Hi there and welcome to Pastries Like a Pro. I'm Helen and I'm happy you stopped by.
Here is where I’m going to share with you many of the updated methods I’ve developed over more than 30 years as a professional baker. Reliable, tested, approachable, recipes with lots of hands-on photography to guide you to the perfect outcome.
What I'm Going to Share with You
Sharing techniques and baking information is as important as the recipes. All of the over 400 posts on my blog have been used professionally or developed just for the blog. They are personally tested by me as many times as it takes to make sure they work consistently for you.
There is something for every skill level from novice to advanced. Bajadera is a no bake bar and amazingly easy, Chocolate Truffle Raspberry Curd Tart is very sophisticated looking and requires no baking. Imagine an Angel Food Cake that requires no beating of egg whites or folding in. It's in this blog! French masterpieces such as Marjolaine, which happens to be naturally gluten free and an easier way to make Croissant in 4 or 5 hours without sacrificing quality or taste are just a click away. And whatever you do, don't miss the really easy Caramel Cone Ice Cream ala HÄAGEN-DAZS® - my favorite!
My Professional Career in a Nutshell
Various Magazines that features articles about me or for whom I wrote articles.
- In the beginning I wrote for newspapers as well as magazines such as Chocolatier, Bon Appetit, and Cuisinart’s publication, The Pleasures of Cooking.
This was a story that Bon Appetit magazine ran in their Cooking Class feature.
- Bon Appetit magazine spent 3 days at my house for their article “Desserts That Make the Party” which featured my updated Viennese pastries.
- For several years, I was a traveling teacher jaunting from city to city teaching my new and updated methods of working with pastry.
- As a consultant to Cuisinart’s, I developed recipes and techniques for pastry using the food processor. I had the opportunity to work with the leading food processor company learning the ins and outs of the processor. During the time I was with them, I wrote articles for their magazine, The Pleasures of Cooking. The food processor has been my constant and trusted companion, always by my side, to make baking and pastry easier and faster.
This was the first story I wrote for Cuisinarts The Pleasure of Cooking magazine.
- Before long, I opened my wholesale bakery servicing hotels, restaurants and caterers. We made the pastries in small batches to ensure their consistency and quality. Presidents, heads of state, sports stars, and celebrities have all had desserts from Truffes.
- Eventually, the retail arm of the business was opened featuring upscale take-out food, soups, appetizers, catering and of, course, our very special pastries and wedding cakes.
- I also spent six and a half wonderful years on “Great Day St. Louis”, our local CBS -TV affiliate, KMOV-TV with 4-minute cooking and baking segments. You can see some of the segments on my YouTube channel.
- Well, maybe just one more fun fact. The New York Times named me the Tom Brady of Baking because I have remained in my original profession for my entire career.
- I'm was the pastry chef at Tony's, one of St. Louis' oldest and most esteemed restaurants until I retired in December, 2024.
Books to Which I Have Contributed
- The Cake Bible, Rose Levy Beranbaum
- The Pastry Bible, Rose Levy Beranbaum
- Cookwise, Shirley O. Corriher
- Sweeter Side of Amy’s Bread, Amy Scherer
My Books
My first book, The New Pastry Cook was published by Morrow in 1986. In it, I updated many recipes and classic techniques using the food processor to perform tasks in minutes that previously took much more time and effort. Where the processor couldn’t be used, I found ways to simplify much in the baking and pasty world.
European Tarts, published in 2012 was my second book based on tarts we sold from my bakery.
Craving Cookies is my latest book, published in 2021 features traditional as well as new cookie recipes for every taste.
FAQs About Helen
My grandmother and mother were from Europe and brought many of their baking speciaities with them. At an early age, I was introduced to Croissant, Schaum Torte and Kifle before they were everyday treats here. Although I honestly didn’t care about any of it growing up, after I was married I went to them to learn. I fell in love with what they taught me and went on to expand upon it, making it my life’s work and passion.
No! Baking and pastry is more precise than cooking but it isn’t hard. There are base recipes and techniques that can be used multiple ways in different recipes. For Instance I have a post, From 1 Recipe Comes Multiple Layers where six different cake layers can be made from a single recipe. Imagine, no more searching everywhere for fantastically easy to make layers that can be made as easily as a box mix – only better!
Much in the world of scratch baking can be done in steps so a gorgeous dessert doesn’t have to take days. Cake layers, ganaches, fillings, pastry cream, lemon curd – these are just a few items that can be made ahead and frozen to be combined at a time of your choosing.
Over my many years of writing and professional baking, I developed new techniques and methods that make my baking and pastry easier and less intimidating. I wanted to share them to make baking easier and more enjoyable for others.
Absolutely. When I started my bakery, I could make 1 cake at a time. It soon grew to 20 at a time with the aid of multiple employees, all of whom had to be taught. If you're just beginning, start with something easy like Cream Biscuits then move to a Quick Bread like the Two Step Banana Bread. There are cookies, bars and brownies galore to explore that will build your confidence - and then the world of baking, my world, is yours to enjoy.
A Few of My Top Recipes
Please join me in my kitchen as we explore all the possibilities my world of baking and pastry has to offer you. Surprise your family and friends with new found recipes sure to delight them.