Marshmallow Tip
This from reader Ellen on making your confectionary life easier: One trick I found that works for cutting marshmallows is to use a pizza cutter. It slides through sticky fluff like a dream. Thanks Ellen!
READ ONAuthor: joepastry
Why are marshmallows cylindrical?
I had a short email conversation with a reader over the weekend. She’d commented on how odd my cubical marshmallows appeared, which prompted my reply: well, what shape should they be? For marshmallow is like fudge, or peanut butter or jelly: it doesn’t have a “shape”, per se. Marshmallows are cylindrical in the grocery store […]
READ ONHow to Make Marshmallows
Oh, the simple pleasure of a marshmallow. That taste takes you right back to being a kid. No wonder they’re so in vogue in food catalogues and in pastry departments these days. Making them is quite simple, though it’s a bit of a kitchen ballet. Ideally, you’ll have all your ingredients at-the-ready so you can […]
READ ONGobble Gobble
Quite a lot of spirited discussion after yesterday’s post on turkey! I received about twenty emails on the subject, which I won’t post for fear of turning my blog into a Thanksgiving discussion board. Overall the emails broke down into two camps: those who essentially said “Rock on Joe!” and others who took offense, mostly […]
READ ONTalking Turkey
I know, it’s not baking and pastry-related, however there were two separate articles on preparing the perfect turkey in this week’s New York Times. Add those to the ones in all the cooking magazines, plus the ones that are being published even as we speak in daily papers all over the country, and you’ve got […]
READ ONFarewell to all that.
After a mind-blowing day Tuesday with over 15,000 visitors, the numbers are getting back down into the sane range (not that I minded the attention one bit, of course). Still, spikes like that always bring a few permanent converts into the fold. So — welcome new folks! Help yourselves to the complimentary buffet.
READ ONHomemade Marshmallows
I swiped the graham cracker recipe from Gale Gand, why not this one too? As a one-time employee of one of her pastry shops, I’m sure she won’t mind. That or she’ll march down to Louisville and give me what-for with a number 230 tip. I guess I’ll take my chances. Thanks Gale! 4 tablespoons […]
READ ONHow to Make Graham Crackers
A homemade graham cracker is a wonderful thing…especially when you’ve got s’mores on the brain. And Mrs. Pastry pretty much always does. Start by sifting your dry ingredients into the bowl of your mixer: Mix for a few second to combine your ingredients, then add your butter pieces. You want pieces of butter remaining about […]
READ ONWhen Bakers Attack
As mentioned, Sylvester Graham was a prolific (if extremely graphic) writer. His books and pamphlets were almost literally gobbled up by his fanatical adherents (high in fiber, don’t you know), though they predictably enraged others, especially those engaged in traditional culinary pursuits. One such group were Bostonian bakers who, driven to hysteria by Graham’s 1837 […]
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