Makes about 2 cups Pastry cream, which is essentially vanilla pudding, is incredibly versatile. It is commonly found as a filling in eclairs or as the base of a fresh fruit tart, but you can also use it for trifles, as a layer cake filling, in a cream pie, or […]
Pâte à Choux
Makes about 2 cups Ingredients 1 cup whole or low-fat milk 8 tablespoons (1 stick; 4 oz) unsalted butter, diced 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup bread flour, sifted 3 large eggs 1 large egg white Egg wash (1 large egg whisked with 2 tablespoons cold milk or water) Directions Combine […]
Pâte Sucrée
Makes 1 pound 8 ounces Ingredients 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 1/2 cup sugar 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour Directions Cream the butter and sugar together in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, about 5 to 10 minutes or until pale in color. Add […]
Pecan Diamonds
The Iconic Pecan Diamond Are they a cookie? A dessert? A bite-size pecan pie? Craig Claiborne of The New York Times called them the “sweet hallmark” of CIA, and they are. Pecan Diamonds have been a CIA tradition for nearly six decades. They were offered to guests with coffee at […]
Polenta Cake with Grappa, Berries, and Minted Mascarpone
Makes 6 servings This cake is dense and not too sweet, almost like a sweet cornbread. I like to use coarse polenta so that it also has an interesting texture, but if you have to use regular cornmeal, that works as well. Ingredients Polenta Cake 1/4 cup unsalted butter, at […]
Puff Pastry
Makes 3 lb This batch makes enough puff pastry for a few projects, but the dough freezes well, so don’t hesitate to double this recipe. The key to puff pastry is taking your time to chill the dough between folds. If it’s too soft, the butter will ooze out of […]
Pumpkin Date Cake with Maple Caramel Sauce
Makes 8 to 12 servings This cake is a cross between sticky toffee pudding and a fluffy pumpkin snacking cake. It is lightly spiced, spongy and moist, and best when bathed in maple caramel sauce. Leftover sauce should be refrigerated and lightly heated before serving. Substitute about 2 teaspoons of […]
Recipes Between the Lines: Egg Wash
Egg wash is a common recipe term—and lots of recipes take for granted that the reader knows what it means. And even if you do know the basics of an egg wash, you may not know why you’re using it. An egg wash is a blended mixture of egg, salt, […]
Salted Caramel Chocolate Tart
Makes 8 – 10 servings Filling Caramel Topping Filling Caramel Topping Vanilla Tart Dough Dough Unbaked Tart Shell Blind-baked Tart Shell
Simple Syrup
Keeping a jar of simple syrup in your pantry may seem like a waste of space, but once you have it, you’ll reach for it more than you think. And sure, you can buy a bottle of prepared simple syrup for many dollars, but it’s sort of absurdly easy and […]
Simply Put: Dutch-Process Cocoa Powder
“1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder” is a phrase that strikes to the core of any baker who hasn’t yet spent hours of their time figuring out what that means. Read on for a possibly oversimplified but perfectly digestible guide to cocoa powder for your everyday baking needs. 1. There are […]
Sour Cherry Pie
Makes one 9-inch pie Pie Filling All Butter Pie Crust Makes two 11-inch rounds Hand Method Food Processor Method Stand Mixer Method