There’s a marvelous story about how Tarte Tropezienne came about as told by Dorie Greenspan. It’s worth the read and I encourage you to take a look. However, I don’t use her recipe. I use my Sixty Second Brioche which goes together so much faster without burning out the motor of your mixer. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Dessert
How to Make Lemon Curd
Due to the confusion over adding the gelatin in last week’s blog, I thought it might be a good idea to post a complete tutorial on Lemon Curd. This actually applies to most curds I have made with the exception of the Cranberry Curd which does not need a boost from gelatin because it has a lot of natural pectin which sets it.
When I first started making large batches of Lemon Curd at the bakery, we piped it into small pastry cups for petit fours. I noticed that towards the end of each piping bag, it would lose its stiffness. So I started adding a bit of gelatin to help keep it stable and allow it to keep its shape when piped. I find it makes all the difference in the world and use it in all of my curds today. Continue reading
Stuffed (or Not) Kouign Amann
One of the best descriptions I’ve read of Kouign Amann comes from Chef Steps: “These salty, buttery pastries hail from the coastal region of Brittany, in the northwest corner of France, where Celtic Breton tradition has prevailed since the great migration across the English Channel during the fifth and sixth centuries. It looks just like you might imagine a Celtic colony on the seacoast of France would: towering bluffs dropping straight into the sea; tiny stone houses dotting the emerald countryside; slate-colored steeples rising into the morning mist. The region is best known for its vast salt flats, where the coveted finishing salt, fleur de sel, is harvested. Here, tucked into wandering village streets, bakeries hawk this much-lauded pastry treasure, whose name literally means “butter cake” in Breton.”
Kouign Amann (pronounced Queen-ah-mann) belongs to the laminated dough family in baking. A croissant like yeast dough is layered with butter and coated with sugar to produce a crunchy, sweet, caramelized pastry that some say is a breakfast pastry and some say is dessert. I could eat them all day long and not care a wit about what time it is! Continue reading
Mocha Kahlua Brownies
Of all the brownies we made at the bakery or I have ever eaten for that matter, Mocha Kahlua Brownies are my favorite. The brownie itself is of the fudgy variety with a deep, intense chocolate flavor highlighted with coffee undertones.
Mocha Kahlua Brownies couldn’t be easier to make, sophisticated taste. The one thing that is important is to mix the batter on low so no air is incorporated. Continue reading
Lemon Raspberry Pudding Cake
Lemon Raspberry Pudding Cake is a relatively low fat dessert but you can’t tell it from the taste. Some recipes for the Lemon Pudding Cake use butter but this recipe from my mother never did. I added the raspberries but blueberries would be great also. It can be made as a whole or individual dessert as you choose.
When you mix it, it looks like a very light cake batter. But as it bakes, it separates into two layers. The top is the lightest cake ever and the bottom is an intense lemon pudding with fresh raspberries.
You can see from the photo that this Lemon Raspberry Pudding “Cake” does not cut well. In fact you don’t cut it, you scoop it out of the pan with a big spoon. It’s definitely a “homey” looking dessert – but those are often the best.
This Lemon Raspberry Pudding Cake is an easy recipe to put together but I have to tell you, my husband and I ate the whole 10″ cake one night – it is that good – or we are that bad! Continue reading
