LoveTheJourney

Chef Laura writes:
I have never really understood the whole scald-the-milk-for-a-still-custard thing. I understand the neccessity for creme anglaise and pastry cream, but I don’t get the importance for baked custards. I scanned previous posts and didn’t see an answer to this. I have nothing in my notes from school. I have made bread pudding without [...]

This post is all about housekeeping. I’ve received quite a few requests for a pâte brisée recipe lately. I’ve had one on the site for quite a while now, but it’s been filed under “quiche.” This dedicated post on the subject will make it easier to reference.
Pâte brisée is one of the simplest of [...]

Fruit poaching is a simple process, and, at least for a fruit as delicate as peach, a quick one as well. Start by making your poaching syrup, a mixture of two parts water and one part sugar by weight. Here I have a pint (pound) of water and 8 ounces of sugar. Bring it to [...]

In order to legally call a whiskey “bourbon”, it must meet a small but important set of criteria. First, it must be made in the United States. Next, it must be made from a mixture or at least 51% corn (the fermenting “mash” can be up to 100% corn, legally). It must be aged in [...]

I was going to write about how to modify ladyfingers before putting up the tutorial, but I think it’ll be easier to show the recipe first, then talk about adjustments. Ladyfingers are a lot easier to make than this series of photos might make them appear. They require a few steps, but the batter is [...]

Pastry chef Camille emailed in from Paris on Friday to ask why I didn’t incorporate any almond flour/ground almonds into the clafoutis. I had no answer other than I didn’t think about it (almond flour being something of a rarity in the states). That said, I should point out that you can substitute almond flour [...]

7-Layer bars (aside from “dirt” pudding) are my favorite guilty pleasure. You can throw these together in as little as a few minutes provided you have all the ingredients on-hand. I find a parchment-lined baking sheet is the easiest when it comes to de-panning 7-layer bars. You’ll want to trim two sheets so they’ll lay [...]

Well, no, but not because I don’t approve of it. Rose water is a traditional baklava flavoring that’s still quite common, even here in the US. I didn’t include it because it’s not easy to get outside of large cities. However if you have access to some, add a teaspoon to your nut mixture. Some [...]

What, you mean you didn’t know you could make ganache with crème fraîche? Indeed you can, and a splendidly rich, smooth, sweet and tangy experience it is too. Some people make ganache using nothing but crème fraîche (or sour cream) for the dairy component. I myself prefer a mellower 50-50 blend of crème fraîche and [...]

Praline is what we’re going to use to flavor one of the layers of pastry cream. It’s a simple, fun and kinda silly part of the marjolaine-making process. Start by greasing a sheet pan or cookie sheet. You can use butter, oil or cooking spray like I’m doing here. (A Silpat comes in very handy [...]