In my continuous attempt to become a better baker, so that one day I can do what I love professionally, I thought it would be a good idea to get some sort of reference book that covers all the bases from different doughs and pastries to cakes, muffins, tarts and cookies and so on. I had thought of going with the Bo Friberg book but in the end I settled on the new book from the French Culinary Institute, which I have always dreamed of attending. The book is impressive in its 500+ pages with lots of colour pictures. I’ve only just scratched the surface of the book but I think it will be a good reference to have. As anyone who has been reading this blog for any length of time will know I like to experiment, in the last year and a half I have cooked over 80 different recipes, and next on my list to tackle was Pate-a-Choux. Keep reading →
Categories: Chocolate · Ice Cream + Frozen Things · pastry
Tagged: chocolate sauce, choux, cream puff, ice cream, pastry, pate-a-choux, profiteroles
Im writing this having just heard that this cake was enjoyed by its recipients, a message ive been waiting for all weekend because this is the first cake I have ever been paid to make. People in my office are obviously aware I would rather be baking then sat in front of a computer and so at the end of last year I was asked if I could bake a cake for an 18th birthday. After the cake was chosen and made I waited, slightly nervous, to hear that it was good. Thankfully it was apparently great and I was so pleased because it makes me feel that maybe I can do this for a living. The cake comes from my favourite baking book of 2009, Baked: New Frontiers in Baking. Its a interesting recipe because it uses a frosting I had never heard of and hails from the depression era in America. You cook milk, cream, sugar and flour until thickened and then beat the butter into this (cooled down) mixture. It uses less sugar so isn’t as sweet but does use lots of butter. Its of course named after the Grasshoper cocktail but could just as easily be called the After Eight cake because its chocolate layers with a ganache filling and a peppermint buttercream. Because this wasnt baked for me or my family and friends I never got to try it but am reliably informed it went down a treat. Keep reading →
Categories: Chocolate · cake
Tagged: baked new frontiers in baking, cake, Chocolate, cooked flour buttercream, creme de menthe, grasshopper, mint, NYC, peppermint, red hook, roux frosting
