The main difference between joconde and other sponge cakes is that it has whole eggs beaten into it, and not just whites. Observe: 6 room-temperature egg whites 1 ounce granulated sugar 8 ounces sliced blanched almonds, ground to powder in a food processor 8 ounces powdered sugar, sifted 6 large eggs 2.5 ounces all-purpose (AP) […]
READ ONWhen setting out to make a tart the French way (and most pastry chefs do) you’ve got two basic choices in dough: pâte brisée or “short dough“ and pâte sucrée, or “sweet dough”. Sweet dough is both richer and sweeter than short dough, which means it’s more tender, but it’s still firm enough to hold […]
READ ONSo here it is: one of my top secret recipes. Cake doughnuts are a batter, not a dough. In professional shops, they’re made by a machine that drops ring-shaped quantities of batter into a vat of hot oil. They look like this, or if you have a bigger operation, like this. These so-called doughnut “depositors” […]
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This is a serious dessert mousse, friends. A chocolate experience so rich, velvety and decadent, a few tablespoons is really all that any one person needs. I usually chuckle when I watch Mrs. Pastry eat chocolate bars, because she nibbles them like a mouse, savoring every tiny morsel. However even I — a man known to wolf chocolate bars down by the handful — eat this only incrementally, off the tip of a spoon.
READ ONThis stuff is so good you’ll want to eat it with a spoon. It’s thick but light, firm but flowing…trust me, you’ll love it. Start by putting your yolks in the bowl of your mixer… And whip for several minutes on medium high until they’re light and frothy. Meanwhile heat your sugar syrup over a […]
READ ONSo what the heck is pâte à bombe, anyway? Pâte à bombe is aptly named, for it is, not to put too fine a point on it, the bomb. It’s a rich concoction of cooked sugar syrup and egg yolks, whipped up into a light, creamy consistency. Oh come on, Joe! Don’t make me learn […]
READ ONOh mama… Steady. Steady. You can get through this, Joe. Then you can run back to the kitchen, dive headfirst into this golden bowl of goodness, and never come up for air. OK. Start by combining the eggs and sugar in a small, heavy — non aluminum — sauce pan. Whisk until they’re combined. And […]
READ ONThis is a pretty easy thing. What you want to guard against — just as with all custards — is overcooking it, which will cause the egg proteins to clump up and fall to the bottom. You want to bring the mixture to a target of 196 degrees F, a degree or two more is […]
READ ONClassic génoise is, well, a classic. However it can be a bit tricky, even for very experienced pastry makers. But when you want to make a classic Euro-style gâteau, nothing beats it for its lightness and its ability to keeps its integrity even after a liberal dose of cake syrup. Here’ll I’ll add that if […]
READ ONIt an easy thing, but sometimes it helps to see it, yes? If a recipe calls for, say, four tablespoons of clarified butter, I’ll start out with a little extra since I expect to lose some in the process. Here I have about 4 1/2 tablespoons of fresh, unsalted butter: I heat it up until […]
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