Chef's Notes Plus

All About Vanilla

When you’re making a simple dessert, like vanilla ice cream or crème brûlée, you have very few ingredients to distract from the flavors of the raw ingredients. For that reason, the best outcomes will come from the best ingredients. We know a lot these days about sourcing high quality milk […]

Cakes, Desserts

Angel Food Cake

Makes one 9-inch tube cake In order to reach a lofty height, angel food cake needs to cling to the sides of the pan, both as it bakes and while it cools. This is why the pan is ungreased and the cake is cooled upside down. Some angel food cake […]

Cookies

Black and White Cookies

Make about 2 dozen cookies Ingredients 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter 1 cup sugar 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 3 eggs 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/4 cup sour cream 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder Vanilla Glaze Ingredients 1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted 2 tablespoons […]

Desserts

Coffee Ice Cream

Makes about 1 1/4 quarts, or 8 servings Freshly ground coffee gives this Philadelphia-style ice cream a bold flavor. Coffee beans are sold by variety or as a blend, and in varying degrees of “roast,” from a light, or American, roast to inky black and shiny espresso roast. Coarsely grinding […]

Desserts

Crème Brûlée

Makes 5 servings We can all thank legendary CIA pastry chef instructor, Dieter Schorner, for reinvigorating the United States’ collective love of crème brûlée as pastry chef of New York City’s famed Le Cirque in the 1980s. Enjoy our classic version, but don’t be afraid to add spices or other […]

Desserts

Crème Caramel

Makes 6 servings Crème caramel is a dessert that produces its own sauce, as long as you are patient with it. After the custard bakes, it needs to cool long enough for two things to happen: the custard must become firm enough to unmold, and the caramel underneath the custard […]

Breakfast and Brunch

Crêpes

Makes 24 crêpes Ingredients 3 cups all-purpose flour 1/3 cup sugar 3/4 teaspoon salt 3 cups milk 3 large eggs 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 cup butter or vegetable oil to coat pan, or as needed Directions Sift the flour, sugar, and salt together into […]

Desserts

Diplomat Cream

Makes about 4 cups Diplomat Cream, a blend of pastry cream and whipped cream, can be used as a filling for cream puffs or chocolate éclairs, or as a layer in a trifle or icebox cake. The pastries should be baked and cooled before you make the diplomat cream; once […]

Desserts

French Vanilla Ice Cream

Makes about 1 1/4 quarts, or 8 servings This is your classic vanilla ice cream, with a clean vanilla flavor and those signature flecks from the seeds of a fresh vanilla bean. If you can’t find vanilla beans, vanilla paste is your best substitute. Ingredients 3 cups heavy cream 1 […]

Desserts

Pastry Cream

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 […]

Desserts

Shortbread Tartlet Shells

This recipe makes a lot of tart shells, and while you can halve the recipe, this tender and buttery dough freezes incredibly well. With just a quick trip to the oven, they are a vehicle for any filling, either homemade or prepared, making them an easy last-minute dessert option you’ll […]