There are two schools of thought on the history of tarts. One posits that tarts have evolved out of the “putting things on top of other things” tradition of gastronomy. According to this line of thought, human beings have been putting foodstuffs on top of other foodstuffs — notably round, flat pieces of bread — […]
READ ONOh, is there anything better than fresh, warm cobbler with a scoop of vanilla ice cream? I’d be hard pressed to think of it right now. This cobbler can be made with just about any sort of fresh, frozen or re-hydrated fruit. Begin by preheating your oven to 375. Next combine about six cups of […]
READ ONCobbler has come to be synonymous with a too-sweet top crust over a too-sweet filling. The result is, er…you know. This recipe sweetens both of the key elements only slightly, so as to let the taste of the fruit shine through. For the biscuit topping: 6 ounces (a generous cup) all-purpose flour 1 1/2 ounces […]
READ ONThis is a very American scone. It’s big, it’s triangular, it’s rich. Note, however, that it’s possible to do a lot of different things with this dough. I generally favor small scones, and indeed I normally make 12 little triangles with this recipe instead of eight large ones. You can use round cutters if you […]
READ ONThis is probably my favorite scone recipe. The ginger adds what I think is the perfect zing and textural contrast. 3/4 cup heavy cream, plus extra for the tops 12 ounces unbleached all-purpose flour 2.5 ounces sugar pinch salt 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon finely chopped lemon zest 6 ounces unsalted butter, cut into […]
READ ONIs a fry pan full of bubbling cake doughnuts not a joy to behold, my friends? If not, I put it to you that you are dead. Or vegan. Oh, I kid. You know, baseball players get a very bad rap. They’re not respected as athletes, though it’s widely claimed that the act of merely […]
READ ONI like sprinkles every bit as much as the next guy, but sometimes even the working man’s delight needs to be taken uptown for the day. Pictured above is one of my old best-sellers: the lemon-lavender doughnut. Lemon and lavender were a hip combo six or eight years ago, but I’m pretty sure I was […]
READ ONThis one is a no-brainer, save for one very important detail: never (really, never) use high quality chocolate to top a doughnut. Why not? Because truly good eating chocolate deserves to be eaten on its own. Combining high quality chocolate with a high quality doughnut ruins them both, as they compete for attention (kind of […]
READ ONThis is my favorite way to enjoy a cake doughnut, without any fancy flavors, just a good honest scratch doughnut glazed with a thin coat of icing. As you might expect, it’s a very easy thing to do. Just combine: 8 ounces powdered sugar 2 tablespoon plus two teaspoons water or milk a few drop […]
READ ONMy oh my I’ve received a lot of questions about doughnuts the last couple of days! Reader Seth asks: Joe, I notice you use liquid oil for your frying medium. I’ve heard that professional doughnuts makers use mostly solid shortening. Is that true? And if so, why? An excellent question, and one I’ve been meaning […]
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