Making the world a little sweeter one pastry tip at at time.
What is 10x (or 6x for that matter)? It is a particular grind for powdered sugar, which typically is mixed with an anti-caking agent, such as a starch. Powdered sugar is also called confectioner’s sugar or icing sugar, and is used for quick mixing buttercream …read more
I’ll admit it – I’ve always wanted to share this phrase: fortune cookie lottery winner. A woman from the Bronx won a $2 million lottery prize, earning her a $1.2 lump sum payout, from the numbers she got from a fortune cookie. I guess …read more
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| Lucky Stars. Image from a 1950s advertising cook booklet. |
Yield: 2 to 3 dozen, depending on star size.
Ingredients
Procedure:
I wish peanut butter cookies weren’t so addictive. They aren’t my favorite cookie, and if they are on a cookie platter, I might pass them up for something else (like a chocolate chip or any macaron). Having said that, peanut butter cookies have that flavor …read more
Here’s a super easy recipe for glass tuiles. Glass tuiles are transparent, crisp, thin cookies and while they can be eaten alone, are typically used as a garnish for other desserts. The picture at the right is not the greatest for showing off these cookies, …read more
Bullock-Prado cleverly divides the book and all the recipes by sugar stages, which makes the table of contents in and of itself a great reference:
The last chapter, Put It All Together, is a fun collection of recipes no home kitchen should be without, and should be savored. I laughed out loud when reading her describe Parisian macarons to people. Overall, an entertaining and sweet read.
Along with good, basic recipes. Her chocolate glaze recipe is used for a Sachertorte, and names it as such. But while it is looks perfect poured over the top of a traditional Sachertorte, don’t let that stop you from incorporating this utilitarian glaze for other things as well. And I like spicy things. I don’t order a Subway sandwich without extra jalapenos and extra pepperoncinis because otherwise I’m just eating just another boring turkey sandwich, and Bullock-Prado’s ginger cookies have the right amount of kick to them. I’m adapting the recipe below for you to try. Use the best quality and spiciest crystallized ginger for best results, and don’t skimp on the white pepper.
The Best Ginger Cookies Ever
Book Information:
Disclosure: This book was provided by the publisher and any opinions are my own.
Here’s the lates newsletter, on the new system, so let me know how it looks. Inside is a recipe for Biscuits à la Cuillère (Lady Fingers) to experiment with. http://eepurl.com/vH6ln (shortcut link)
I love madeleines. So does everyone else in the family, too, so when I make a couple of batches I use every pan I have (I have three) to keep up with demand once they are finished. What is a madeleine? It is a tiny …read more
I’ve done my share of macaroons and I can’t tell which my favorite is, the two top flavors being chocolate and pistachio. But Sweet Macaroons opened up the doors to strange and wonderful flavor combinations: raspberry-bell pepper mascarpone, curry and piment d’Espelette, violet, and salted butter caramel are just some examples. For fillings, her basic buttercream is made from a butter/creme anglaise/Italian meringue mixture which mixes up perfectly smooth and not too sweet, and best of all can be flavored to suit your needs. The ganache recipes use chocolate familiar to most pastry chefs and chocolate enthusiasts: Valrhona Ivoire (white chocolate), Jivara Lactee (milk chocolate), and Manjari (dark chocolate).
Besides recipes for macaroons, Mercotte shares her tips for baking them and her tricks for creating perfect macaroons. Her tips include: Setup; Making the recipe; Coloring agents; Piping the batter; Baking; and my favorite, The Look. Her step-by-step photos for piping the batter is helpful for anyone who has never piped them out as you can see what the consistency of the batter should be and how to space them. The Recipe Troubleshooting at the end fixes most common problems that can arise when making macaroons, such as cracking shells, or shells with no collars. The one thing I wish she would have done with her recipes is to give the ingredient amount in weights. I know from experience that a cup of powdered sugar will weigh slightly different depending on who is doing it or how good your leveling is, and weight measurement takes guesswork from the recipe ingredients making the results more consistent.
If you are tackling macaroons for the first time, Sweet Macaroons will lead you to by the hand with good, basic recipes. If you are doing them for the hundredth time, Sweet Macaroons will inspire you to try new flavors. And the pictures are nice to look at, too.
Book Information:
Disclosure: This eGalley was provided by the publisher and any opinions are my own.
Celebrate National Chinese Almond Cookie Day by making these crisp almond flavored sugar cookies, often baked with a whole blanched almond on top. Brush the tops with a simple yolk glaze to create a shiny surface after baking. Here’s one version to get you started. …read more
