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Authors: Barbara Fairchild
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instant-read thermometers aren’t designed to withstand the high temperatures required for readings on sugar mixtures like dark caramel, which can get as hot as 380°F.
vegetable peeler
Choose a swivel-bladed peeler with a comfortable grip, which will offer the easiest maneuverability for removing the peel from fruits and for making chocolate curls.
whisks
A whisk’s sturdy wires help blend ingredients and also beat air into whatever you’re mixing. For combining dry ingredients and stirring sauces until smooth, use a standard whisk , which has a gently tapered profile. A balloon whisk , which is wider at the bottom than the top, is good for tasks that require aerating, such as whipping small amounts of cream by hand.
wooden spoons
Simple, heat resistant, and versatile, wooden spoons have countless uses. The spoons come with flat edges, angled edges, and, of course, curved bowls. They’re sturdy enough for softening butter and stirring thick doughs, batters, compotes, and sauces. The simple, dowel-like handle is easy to hold. And the wooden surface is less slick than a metal spoon’s, which makes it the tool of choice for stirring and softening thick ingredients, like buttery cookie doughs. Wooden spoons are inexpensive, so keep an assortment of sizes on hand.
techniques
the basics
Dessert preparation, like other kinds of cooking, comes with its own unique set of techniques
,
whether whipping cream to soft peaks or creating the perfect custard. Some techniques may require a little more practice than others, but all are well within the reach of every home cook. Here we offer step-by-step guidance to the most widely used dessert techniques—those that you’ll use frequently throughout this book. In addition, you’ll find more specific instructions (how to frost cakes, for example, or how to prepare perfect pie crusts) within each chapter.
how to follow a recipe
Read through the entire recipe before measuring or preparing a single ingredient. This may sound obvious, but many cooks dive right in, only to discover that they are missing ingredients, have not allowed enough time for preparation or chilling, or don’t have the proper equipment on hand.
Pay special attention to the recipe headnote, which highlights useful information about the ingredients and techniques used in the recipe.
Ingredients are listed in the order that they are used in the recipe.
The French term
mise en place
means “setting in place”; in cooking, it refers to having all the ingredients prepped and ready to go—chocolate chopped, flour measured, strawberries hulled and sliced, etc. But, once again, read the recipe first before preparing the
mise en place.
You wouldn’t want to peel and slice peaches for a cheesecake topping, for example, only to find that they are added to the recipe
after
the cake has chilled overnight.
Cooking times will vary depending on individual ovens, pan variations, and other elements. Always set the timer for a few minutes less than the recipe calls for, just to be on the safe side. Once you find that your baking times are in sync with the times stated in the recipes, or that they routinely run a minute or two slower or faster, set your timer accordingly.
NOTE : Baking is the most exacting form of cooking; even minor changes to a recipe can make a dramatic difference in the results. Therefore, we suggest that you
do not make substitutions
beyond what may be recommended in the recipe or headnote. Or, prepare the recipe at least once as written, then experiment with your own variations.
butter, browning
Brown butter, or
beurre noisette
, refers to butter that has been melted and cooked until golden brown. Browning—not burning—the butter over medium-low heat cooks the milk solids in the butter, thus intensifying the butter flavor. This is a classic French technique that adds a full, nutty, buttery flavor to foods. Here’s how to do it.
Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium-low
vegetable peeler
Choose a swivel-bladed peeler with a comfortable grip, which will offer the easiest maneuverability for removing the peel from fruits and for making chocolate curls.
whisks
A whisk’s sturdy wires help blend ingredients and also beat air into whatever you’re mixing. For combining dry ingredients and stirring sauces until smooth, use a standard whisk , which has a gently tapered profile. A balloon whisk , which is wider at the bottom than the top, is good for tasks that require aerating, such as whipping small amounts of cream by hand.
wooden spoons
Simple, heat resistant, and versatile, wooden spoons have countless uses. The spoons come with flat edges, angled edges, and, of course, curved bowls. They’re sturdy enough for softening butter and stirring thick doughs, batters, compotes, and sauces. The simple, dowel-like handle is easy to hold. And the wooden surface is less slick than a metal spoon’s, which makes it the tool of choice for stirring and softening thick ingredients, like buttery cookie doughs. Wooden spoons are inexpensive, so keep an assortment of sizes on hand.
techniques
the basics
Dessert preparation, like other kinds of cooking, comes with its own unique set of techniques
,
whether whipping cream to soft peaks or creating the perfect custard. Some techniques may require a little more practice than others, but all are well within the reach of every home cook. Here we offer step-by-step guidance to the most widely used dessert techniques—those that you’ll use frequently throughout this book. In addition, you’ll find more specific instructions (how to frost cakes, for example, or how to prepare perfect pie crusts) within each chapter.
how to follow a recipe
Read through the entire recipe before measuring or preparing a single ingredient. This may sound obvious, but many cooks dive right in, only to discover that they are missing ingredients, have not allowed enough time for preparation or chilling, or don’t have the proper equipment on hand.
Pay special attention to the recipe headnote, which highlights useful information about the ingredients and techniques used in the recipe.
Ingredients are listed in the order that they are used in the recipe.
The French term
mise en place
means “setting in place”; in cooking, it refers to having all the ingredients prepped and ready to go—chocolate chopped, flour measured, strawberries hulled and sliced, etc. But, once again, read the recipe first before preparing the
mise en place.
You wouldn’t want to peel and slice peaches for a cheesecake topping, for example, only to find that they are added to the recipe
after
the cake has chilled overnight.
Cooking times will vary depending on individual ovens, pan variations, and other elements. Always set the timer for a few minutes less than the recipe calls for, just to be on the safe side. Once you find that your baking times are in sync with the times stated in the recipes, or that they routinely run a minute or two slower or faster, set your timer accordingly.
NOTE : Baking is the most exacting form of cooking; even minor changes to a recipe can make a dramatic difference in the results. Therefore, we suggest that you
do not make substitutions
beyond what may be recommended in the recipe or headnote. Or, prepare the recipe at least once as written, then experiment with your own variations.
butter, browning
Brown butter, or
beurre noisette
, refers to butter that has been melted and cooked until golden brown. Browning—not burning—the butter over medium-low heat cooks the milk solids in the butter, thus intensifying the butter flavor. This is a classic French technique that adds a full, nutty, buttery flavor to foods. Here’s how to do it.
Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium-low
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