemed like I was maybe overstepping my bounds by taking on a family tradition as deep as this one. But Dale encouraged me to go for it and Jack said it would be okay – so I did it. I’ll never forget the look on Jack’s face when he tried one and said they were as good as Ruthie’s. And Dale’s sister Lisa’s eyes filled with tears when she took a bite of hers, so I guess I did okay by Ruthie’s cream puffs.

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And now, somehow, this has become my tradition, too.

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This Post Has 90 Comments

  2. Oh, and the last photo made me want to reach into the screen and dip my finger into the cream for a taste- yum.

  3. What a great story and a great tradition. I love cream puffs; I think you should make some more and bring them to SPA 😉

  5. Those look delicious. I love the tradition and remember the most important thing about tradition is the memories it brings back.

  6. Ok, now my eyes are filling with tears after reading this post. I think that it is wonderful that you are carrying on such a wonderful tradition. Thank you so much for sharing your story.

  8. What a WONDERFUL Valentine/Cream Puff Day story! You are such a loving and thoughtful person to take on that tradition, I’m sure Ruthie is looking down on you with a big smile!
    They look delicious…shall I send you my address??

  10. Oh my, they look so good. The story is wonderful and the tradition must live on. You do good work, as a family archivist and as a great d-i-l.

  12. What a fantastic story and tradition! Cream puffs always make me think of Raggedy Ann and the time I convinced Mom to make me cream puffs just like in the story.

  15. Oh Marthaaaaaaaaaa……..those cream puffs look FABULOUS. I’m coming to your house next year for Valentine’s Day! LOL

  25. That is just the sweetest story. I’m glad you are having a good experience keeping this alive. 😀

    Your pictures are so yummy looking. Do you use her recipe or from somewhere else? Are you able to share it with us? (I totally understand if you can’t.) *hugs*

    So were they stationed in Roswell in 1947? Curious Otters wanna know that story, please. ;^)

  26. Oh, what a sweet (no pun intended) story Carole. You made my eyes well up with tears. Now that tradition is part of you as well.

  30. A lovely tradition and it makes me dayum sorry I don’t live next-door to you. (For many reasons….just sayin.)

  33. I am a fan of family traditions Carole, and that is a great one. I think it’s wonderful that you are continuing the tradition!

  35. What a great ttradition. By coincidence we’ve been on a cream puff kick lately at my house but they’re the store-bought frozen variety. As my girls were eating them the other night I suggested that we make some and now that’s on our to-do list for this weekend. I hope they turn ot because I’ve never made them before.

  36. What a great ttradition. By coincidence we’ve been on a cream puff kick lately at my house but they’re the store-bought frozen variety. As my girls were eating them the other night I suggested that we make some and now that’s on our to-do list for this weekend. I hope they turn out because I’ve never made them before.

  37. what a great story carole! and good for you stepping up to keep the tradition alive, i’m sure it meant a lot to everyone in dale’s family!

  41. My mother has the same tradition. We always had cream puffs every V-Day and she still makes them for my dad.

    Beautiful post, Carole.

  42. That is a WONDERFUL story, and probably also the most delicious holiday tradition I’ve ever heard of. I share your appreciation for a well-made cream puff: they are to live for (‘to die for’ defeats the point–you want to stay around to eat them.)

    I’m glad you’ve taken up the gauntlet. A tradition like that one shouldn’t dwindle away, you know?

  44. That is so sweet (literally and figuratively). I got teary reading that. What a nice tradition and so wonderful of you to take it on.

  46. What a wonderful tradition, Carole!
    You know, if you have leftover cream puffs and you need help finishing them, you can always send some to me. =)

  48. what a fabulous story and idea. next year i’m making cream puffs. (because next year i wont’ be at a job that’s 2 hours away form home and i’ll actually have time to make cream puffs).

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