Clawing one’s way back from true flu — not some cheap knock-off made in a sweatshop in Queens — takes time. On my examination yesterday, I was prescribed bed rest, fluids, Tylenol and no more than an hour of work per day until Monday. All of which is to say that if you’re distressed by […]
READ ONI’ll be starting with Gaston Lenôtres famous Kugelhopf recipe, though I’m not ruling out that I’ll change it a bit, since one or two very interesting ideas came in from reader Regine last week and I intend to explore them. For now here’s the starting point.
1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) rum
3.5 ounces (1/2 cup) sugar
3.25 ounces (1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon) water
4.5 ounces (generous 1/2 cup) raisins
3.5 ounces (1 cup) slivered almonds
14-16 ounces brioche dough, chilled and ready
egg wash
powdered sugar for dusting
melted butter for the top of the cake
orange flower water, or a few drops of the extract of your choice
Reader Aaron of Hewn Bakery in Evanston, Illinois (a near-north suburb of Chicago) writes to say that he and his team have invented a new coffee croissant, created by infusing the détrempte with concentrated coffee. He was kind enough to invite me up to try one if I was still in Chicago and I certainly would if I wasn’t already sick with flu in Louisville. They’ll be debuting the new croissants this Wednesday. They were planning on tomorrow, but from what I understand Evanston, like Chicago, is presently encased in a single solid block of ice.
READ ONWhen you’re laying around sick you don’t have a lot of energy for intense reading, and laughter makes great medicine (though rather poor cough syrup). I delighted in this little jewel of writing today, and thought you might too. It’s been standard reading in anthropology departments since it was published in 1966, mostly for what it says about communicating between cultures, but surely also for its charm and hilarity. I’m surprised I’ve never run across it before. You only need to know the bare outline of the plot of Hamlet to get the jokes. If not there’s always Dr. Sparky Sweets. Just remember that Laertes is the son of Polonius (and brother of Ophelia) who gets sent away at the beginning of the play. Also Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are the “age mates” who try to pump Hamlet for information early on, then later accompany Hamlet to England, bringing with them a sealed letter from Claudius that instructs the King of England to execute Hamlet immediately.
READ ONSince most of us still have a pile of rich sweets, candies and chocolates to deal with at home, it seems something a bit less indulgent is the way to go this week. And anyway, my kugelhopf pan hasn’t been getting enough use!
READ ONWhat a delight to discover, mid-way through my mid-winter break, that Joe Pastry made this year’s PBS top ten food blogs list! Quite a compliment considering all fabulous blogs PBS named. I’m in formidable company and I have to say it feels good! Thanks, PBS, I’ll do my best to live up to the honor in 2014!
READ ONThe high temperature will be 7 tomorrow. Italian beef sandwiches are served piping hot and sopping wet, and thin crust pizzas are sliced cross-ways into squares. People drive 60 miles and hour ten feet from each other’s bumper down the highway and three cars turn left at the tail end of every yellow light. Is […]
READ ONDo I express too much appreciation for all my wonderful readers? Ah heck, you can never say thank you enough as far as I’m concerned. Thanks to all for helping to make this blog what it is, and me the luckiest baker on Earth! See you in 2014.
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The butter spritz is a grandma mainstay. Simple, rich, lightly sweet and crumbly, two or three and a pot of tea will see you through an entire afternoon of family gab. This stiff dough is commonly used in cookie presses or “spritz guns”. I learned to make them with a pastry bag and tip, so that’s what I’m going to do. The shapes take me back to neighborhood bakeries in Chicago.
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