Let’s learn how to make Classic Puff Pastry, the queen of all doughs. Though the process does take some time, if you can use a rolling pin, you can make this essential recipe. Classic Puff Pastry is a so-called “laminated” dough. What’s a laminated dough? Take a big block of solid butter (yum!) and wrap …
Baking School
Love it or hate it, there is no doubt that a cake with a porcelain fondant finish is a thing of beauty. After you learn how to cover a cake with fondant you’ll be ready to create spectacular celebration cakes. As I mentioned in my Rolled Fondant Recipe post, many folks hate the taste of …
Click on the video to see How To Make a Lattice Pie Crust. You might be surprised how simple it is weave a beautiful lattice top pie. Cut the strips thinner for a more intricate look or slightly thicker for a more rustic look. You will see a short ad before the video starts. Thanks …
Salt is ubiquitous. Virtually every dish that comes out of the kitchen has salt added. In fact, salt is so elemental to our culture that the word “salary” comes from the Latin salarium, which refers to Roman Soldiers’ payment for the purchase of salt. What salt does in Baking: Since it’s so commonplace do we even need to …
Remember the days when fats, especially butter, were villainized? Everywhere you looked you saw “low fat” this and “low fat” that. Well, no surprise that the pendulum has swung the other way and now everyone loves coconut oil, olive oil and nut oils. Even butter is back in style. I tend not to sway much …
It’s not really possible to overstate how important the simple chicken egg is in the kitchen. Eggs are the base for a myriad of dishes, from rich custards to ethereal meringues. Eggs can be scrambled, fried or poached for a nutritious meal. The yolk emulsifies mayonnaise and the white is indispensable for the pastry chef’s …
If there is one ingredient that defines baking, I would argue that it is flour. Specifically, wheat flour. Sure, sugar is important for desserts and pastries, but flour is the backbone of most baked goods. The composition of Wheat Flour Wheat flour is composed of proteins, starch, lipids, sugars and enzymes. The two most important of …
Sugar is a mainstay in the baker’s kitchen. Of course, sugar is important in the kitchen because the sweet flavor makes food delicious. We humans are programmed to like sweet. Sweetness also balances out sour and bitter flavors in food to help create a more complex flavor. But sugar contributes much more than sweetness to …
If you like to bake from scratch, learning the basics about chemical leavening (baking soda & baking powder) can help you understand how your recipe works. Knowing which and how much leavener to use is a valuable tool in the baker’s skill set. What are Baking Powder & Baking Soda? When certain acidic and alkaline compounds …
Create a cake that looks like you bought it at a cake at a high-end bake shop! You will see a short ad before the video starts. Thanks for your patience. The ads help me pay the bills so I can keep creating new recipes for you! Equipment used: Offset spatula, bench scraper, cake turntable, silcone …