I told you earlier that I was feeling particularly “Kentucky” this weekend. The other big reason is that I was inducted into the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels on Saturday. But before you start thinking that I’d somehow earned this distinction (through, say, distinguished military service), you should be aware that the Honorable Order of […]
READ ONSo how did food colors come to be the most rigorously safety-tested ingredients in the world? Abuse, of course. Up to now I’ve written mostly about where safe colorings and dyes have come from. Unsafe colorings and dyes were once far more numerous, and far more widely used. Fraud perpetrated by food makers — especially […]
READ ONYes, you can buy those little squeeze tubes in the grocery store, however they contain some of the worst-tasting stuff you’ve ever put into your mouth. Really. Better, I think, to make one’s own. For home bakers, I simply suggest a thicker version of the powdered sugar-and-water icing below. It’s not much different, save for […]
READ ONI’m not a master colorist by any means, however I dabbled in water color painting long enough to know that if there’s a color you’re interested in, you buy it (or at least the closest thing to it). There are several good reasons for that. Expediency is one. Consistency is another, since you never know […]
READ ONI’ve received some very amusing messages from pastry chefs and bake shop staff the last few days. All of them, in one way or another, echo the sentiments of pastry chef Camille: Iced cookies…shudder. Iced cookies were the bane of my existence at every holiday from Halloween to Sorority Rush Week when I worked at […]
READ ONThough bright artificial colors are a critical ingredient in decorated, iced cookies, I almost hesitate to bring them up, because I know there are more than a few folks out there who experience acute anxiety around them. This anxiety frequently arises from outdated concerns about safety, though some people dislike them on purely aesthetic grounds. […]
READ ONAvast there, for International Talk Like a Pirate Day be approaching! This Saturday, the 19th of September it be. Don’t forget, ye scurvy dogs, or I’ll keel haul the lot of ye!
READ ONOnce your cookies are baked and cooled, it’s time to get your icings together. The first step in cookie decorating is applying your base coats of icing. These will be the canvases upon which you shall create your edible masterpieces. They can of course be any color at all. Since I’ve got an autumn thing […]
READ ONNice article in the Wall Street Journal today on Norman Borlaug: The Man Who Defused the “Population Bomb”. Access it here: http://tinyurl.com/nhh32h. There’s a lot to like in the piece, even if the Journal was — ehem — a little slow out of the chute on this one. Gregg Easterbrook does a nice job of […]
READ ONThis is pretty by-the-numbers stuff, however this dough is quite soft, so a little extra tenderness is required. Begin by placing your dry ingredients in a mixer bowl (you can make this recipe by hand if you wish) and stir them to combine, about 30 seconds. When the dry ingredients are mixed, begin to add […]
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