I let a reference to nitrogen pass the other day without expounding on it at all, something a truly committed nerd would never do. So in the interests of retaining my Member in Good Standing status at the local chapter of the Obnoxious Geeks of America society, I’m here to make up for the lapse. […]
READ ONOr maybe I should call these posts “On the Many Virtues of Frozen Cake Layers” since another frozen 6-inch layer was what allowed me to whip this little improvisation together for company last night. Again it’s nothing more than a single split layer, only this time with lemon curd filling and a little powdered sugar […]
READ ONThe “perfection” of a protein is measured in terms of how much of that protein is used by the body once it’s consumed. The world is full of different kinds of proteins after all, and not all of them break down the same way in the digestive tract. Some break down very inefficiently, meaning that […]
READ ONThere’s all kinds of action on the childhood development front these days, which means I’m dishing (and I do mean dishing) out rewards as fast as I can bake them. This pink cake was a “congratulations and keep up the good work” award from the wife and I to you-know-who. It’s one of my regular […]
READ ONHeaded to Chicago with the wife and little ones for a long weekend. It’s my first time in a car with two children so, pray for me. See you Wednesday!
READ ONWell the brioche turned out pretty darn OK yesterday. The crumb was tender, yellow and buttery and the shapes were good. Fewer of the little têtes flopped over than usual, and that was nice, but really beside the point. Personally, I get very irritated by bakers and baking instructors who call any brioche à tête […]
READ ONCharles Stuart Platkin, the latest in the never-ending string of diet scolds and/or killjoys that our culture churns out, can be heard today on NPR. I caught the feature at 1 P.M. Eastern, you can probably hear it again this evening at rush hour, or listen to it here. I found his tirade against cupcakes […]
READ ONOne nifty little brioche trick I picked up a few years ago involves adding a small amount of brown butter to the dough. The roasty, nutty character it brings to the finished product is subtle but worth it. And anyway it’s more butter, so how can you go wrong? Just add an ounce or so […]
READ ONThe shape of a brioche à tête, it may surprise you to learn, is primarily functional. When made properly (that is, with lots and lots of butter) brioche dough needs a large amount of yeast. Why? To lift all that fat off the ground of course! Such a high proportion of yeast causes an extremely […]
READ ONBrioche is truly amazing stuff. Sticky buns are really just the beginning of what this dough can do. In fact it’s amazing all by itself, which is why I think it would be worthwhile to stay on it for another week, and prepare it in one of its more classic forms: brioche à tête. Tête […]
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