I’m not saying I’m writing a book, but I’m not NOT saying I’m writing a book, which is actually a change in my stance toward book writing. Scores of readers have asked me to write a cookbook over the years, and my answer is always the same: nobody wants cookbooks. Publishers especially don’t want cookbooks, because they never make any money on them. Not unless the cookbook’s author has a big TV show, a well-known food column, a cooking school, or a chain of restaurants, and even then the books by those people don’t generate much revenue. There are one or two exceptions to this rule, Dorie Greenspan for example, but most of the time cookbooks function as promotional items, loss leaders written and sold with the goal of promoting brands whose money-making centers lie elsewhere.

It seems like every holiday season we have some sort of tech issue. I’m not sure if it’s related to heavy use or just gremlins. Either way, thanks to the concerned readers out there who alerted me to the issue. Be assured that our intrepid tech Wonder Woman is on the case. Be further assured that even though circumstances haven’t allowed for posting, I have no plans to let the site go down. I use it as a baking reference book myself, so I keep all my various bills paid. Any down time is purely accidental.

Reader Robert wants to know what the practical difference is between bright and shiny metal baking pans and dark-colored nonstick versions (other than the fact that one is nonstick of course). The main difference, Robert, is that dark colors absorb more heat. That’s as true of pans as it is of clothes, even in the lightless environment of an oven. It’s why a tent of shiny aluminum foil does such a great job of preventing excess browning in a hot oven. It reflects heat energy.

A dark pan does the reverse and that’s not usually a good thing. Dark pans can not only create excess browning on edges, they can contribute to the premature hardening of surface crusts, and that can hold in rising or crust expansion. This is not to say that nonstick can’t be a good thing, however tart and pie crusts are very buttery to begin with. As a result they tend not to have a problem releasing from pans, so in that case the nonstick surface is really unnecessary. Properly prepared, just about any pan can be made to perform like a non-stick pan, so my feeling is that in general you should prefer the lighter finishes. They’re more versatile, cheaper and you never have to worry about the coating wearing off. Thanks for the excellent question. Robert!

Bostock has two major things going for it. First, it’s head-slappingly easy. Second, it can be riffed upon endlessly. All you really need is the frangipane and the brioche. And while you can go full-bore and make your own brioche, but store-bought makes an already easy pastry even easier. I confess really like to use brioche hamburger bun tops. The round shape makes for a good presentation, plus bun tops are nice and thick, which is what this preparation needs.

Component-wise you can really go crazy. You can spike your syrup with spirits or extracts, or infuse it with citrus, vanilla, herbs, rose petals, whatever your little heart desires. You can swap out the jam for some other spread: preserves of any kind, Nutella, apple or pumpkin butter. Lastly, you can sprinkle on a little of just about anything with the almonds: bits of fruit, berries, maybe some edible flowers. And who’s stopping you from dusting on a bit of spice with that powdered sugar? Nobody, that’s who.

The word sounds like a breed of beef cattle, but it’s actually a delightful little piece of DIY pastry just right for a minimalist kitchen of the kind we’re currently occupying. Pronounce the word “BO-stuck”, but you can also call it brioche aux amandes if that sounds more appetizing.

I think it does.