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Let’s all sing together now shall we? “Do you wanna build a snowman…” or perhaps just the faces in this case. I was inspired to make these marshmallows after seeing a set at Williams-Sonoma during the Christmas holiday. I used my favorite recipe, Vanilla Marshmallows, from the Bouchon Bakery cookbook. For the lovable faces, I melted chocolate and whipped up a batch of royal icing.
In pastry school, I fell in love with homemade English muffins and I’ve been obsessed with making them ever since. Taste them fresh and you can never go back to store-bought, unless of course, you’re in a pinch and need some for your egg bennies. Last year, I made Napa’s Model Bakery English muffins, my favorite. The bakery cooks them on a cast-iron griddle with a lot of clarified butter so the muffins get super crisp and almost flaky. So good. So how do Bouchon Bakery’s English muffins compare? The main difference is in the cooking method. They’re baked vs griddled. Second, the recipe calls for a (4 day) starter. The things I do for homemade goodness. Read on to find out how I did with this recipe. To celebrate Easter I made Hot Cross Buns from the Bouchon Bakery Cookbook. Prior to this I had not eaten nor made them before so it was a brand new experience for me. Traditional buns are made from a yeasted dough with currants and cinnamon icing. Thomas Keller’s recipe uses a brioche dough and incorporates cranberries for a bit of tart contrast and cardamom is in the icing for a more pronounced spice flavor. I was about 10 when I had my first mille feuille, shared with my family in a little cafe in Paris…Epcot. I know I know, really now, a theme park? After a re-visit a few years later armed with a bit more pastry know-how, surprisingly, their mille feuille was rather authentic. The patisserie did get a remodel back in 2012 so I’m not sure what the establishment is like now but I hope there is mille feuille for others to experience and fall in love with like I did. Pithivier also known as a Galette des Rois (King’s Cake) pops up in French patisseries after the New Year in preparation for celebrating the Epiphany on January 6th. The concept is similar to the cake made for Mardi Gras. A little trinket is hidden inside the pastry and when found, he or is she is king or queen for the day. |
Deliciously Noted is a food blog documenting my life in San Francisco - eating, baking, meeting artisans and chefs, and my getaways to New York and Paris. Enjoy and leave a comment or two!
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Copyright © 2009-2015 Jenn Yee All Rights Reserved |
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