Why, nothing more or less than a little blob of pâte à chou flavored with gruyère cheese and chile powder. They’re small, about the size of cream puffs (which are, not coincidentally, made from the same type of pastry) and are one of the world’s all-time great wine accompaniments. Though they’re rich they’re quite light, […]
READ ONThe arrival of these little cheese puffs at the top of the request list is a very auspicious sign for the new year. It means I finally might make good on a New Year’s resolution that I’ve made the last three years running: to do more savory baking. Something else that’s very cool about gougères […]
READ ONThis is one of those tasks most people assume they already know how to perform. However after receiving some emails about slipping and/or sliding glazes during Sacher torte week, I think a tutorial on this subject is warranted. For as with most things there’s a right way to cut a cake and a wrong way. […]
READ ONI promise. These questions came in recently from reader Joseph H.: – I saw no mention of raspberry jam. I keep hearing that you can use raspberry or apricot. Personally, I prefer apricot, and was glad to see it prominently featured in your posts. What gives with raspberry? – The recipe that I was given […]
READ ONAnd now if I might speak out of the other side of my mouth for a moment, I’d like to devote a little time to a book that several readers have asked me to comment on, but which I only just received for Christmas: Rose Levy Berenbaum’s Rose’s Heavenly Cakes. Rose Levy Beranbaum worshipper that […]
READ ONReader Herman S. weighs in from Belgium: Could it be that the dryness problem is also a cultural issue? Indeed the advent of American coca cola started a proces by which European drinkers, or at least the Belgian ones, want sweeter beers. And thus, more and more old Belgian beers are now ‘restyled’ and become […]
READ ONAs expected, Gerhard’s comments on Sacher torte elicited a large number of responses, most of which broke down into two camps, those who believed his argument that Sacher torte is supposed to be dry, as exemplifed by reader Chana… Interesting are Gerhard’s comments on the intentional “dryness” of a Sacher torte. So maybe the piece […]
READ ONWell, he couldn’t stay on vacation forever. My comeuppance was inevitable. Here is what a true Sacher torte aficionado (and home baker) has to say about what went on here last week. * The combination of those three components (flour, meringue and “mayonaise”) for Sacher Torte batter is the foundation of all good Viennese cake-baking. […]
READ ONMartha writes in from Amsterdam: Someone very nice brought a Demel chocolate Torte from Vienna for our Christmas dinner in Amsterdam. It came daintily packed in a signed wooden box. I had never tasted a “real” one before, and it was very nice and not really dry or dryish, although we did have whipped cream […]
READ ONI was hoping to get one other small project in before the end of the year, but between my work obligations and my Santa obligations, it just isn’t going to happen. Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah — see you in 2010!
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