PB&J Linzers
Linzer cookies (and large format linzer tortes!) have always been a favorite of mine since I started making them for the pastry case at a bakery I worked at on Cape Cod. I would fill half of the cookies I baked with homemade blackberry jam, and the rest with lemon curd. The jam ones always wept and I could never figure out why… until years later when I learned how to properly make and set jam. The jam I used to make was simply too wet because I would always try to use as little sugar as possible, and this would cause the bleeding edges on my linzers.
Nowadays I rarely make my own jam for them, unless I already have a homemade jar on hand. I usually go for Bonne Maman, my favorite brand since living in France. The leftover jars make perfect cups for iced coffee!
This is my first post since my mother passed away in October. I miss her so, so, so much. I never thought I’d lose her before I even turned 30. In the terrible, seemingly endless days after her passing, I found myself craving homey, almost childish meals that made me feel comfy. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches entered my atmosphere after years of absence, and the idea for these came to me while working on some Christmas recipes. So now I’ll share it with you.
Recipe Notes: I use cheap Jif peanut butter for these. They’ll work with a fancy brand like Justin’s, too, but may end up a bit dryer. Bake time can vary depending on how frozen your cookies are when they hit the oven — if they’re softened up, please freeze them again before baking!
PB & J Linzers
Makes 24 sandwich cookies
1 ¼ stick butter, cold and cubed (140g)
¾ cup sugar (150g)
2 cups all purpose flour (240g)
¼ cup peanut butter (70g)
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons turbinado sugar
1/2 cup jam of choice (raspberry is great for this!)
Add butter, sugar, flour, and a pinch of salt to a food processor. Pulse a few times until a sandy mixture forms.
Add peanut butter, egg, and vanilla to the food processor. Pulse a few more times until a soft dough forms. Split the dough in two, wrap in plastic, and chill for 30 minutes.
Remove dough from fridge and allow to soften until rollable (this can take 10-15 minutes). Place one half of dough between 2 sheets of parchment and roll 1/4” thick. Roll out remaining dough, then sprinkle on 3 tablespoons of turbinado sugar and press it in firmly.
Place both sheets into the freezer for 15 minutes, until firm.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment and set aside.
Cut both layers into cookies using a 2 or 3-inch cookie cutter. Divide in half, then cut a center window out of half of the cookies. If you don’t have a small circle cutter for the center of the linzer cookies, I use a piping tip pretty often. A bottle cap would work too.
Place cut cookies on baking sheets at least an inch apart. At this point, if the cookies are not cold and firm, freeze them again briefly, Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until just beginning to brown. Remove from oven and cool completely.
Separate the tops and bottoms! Place about 1/2 teaspoon of jam on one of the bottom cookies, then sandwich on the top piece. The jam should poke through and look super cute!
Green Gougeres
Howdy! Today I’m sharing a recipe for gougeres that’s been stuck in my head for a long time. I’ve always made these little addictive cheese puffs for dinner parties — they’re super easy to make and really delicious! Choux is such a fun thing to work with because it’s incredibly versatile. I had the idea to blend some herbs and greens with the eggs before incorporating them, and after a few tests I got it to a place I’m happy with. The herbs add a hefty boost of flavor and the spinach helps keep the batter as green as possible. I use a food processor for this recipe, but a stand mixer would work too if you don’t have one… just chop the herbs up finely! Hope everyone is having a great end of September.
Green Gougeres
Makes approximately 24 puffs
3 eggs (150g)
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup parsley, picked
¼ cup basil
½ cup spinach
½ cup milk (118g)
½ cup water (118g)
3 tbsp butter (42g)
¾ cup + 2 tbsp all purpose flour (110g)
¼ cup grated parmesan
¼ cup shredded cheddar
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup chives or scallions, sliced
Preheat the oven to 425º F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
Add eggs, salt, parsley, basil, and spinach to a food processor. Blend until smooth, 1-2 minutes. The eggs may become frothy— no problem! Pour the mixture into a measuring cup or bowl and set aside.
In a medium pot, combine the milk, water, and butter. Heat over medium-low until it begins to simmer and the butter is fully melted. Quickly whisk in the flour, then switch to a heat-proof spatula or wooden spoon. Cook over low-medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until a film collects on the bottom of the pot. Cool for 5 minutes.
Place the dough into the food processor. Process for 1 minute, then pour in the egg mixture while the food processor is running. Continue processing for 1-2 minutes, until a smooth, thick paste forms.
Add both cheeses, black pepper, and chives. Pulse a few times to combine, then scoop the choux pastry out with a spatula and load into a piping bag fitted with a small or medium round tip.
Pipe quarter-sized circles onto the lined baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches of space between each one. Grate fresh parmesan over the entire tray and add a pinch of flaky salt.
Bake for 15 minutes at 425º, then lower to 375º (without opening the oven) for a further 20 minutes. The baked puffs should be brown, risen, and hollow when picked up. Eat while warm! The gougeres can also be frozen before baking and baked later!
Brown Sugar Poppy Muffins
Howdy friends! It’s been a few months since I’ve written a new post. A lot has changed in my life, and while I don’t want to get too into it I will share that I’ve recently gone through a major break up. It’s been hard, but it was the right choice for both parties. Now I’m living alone for the first time in East Hollywood, which has been another big change. But I love it! Each day I get to know myself a little more — in all 27 (almost 28!) years of my life I haven’t ever spent as much time alone as I have been lately. I think everyone should do it at some point. You deserve it!
I think I’m ready to get back into this whole “baking” thing. I lost my mojo for the last few months, and all I’ve really baked are my M&M cookies. It’s also scorching hot in LA since it’s mid summer, so the oven is not a fun thing to turn on… It’s 88º today, but at least I’m tan and living my best summer life. :)
I was put in touch with Frog Hollow Farms by my friend Amanda, and they offered to send me a flat of their Flavor King Pluots. These pluots are one of the best fruits I’ve ever tasted! Sweet as candy, juicier than anything in this world, and beautiful in color, too. Pluots are a cross between apricots and plums, but are mostly plums genetically. My mind ran through a few options when thinking of how best I could use them: coffee cake? Frangi tart? Upside down cake? In the end I opted for a quick little muffin number, because it’s easy, it takes a short time in the oven, and it’s a great breakfast option. And I don’t have any muffin recipes up on my blog yet, so it’s a win win!
Brown Sugar Poppy Muffins
Makes 9 muffins
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup spelt or whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons poppy seeds
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup sour cream
1 egg
1/2 stick butter, melted
1 1/4 cup diced pluots, peaches, or whole blueberries
Turbinado sugar for topping, optional
Preheat the oven to 400º F. Line a muffin pan with 9 paper liners.
Combine the dry ingredients in a small bowl: whisk together the all purpose flour, spelt flour, baking soda, baking powder, poppy seeds, and salt.
Combine the wet ingredients in a large mixing bowl: whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, whole milk, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla.
Fold the dry and wet ingredients together with a spatula until no flour streaks remain. Fold in the chopped fruit until just combined. I like to place another slice of fruit on the top of each muffin for aesthetic.
Scoop the batter into lined muffin cups, filling each one about 3/4 full. Top each with turbinado sugar, if desired. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until domed and browned on top. If you push in the center of the muffin, it should spring back slowly if it’s fully baked!
Banana Pudding
Hi friends! A few weeks ago I took a trip home to Wilmington, NC for my friend Jessica’s wedding. It was so nice to be home in the warm weather and with people I love — especially after not having done so for over a year thanks to covid. I was reminded that I am quite the Southern boy, no matter how much I try to avoid it. Nothing makes my heart thump like fried chicken, biscuits, hush puppies, and banana pudding. I miss being by the water all the time, and my signature farmer’s tan took mere moments to return to its full glory.
Growing up gay in the South was quite the journey, and I doubt I could have grown into the person I am today if I was still there (but I’m sure I’d still be awesome). Even in 2021 when I’m at home I am privy to plenty of homophobic comments, the most common ones usually having something to do with the length of my shorts or whatever I’m wearing. It used to really upset me, but nowadays I am more likely to say something equally ignorant back (ironically, of course) or just ignore it entirely. Masculinity is such a fragile, delicate thing (lmao) and it doesn’t like to be threatened or challenged. That being said, I salute the queers who live their lives out and proud in red states. It is certainly not easy.
Now let’s move on to happier things, like the banana pudding. I had some when I was home from a small restaurant, most likely made with Jello pudding mix and Cool Whip, like my Grandma Daisy used to make it. Overly sweet and not a lick of salt to be found. Still good, though. I’ve never really thought I needed to make my own banana pudding recipe because, well, it’s barely a recipe to begin with. I will not be making my own Nilla wafers, so if that’s what you’re here for I’m so sorry to disappoint. If I was a pastry chef in a restaurant making a composed banana pudding dish — LOL at this entire sentence — maybe I’d make my own Nilla wafers, but time is money, honey.
My perfect banana pudding consists of a pastry cream base lightened with whipped cream, ripe bananas, a fresh box of Nilla wafers, and some more whipped cream. It’s easy, quick, cold, delicious, and the obvious choice for summer BBQ parties. If you don’t want to make your own pastry cream, go ahead and get a box of Jello pudding mix and prepare it according to the package. I shan’t be judging, nor partaking…
Recipe Notes: If you don’t have vanilla bean or paste, just add 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract to the finished pudding. This recipe is best prepared the day before you want to serve it, but if you don’t have time on your side, at least 4-6 hours of chilling should do.
Banana Pudding
6 egg yolks
2 cups milk (680g)
1 vanilla bean (or 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste)
1 cup white sugar (200g)
1/4 cup cornstarch (35g)
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter (28g)
1 1/2 tablespoons rum (optional)
3 large bananas, sliced thin
1 box Nilla Wafers
For the whipped cream:
2 cups heavy cream (360g)
1 tablespoon sugar
Pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons sour cream
1. Start with the pudding: If using vanilla bean, scrape the pod clean and rub it into the sugar. Place roughly half of the sugar in a medium sized pot and pour in the milk. Place the rest of the sugar in a mixing bowl and whisk in the yolks, cornstarch, and salt until smooth and combined.
2. Heat the milk and sugar mixture over medium until it almost boils, then turn off the heat. Using a ladle, scoop some of the hot milk into the bowl of sugar, cornstarch, and eggs, whisking immediately. Gradually whisk more milk (about 1/2 of what’s in the pot) in until no lumps remain, then pour it back into the pot. Turn the heat back on and bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking constantly. Cook it for about 5 minutes (without stepping away), or until the the custard is very thick and the whisk leaves an indentation when removed. Strain into a plastic container and whisk in the butter and rum. Place plastic wrap over the surface of the pudding and cool to room temperature, then chill until cold.
3. Prepare the whipped cream: add the cream, sugar, and salt to a large bowl and whip to stiff peaks, then fold in the sour cream and vanilla extract. Refrigerate until ready to assemble.
4. Assemble: Fold about half of the whipped cream into the chilled pudding and reserve the rest for layering. In a rectangular baking dish or a large bowl (or anything really!), begin by placing layer of Nilla wafers in the bottom. Top with pudding, then bananas, and lastly a thin layer of the plain whipped cream. Continue this process until all of the ingredients are used, and top it off with a decorative layer of whipped cream if you desire. Wrap the pudding tightly with plastic and chill overnight. Enjoy the next day!
Oatmeal Cream Pies
The week of Valentine’s Day while I was grocery shopping for my upcoming bake sale, I came *this close* to buying a jumbo-sized box of Little Debbie oatmeal cream pies. I’m glad I didn’t, because they’d definitely have given me a stomach ache — after eating 4+ in one sitting, of course. The craving didn’t pass, though, so a week later I decided to make this homemade version with marshmallow in between. I’m so glad I did!
The cookies are the easy part and can be mixed by hand, but the marshmallow will need a stand mixer and your full attention. If you’re scared of cooking sugar (you will need a candy thermometer), maybe opt for a classic cream cheese frosting to go between these instead. No one in their right mind would complain. :)
Recipe Notes: The marshmallow recipe makes a good amount extra, even if you fill the sandwiches generously. This is because I have a 6 quart bowl for stand mixer, and whipping 1 egg white just isn’t gonna happen. 2 egg whites is the minimum I’ve found to be workable, but if you have a mini stand mixer I’m sure you could split the marshmallow measurements in half with no issues. Otherwise, spread the leftover marshmallow in a small square pan (grease it with baking spray or butter first, then sprinkle powdered sugar all over it) and let them set for a few hours. Cut with a lightly greased knife and store for a rainy day!
oatmeal cream pies
Makes 12 sandwiches
ginger oat cookies
2 sticks unsalted butter (228g)
¾ cup brown sugar (150g)
⅓ cup white sugar (67g)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg
2 egg yolks
3 tbsp molasses (60g)
2 cups bread flour (240g)
1 ¾ cups rolled or quick oats (160g)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon fresh ginger
1 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp cardamom
1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
brown sugar marshmallow
1 1/2 tablespoons gelatin powder (15g)
⅓ cup water
1 cup white sugar (200g)
1 cup brown sugar (200g)
2 egg whites (65-70g)
2 tablespoons corn syrup (40g)
375º F for 10 minutes
Make the cookies: Preheat the oven to 375º and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Melt one stick of butter until it begins to brown, then add the remaining stick and remove from heat, whisking until the added butter is fully melted. Pour it into a bowl and whisk in the brown sugar, white sugar, and salt. The bowl should not be too hot to handle, so let it cool for a bit if it is. Whisk in the molasses, egg, and yolks until combined.
Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl: bread flour (AP works too), oats, cinnamon, fresh ginger, ground ginger, cardamom, baking soda, and baking powder. Stir with a spatula until a dough forms. Scoop cookies (if they’re not scoopable, chill for 15 minutes) into 1oz / 2 tablespoon / 35g portions and place on the baking sheet with 2-3” of space between. Bake each tray for 9-10 minutes, then cool fully before continuing and making the marshmallow. Match the cooled cookies with their sandwich partners and place one of each of them bottom side up on a tray for filling.
Make the marshmallow: combine 1/3 cup water and the gelatin powder in a measuring cup and set aside. In a small pot, combine brown sugar, white sugar, and corn syrup, then pour in about 1/2 cup warm water. Gently stir or swirl the pot until all of the sugar is saturated, and make sure no sugar crystals are lingering on the sides of the pot (a wet pastry brush can be used to remove them or push them back down).
Place the pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and track the temperature with a candy thermometer. At the 200º F mark, start whipping the egg whites to soft peaks in the stand mixer. If the whites reach soft peaks before the sugar is ready, keep the mixer going on the lowest speed. When the sugar reaches 240º F, remove from heat immediately and begin streaming it into the whipped egg whites while the mixer is running on high speed. Try to pour it in a single, thin stream that hits the side of the bowl rather than the whisk attachment. Slowly pour until all of it is incorporated. Remove the gelatin from the measuring cup (it should be firm) and place it in the pot the sugar was in. Stir until the gelatin is fully melted, placing over low heat if needed. Add the gelatin liquid to the whipping marshmallow and continue mixing on high speed until the bowl is just barely warm. The marshmallow will be thick, fluffy, glossy and stiff.
Fill a large piping bag fitted with a plain round tip with some of the marshmallow mixture. Working quickly, fill the cookies with about 1/4 cup of filling (I just eyeball it to my liking, tbh). Sandwich the cookies together just after piping so they stick. Allow filled cream pies to set for 1-2 hours at room temperature so the marshmallow can firm up. These can be stored in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days after making!
Canelés
I feel like I say this about a lot of things, but canelés are one of my all time favorite pastries. For real! They’re not too sweet, the crunchy shell is to die for, and the rum and vanilla flavors are classic and need no changing. I love baking these for friends! These crunchy rummy pastries originally come from Bordeaux, France, where an original recipe is closely guarded and kept in production by a group of pro pâtissiers. Wish I was cool enough to be a part of that club! But since I’m not, I’ll keep making this formula at home, which comes straight from Pierre Hermé’s hard-to-find cookbook Secrets Gourmands. It’s pretty simple, and if you do a quick search you’ll find this is the standard recipe basically everyone uses. The only real variances are some use egg yolks only, some choose not to use beeswax at home (I say do), and some use powdered sugar instead of granulated.
I do suggest you get copper canelé molds or you will not be able to obtain the super dark and crunchy signature crust… You can get the flavors and a rough version from a silicon mold, but I wouldn’t waste my time. I got my first six copper molds from E Dehellerin in Paris, and I just found a great online source directly in France via Etsy to order more from! French Copper Kitchen by Paul Simmons is based in Bordeaux. I ordered eight 1.75” molds to match my other 6, and they arrived super fast and are good quality. I like using smaller molds so I can eat more canelé! Hehe.
Another suggestion, use beeswax for the crispiest and shiniest final product. When buying beeswax, search for “food grade” and/or “organic” white beeswax pellets. These are easiest to melt. I’ve also gotten bars of it from the farmers’ market honey stand. The clean up job can be difficult after your pot is coated in wax, so use a pot with a handle that is oven safe, and a utensil for stirring that you don’t mind getting dirty. I melt the remaining wax off of my pot by inverting it on a sheet pan and baking it for a few minutes.
Recipe Notes: The batter performs best after resting at least 12 hours, preferably 24 hours, and ideally 48 hours. I have made some about 4 hours before baking, and gotten decent results… but please just make it at least the night before and even more ahead if possible. When baking, make sure you have some good ventilation and the windows open. Your first few times making these you are more than likely going to set off the fire alarm. It’s part of the process, but an easy way to avoid it is to make sure you have a very thin coating of wax + butter in the molds. I do this by briefly heating the molds till they are almost too hot to touch, then filling with warmed “white oil” (butter + wax) and pouring it back into the pot, and finally draining the canelé molds upside down on a paper towel. Good luck!
canelés
makes about 24 small canelé (in 1.75” molds)
500g whole milk
100g butter, unsalted
250g granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 yolks
Pinch salt
1 scraped vanilla beans (or 1 teaspoon vanilla paste, or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract)
100g all purpose flour
3 tablespoons rum
For the white oil:
180g butter (clarified)
120g beeswax
1. Melt the butter over medium heat in a small pot, then pour in the milk and heat just until warm.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, yolks, sugar, half the flour, a pinch of salt, and vanilla bean (or paste/extract) until smooth.
3. Whisk in about half of the flour mixture, then about half of the warm milk and butter mixture. Add the remaining flour and whisk it in, followed by the remaining milk and butter. Lastly, whisk in the rum. Pour the batter into a container, pop a lid on it and chill it in the fridge overnight.
4. The next day, take out the batter and allow it to come to around room temperature. Preheat the oven to 525º F and place an oven rack on the lower middle half of the oven. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
5. To grease the molds, melt 180g clarified butter in a small pot over medium heat, then stir in 120g beeswax and keep heating until fully melted. Keep on low heat to keep the oil hot. Place the molds on the baking sheet and pop them in the oven for 1 minute, just to warm them through. Remove from the oven and, working with one at a time, fill the canelé mold completely with white oil. Pour it back into the pot and invert the mold on a paper towel to drain excess oil. Repeat with the remaining molds, warming them again if needed and keeping the oil on low heat. This takes a while, but getting a thin coating is best and takes practice.
6. Whisk or blend the batter together right before baking — I whizz mine with my immersion blender. Fill the oiled canelé molds with batter, leaving just about 1/8” of room at the top for them to grow (reference photo at end of recipe). Bake for 20 minutes on 500º, then turn the oven down to 375º and bake a further 30-35 minutes. Note: if using larger molds, expect more bake time. Bake until they’re dark golden brown all over, maybe 10-15 additional minutes.
7. When the bake time is up, take the canelés from the oven and immediately remove them from their pans and place onto a wire rack to cool — this is when they will become crisp. I use tongs for this step. Eat the canelés the day they’re baked for best texture! If I ever have any leftover, I refresh them at 400º for about 7 minutes and let them cool again, which comes petty close just baked freshness.
Help! My canelés are blonde on top!
This could be because they’re rising out of the molds during baking. Check if they have “mushroomed” out of their molds about halfway through the total bake time. If they have, I’ve found some success removing them from the molds and placing them back in the pan — they’ll usually shrink back in.
I like to put a large cast iron pan or a heavy sheet pan in the bottom of the oven to preheat. This helps to fully cook the tops and usually works for me every time!
Updated Dec 10, 2021
I use aluminum foil to make the clean up easier after baking. This is how high I fill my molds! You can also see the thin layer of beeswax near the edge.
Cheesecake Brownies
This is a variation of my Perfectly Fudgy Brownie that adds a delicious layer of one of my other favorite desserts: cheesecake!! When I worked at the bakery years ago we would always make brownies differently each time, whether it be with toasted hazelnuts, almonds, raspberries, or my personal favorite twist: cheesecake! They would always sell out quickly (that and peanut butter brownies, which will surely come to this blog in due time). This is the same cheesecake filling recipe I used years ago, which I found in Baking Illustrated, one of my favorite baking resources by America’s Test Kitchen. It’s perfectly creamy and thick and holds a perfect ribbon when swirled into brownie batter. If you’d like to watch the video recipe, here it is on my IGTV!
Recipe Notes: If you’ve made my brownies before, first, thank you! Second, please note that my OG recipe called for an 8x8 square pan. This one calls for a 9x9 because there’s a bit more batter and when I was testing it wouldn’t bake through fully in the 8x8 without browning on top. If you only have a 9x13 you can double this recipe and proceed as written, just expect maybe 5ish minutes longer bake time. As always with my brownie recipe, look for cracks in the top and a risen center to know when they’re done. Cool completely before cutting, or I promise you they will fall apart.
cheesecake brownies
brownie batter:
1 prepared recipe Perfectly Fudgy Brownies
cheesecake filling:
8oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla paste (or extract)
Pinch salt
Preheat the oven to 350º, then lightly grease and line a 9x9” pan with parchment paper.
Prepare the brownie batter according to the recipe.
To make the cheesecake filling, place the cream cheese, sugar, and a pinch of salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until creamy and smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and add the egg yolk and vanilla paste. Mix again on medium speed until combined.
Place half of the brownie batter in the 9x9” pan and spread into an even layer. Dollop about half of the cheesecake mixture randomly over the batter. Swirl it in with a knife, then cover with the remaining brownie batter and spread it to cover all of the cheesecake. Finally, top with what’s left of the cheesecake and swirl it in again.
Bake the cheesecake brownies in the preheated oven for 30-34 minutes, until risen and puffy in the center and beginning to crack on the surface. Cool completely before slicing.
Hey! Like this recipe? Feel free to follow me on Instagram for more videos, photos, and recipes… and make sure to tag me @alexanderbakes if you bake something!
Lemon Buttermilk Cake
A classic lemon loaf cake may not be the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of fall baking, but it’s what I was in the mood for and so it shall be! :) Lemon cake is one of my best friend’s favorite baked goods, and I think it’s become one of mine as well by proxy. It’s a bakery staple that I’ve made countless times over the years.
This recipe is going to utilize the reverse creaming method. The regular creaming method is the classic way most of us make cookies and cakes: cream butter and sugar together in a mixer until fluffy. Reverse creaming starts by mixing together all of the dry ingredients, then breaking the butter into the mixture. Once a sandy texture is achieved, the air is added to the batter by mixing the ingredients on medium high for a moment, then adding the liquid and eggs together at the end. Reverse creaming still requires a mixer, but could be done with a hand mixer if you don’t have a stand mixer. Compared to standard creaming, the reverse method will give you a lighter cake (from my experience) and it’s a bit easier because you can start with cold butter.
Recipe Notes: To make this as a bundt cake, double the recipe. It can also be baked in a mini loaf pan or mini bundt pan, just expect a much shorter bake time. I highly recommend making the lemon soak, it’s a crucial part of lemon cake that shouldn’t be left out. Otherwise you may as well just make a vanilla cake!
lemon cake
Makes 1 standard loaf
*If using a bundt pan, double the recipe
For the cake:
2 cups (240g) all purpose flour
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 stick butter (142g), cold and cubed
2 eggs
1 yolk
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons lemon juice
For the lemon soak:
4 tablespoons lemon juice
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
For the glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
3 to 4 tablespoons milk, cream, or lemon juice
Candied citrus, herbs, or flowers, to decorate (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350º F. Grease and line a standard sized loaf pan (1lb capacity) with parchment paper and set aside. Baker’s Note: I like to use loaf pans that are more narrow than they are wide, like a pullman pan.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt on low speed.
Add the cold butter cubes to the bowl and allow to mix on low speed for 4 to 5 minutes. The butter will slowly break down and eventually there will be none visible (see example photo at end of this recipe). When the butter is mostly broken in and invisible, turn the mixer up to medium speed for 2 minutes to incorporate some air.
Stir together the buttermilk, eggs, yolk, vanilla and lemon juice. Reduce to low speed and pour in the wet ingredients while the mixer runs. Once all of the ingredients are combined, turn up the speed to medium for 30 seconds, then turn off the mixer.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour (time can vary slightly depending on what loaf pan you choose) or until risen, golden, and set in the center. Test with a toothpick or knife in the center of the cake; if no batter is stuck on the knife after a poke, it’s good to go! You can also try very softly pushing in a part of the cake with your finger, it should rise back into place if the cake is done. While the cake bakes, continue to make the soak and the glaze.
For the soak, combine the lemon juice and sugar for the soak in a small pot. Simmer for 2 minutes and remove from heat. To make the glaze, combine powdered sugar with the cream and whisk together until smooth and slightly runny. If too thick, add a dash more liquid. If too thin, add a little more powdered sugar. No biggie.
When the cake comes out of the oven, poke it all over with a toothpick or skewer and immediately brush on the lemon soak. It can take a few minutes to absorb all of it, so brush it on in several batches. Let the cake cool for 30 minutes, then pour the glaze over the loaf and allow it to set briefly before slicing.
How to store it: Leftover lemon cake will stay fresh in an airtight container kept on the counter for 2-3 days.
Triple Chocolate Cream Puffs
I love making pâte á choux. Whether it’s for my favorite crullers, eclairs or cream puffs, the dough is extremely versatile, freezable, and easy to make. This will be the third choux based recipe on this blog, and certainly not the last!
I was sent a sample of Raaka Chocolate’s new baking chocolate to create a recipe with. Raaka’s chocolate is super delicious and more flavorful than anything I’ve ever tasted — it’s my favorite chocolate bar to eat casually, as one does. My personal favorite flavor is the oat milk bar . The chocolate is super rich, deeply flavorful and fruity. I used the 71% Classic Dark Baking Chocolate for this recipe. The chocolate itself is vegan, but I’m using tons of dairy in this recipe, of course. ;)
I added some dark cocoa powder to my classic choux recipe to chocolatize (new word!) the dough. Some more cocoa powder went into the craquelin topping, and I folded a good amount of Raaka into my pastry warm cream to fill the baked puffs with. The dark chocolate really helps keep the sweetness balanced!
Recipe Notes: Raw choux can be frozen and baked at a later time. Top with craquelin before freezing if desired. Once baked and filled, these are best eaten the same day. If you want even lighter cream puffs that can be filled more, fold 1 cup of whipped cream into the chilled pastry cream.
chocolate choux
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup + 2 tbsp water
3 1/2 tablespoons (50g) butter, unsalted
Big pinch of salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup (120g) all purpose flour, sifted
1 1/2 tablespoons dark cocoa powder
2 to 3 eggs
chocolate craquelin
5 tablespoons (70g) butter, melted and cooled
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons dark cocoa powder
Pinch salt
chocolate pastry cream
1 batch prepared pastry cream, still hot
3/4 cup Raaka 71% Classic Dark Baking Chocolate
Make the craquelin: combine all ingredients except butter in a stand mixer on low speed. Add in butter while mixer runs and stop when a crumbly dough forms. Place the dough between two sheets of parchment and roll into a small rectangle, keeping the dough about as thick as a nickel. Place in freezer.
Make the choux dough: In a medium pot combine the milk, water, butter, sugar, and salt. Heat over medium-low until the milk begins to simmer. Turn off the heat and whisk in the flour and cocoa powder as quickly as possible, then switch to a heat-proof spatula. Stir until a film collects on the bottom of the pot and begins to make a hissing sound, 2 to 3 minutes. Place the dough into a stand mixer and beat with a paddle attachment for 2 minutes, or until steam is gone but the dough is still slightly warm. Add eggs one at a time and allow each to fully incorporate, stopping and scraping the bottom of the bowl as needed. After adding 2 eggs use the stretch test (demo’d here in my IGTV video). If your pastry doesn’t stretch at least an inch, you may need another egg (or maybe even half of one — whisk it together and add half to start. The choux should be smooth and shiny when finished. Place in a piping bag fitted with a round tip and prepare to pipe.
Assemble and bake choux: preheat the oven to 425º F. Remove the craquelin from the freezer and set aside. Line a half sheet with parchment paper and pipe the choux dough in quarter-sized amounts 1” apart (you’ll get around 24 puffs). Using a small ring cutter or the wide end of another piping tip, cut circles out of the craquelin topping. Remove carefully (use an offset spatula) and place one on top of each piped choux. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes at 425º, then lower to 375º for the remaining 15 to 20 minutes. When done the puffs will be risen and hollow if you pick one up. Cool completely after baking.
Make the chocolate pastry cream: fold 3/4 cup of Raaka chocolate wafers into pastry cream right when it comes off of the stove. Cover and chill fully before using (2-3 hours).
Assemble cream puffs: slice cooled puffs in half sandwich style. Stir the chilled pastry cream to smoothen it out, then place in a piping bag and pipe cute blobs on each cream puff bottom. Place the top on, and voilà: a triple chocolate cream puff. Eat immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve! Best eaten the day they’re made.
Deluxe Chocolate Chip Cookies
Virgo season is almost upon us! For those of you that aren’t yet aware, I’m a full blown Virgo (my birthday is 9/11). My partner Evan is also a Virgo, and our dog Mimi somehow happens to be Virgo, too. It’s a triple threat household. The three of us are equally anxious, emotional, and overly sensitive — in all the best ways, obviously. One of my strongest Virgo qualities is my indecisiveness. Some of the most stressful times in my life have revolved around major decisions (like living in France a few years back), and it’s really intriguing to think “wow, imagine if I hadn’t decided to do that.” But I did, and here I am (now in Los Angeles). And here you are, reading this blog, which might not have came into existence had I not decided to pursue pastry in my early career. Crazy stuff.
My indecisiveness not only affects major life choices, but sometimes the smaller ones, too, like what to order for dinner or what to watch on TV. The older I get — I’ll be 27 this year — the more I realize there’s no need to feel stressed about decisions. There’s time for exploring multiple paths. And thus, that’s why I’m presenting you my second chocolate chip cookie recipe. My OG chocolate chip cookie recipe from last year is super easy: she needs no mixer or chill time, and can be quickly made and baked right away. In fact, I’m changing her name to Easiest Chocolate Chip Cookies. My new “deluxe” cookie is a little more into self care, so she requires an overnight rest, a special ingredient, and a little more effort… but it’s completely worth it! Pick a cookie depending on your mood. Sometimes I want easy, but other times I am able to plan ahead and I want the best cookie possible. Here’s mine, which is a spin off from one of my favorite chocolate chip cookies ever, from one of my favorite bakeries ever: Bakeri.
Recipe Notes: Butter should be softened to almost room temp to allow for easy creaming, and the eggs should not be cold at all (don’t worry about the yolk being cold, it’s easier to separate cold eggs). If you’re omitting the malt powder, I’d add an additional tablespoon of all purpose flour instead. Feel free to add your favorite toasted nuts, and freeze whatever dough you don’t bake. When baking from the stash, let the frozen dough soften at room temperature while preheating the oven.
Deluxe Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes 21 cookies
1 3/4 sticks (200g) butter, softened
1/3 cup (70g) granulated sugar
1 1/4 cup (250g) dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon (6g) salt
2 teaspoons (8g) vanilla extract
2 eggs, room temperature
1 yolk
2 1/2 cups (300g) all purpose flour
1/4 cup (36g) diastatic malt powder*
1 teaspoon (7g) baking soda
1 1/2 cups (260g) dark chocolate chips or chunks
Flaky salt, for topping
*if you don’t have malt powder, just replace it with 1 extra tablespoon flour — and order some malt powder! it really makes the difference in this cookie.
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, (or with an electric hand mixer) cream together the butter, both sugars, salt, and vanilla for 3 minutes, or until visibly lightened and fluffy. (Do not go overboard with creaming or the cookies will spread more)
2. Add eggs and the yolk one by one, mixing in between additions. Scrape down the bowl after and run the mixer for 30 more seconds, just to make sure there’s nothing sticking to the bottom of the bowl.
3. Add the all purpose flour, malt powder, and baking soda (sifted if clumpy) to the bowl and paddle on the lowest speed, dumping in the chocolate chunks as you start mixing. Do not overmix — just mix until there’s no more flour streaks. Cover the bowl with plastic and chill overnight (or a minimum of 3 hours, please trust me!).
4. The next day, remove the dough from the fridge and scoop into 2.5tbsp portions (60 grams each, or the yellow cookie scoop if you have one!). Chill the scooped dough again while preheating the oven to 350º. Line a cookie sheet with parchment and space the cookies 3” apart — I only bake 5 at a time so they don’t smush together. Bake for 7 minutes, rotate the pan, then bake another 6 minutes, for 13 minutes of total bake time. Depending on your oven, you may need a couple minutes more, but mine bake for exactly 13 minutes each time. The cookies will be browned on the edges and slightly soft in the center. Garnish with sea salt while warm if desired.
** These bake off great straight from the freezer, you may just need to add a minute or two to the bake time!
Honey Butter Biscuits
Being raised in the South instilled a few values in me: share what you can, be a gentleman when possible, and always have biscuits on the table. My family had their babies young, so we have what seems to be an “extra generation” compared to most of my friends’ families. My grandma’s age is closer to most people’s mothers’ age, so that’s something funny about us. But it means I got to meet my great grandma Daisy (who is still living) and my great great grandma Robbie (who is no longer with us). Yes, great great grandma - my grandfather’s mother. Crazy right?
My grandmas were always the ones who cooked all day and made family dinners happen. The men in our family haven’t been so dependable (to put it nicely) over the years, but we’ve made do just fine. Some of my favorite memories are going to Robbie’s house for supper, which was always around 3 to 4pm. The things I remember the most about her house were: being taught to say “yes ma’am” and “no ma’am,” those peppermint melt-aways in her crystal candy dish, her ridiculously sweet and delicious fudge candy, a bundt cake always under a cloche on her counter, a seemingly endless supply of biscuits or rolls wrapped inside a cloth napkin in basket, and going crabbing in the sound. She was fortunate enough to live right on the intracoastal waterway in Wilmington, so most of the time fresh caught seafood was getting cooked in her kitchen. I feel the reason I love being hospitable and making food for others comes from the love I received through food as a child. I love baking, and while I never got to bake with Robbie, I do always think of her when I’m cooking and think “I wish she could see this!” My other great grandma Daisy (and her daughter, my grandma Debbie) is still alive, and I get to cook and bake for her and the rest of the family every year at Christmas, which makes me really happy.
Recipe Notes: This is a super simple recipe and biscuits are a great place to begin working with buttery doughs. This one has a high butter quantity, but it can be lowered if you’re frightened. Keep the ingredients cold (chill the flour and butter in the freezer for a spell if you REALLY wanna go the extra mile), but most of all, have fun, don’t stress, and enjoy the biscuits. PS: if you don’t have buttermilk, you can “make it” by adding 1 tablespoon lemon juice (or 2 tsp vinegar) to 1 cup of water and letting it sit for 5-10 minutes. It will never be as good as real buttermilk, but works in a pinch.
honey butter biscuits
3 cups (360g) all purpose flour
2 sticks (228g) butter, cold and cubed
1 1/2 tablespoons (18g) baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons (7g) baking soda
1 teaspoon (6g) salt
1 1/4+ cups buttermilk, cold
flaky salt, for topping
for honey butter:
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons butter
Preheat the oven to 400° F and line a baking sheet with parchment or a silpat and set it aside.
In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and one teaspoon salt with a whisk. Add cold butter cubes and “break” them into the dry mixture by smashing and pinching with your thumb and fingers. Continue until the butter is mostly broken in with some large chunks remaining.
Pour the buttermilk into the center of the bowl. Immediately stir (using big movements rather than small) to get all of the flour wet. If a dough is not forming you may need another dash of buttermilk. After stirring a couple times, dump the mixture onto a clean work surface. Add an extra sprinkle of flour as needed (just to prevent sticking) and knead the mixture into a dough, then shape it into a rectangle.
Roll the rectangle to 4x its length and fold the top half and bottom half in towards the center so they meet each other, then fold the entire rectangle in half again. This will create 4 layers of dough. Roll the dough to about 1/2 - 3/4” thick and cut into 8 squares (or use a biscuit cutter).
Place the biscuits on the baking sheet and egg wash (one egg + one tablespoon milk) the tops of the biscuits, then bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until well-browned on the tops. Eat warm with butter, honey, eggs, bacon — you choose! The biscuits will last a couple days if kept in an airtight container at room temp.
Hi! If you liked this recipe, let me know! Be sure to tag me on Instagram if you try it - and feel free to DM me any questions. Happy Baking :)
Jam Crumble Bars
Hi guys! It’s been a few weeks since I dropped the brioche recipe, and now I’m back with these delicious jam crumble bars! I made a ton of jam last month with the intent to sell it here on my website and ship it, but, I often put the horse in front of the cart and have realized it may not be the most profitable endeavor. Not that everything has to be profitable, but my attention span is super divided lately with the return of some food styling work, so I need to choose where I put my focus these days. I’m also working on a much bigger personal project that I can hopefully announce soon! It involves me (yay), my recipes, and an exciting new format. That’s all I can tell ya for now. :)
So back to the jam bars: I made a lot of jam, therefore I have a lot of jam. It’s late summer and when the fruit gets juicy, crumble comes out to play (like with these peach crumble galettes from last summer!). I recently made my boyfriend’s brother a double berry crumble pie for his birthday, which was super delectable but took much longer than these crumble bars, and used a lot more fruit. These bars consist of a super easy shortbread layer, some thick stripes of jam, and a coconut and oat streusel on top! A lot of recipes for jam bars like to use the same dough for the bottom crust and topping, but honestly I don’t and I never have. I appreciate the textural difference, and this recipe is already so simple that I have no issue going the extra mile for the perfect crumble.
Recipe Notes: If the shortbread dough is sticky, no worries! Just pop it in the freezer for a few until it’s no longer tacky. A runnier jam works better here, it shouldn’t be so runny that it can’t hold its shape, but it should be super spreadable and wet since it’s going to bake for a while. If you’re unsure whether it’s “done” or not, err on the side of over baked/crispy. When this gets under baked it can fall apart! It should be totally browned on top and bubbling when it comes out of the oven.
jam crumble bars
shortbread
200g (1 3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cubed and cold
120g (1 cup) powdered sugar
210g (1 3/4 cup) all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg yolk
3/4+ cup of your favorite jam
coconut oat crumble
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
36g (3 tbsp) brown sugar
30g (1/3 cup) rolled oats
30g (1/3 cup) unsweetened coconut
42g (3 tbsp) butter, cubed
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon salt
1. Line an 8x8” square pan with parchment and preheat the oven to 350° (you can also use a 9"x9”, but it will bake in less time and be a bit thinner! For 9x13” double the recipe).
2. Place all ingredients for the shortbread except for the egg yolk in a stand mixer and paddle until the butter is mostly broken in. It will have a sandy / pebble-like consistency. Add the egg yolk and pulse the mixer a few times by turning it from low speed to off and back, just long enough to bring the final dough together. Note: if you let the dry ingredients and butter mix for too long, it will form a dough before adding the yolk (still definitely usable! just a different texture). Make sure to stop the mixer when the butter is mostly broken in, which takes about 5 minutes depending on butter temperature.
3. Place the finished shortbread dough in the baking pan and press down evenly. Prick all over with a fork
(if the dough is warm, pop in freezer momentarily). Spread the jam over the raw dough, leaving about 1/2” border from the edges — if jam touches the edge of the pan it may cause sticking. A thick layer of jam that you can’t see through is ideal here, but use your own judgement for the jam quantity!
4. To make the crumble, combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and pinch and smash the butter between your fingers until a crumble forms. I like to grab large handfuls of the mixture and smash it together, then crumble it back apart. Sprinkle all of the crumble evenly over the shortbread and jam, leaving a few holes for jam to peek through.
5. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the entire surface of the crumble is browned and the jam is bubbling. Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before attempting to slice. These bars will keep well for a few days in an airtight container at room temp, or for up to a week in the fridge, where they will soften a bit.
Hi! If you liked this recipe, let me know! Be sure to tag me on Instagram if you make it - Happy Baking :)
Brioche
Hello baking friends! I’m really excited to finally get this basic brioche up on the blog today because we are gonna do sooo much more fun stuff with it in the future! Doughnuts, savory rolls, and even cinnamon rolls can be made with this super versatile and yummy dough. My recipe is a reworked version of Julia Child’s classic, which is super dependable all these years later. Traditionally brioche is made with a high amount of butter and eggs, which produce an extremely rich and visibly yellow dough. I like to slice and use my brioche for French toast, very rich B.L.Ts, and most often, just classic toast and jam. It feels very wholesome to bake a beautiful loaf of bread and then sustain yourself with it throughout the week, playing a sweet and savory game of “dress up.”
Recipe Notes: I highly recommend using a scale for this recipe and following the gram quantities. The butter should be soft but not greasy or melting; it should still hold it’s shape. If you press a cube of it between your fingers, it should still have some firmness but also not be super hard to smash, if that makes sense. When proofing, be patient! I think I nervously underproofed pretty much everything for… well, years, honestly. It’s scary sometimes!
Brioche
1 1/2 tsp (8g) instant yeast
1/4 cup (60g) milk
2 cups (260g) bread flour
1 1/2 tablespoons (23g) granulated sugar
3 eggs (~150-160g)
1 tsp (6g) kosher salt
1 1/2 sticks (170g) butter, softened slightly
1. Warm the milk slightly (around 110º F). Sprinkle the instant yeast over it and allow it to bloom. It will dissolve and should begin to bubble somewhat after 3 to 5 minutes.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the yeast mixture, eggs, sugar, and salt with a whisk.
3. Pour the flour on top of the wet ingredients and attach the dough hook. Bring the dough together on low speed for a minute or two, then knead on medium speed (KitchenAid 2-4) for 8 minutes. Keep an eye on the mixer so it doesn’t walk off the counter!
4. Cut the butter into small cubes while the dough is mixing. After 8 minutes, turn the speed down to low and add one cube of butter at a time, allowing it to be fully incorporated into the dough before continuing. Each butter cube can take 1-2 minutes to be absorbed, but don’t fret, it will come together!
5. Remove the dough from the bowl and place in an airtight container (it should be about half full when the dough is inside). Refrigerate overnight, preferably 8-12 hours. (If you want to use this dough same day, it will have less flavor and structure, but you can let it proof until doubled at room temp, then knock it own and use immediately.)
6. Remove the dough from the fridge and cut into 3 or 6 equally sized portions. Lightly grease a standard loaf pan and set aside. Roll each piece of dough on a clean work surface to form a ball by cupping the dough in your hand and lightly pressing it on the table while rolling in a circular motion. Experiment with pressure: the more you push, the more taught the ball should become. Place each shaped roll into the loaf pan, either all three in a row, or 2 x 3 pattern depending on how many dough balls you end up with. Place a greased piece of plastic wrap over the top of the loaf pan and wait 1.5 - 2 hours, or until the dough is literally pressing against the plastic. Towards the end of the proof time (maybe 20 minutes before), preheat the oven to 375ºF.
7. Mix 2 tablespoons of heavy cream or milk with one egg to make an egg wash. Lightly and carefully brush the top of the loaf, taking care not to pop it.
8. Bake the loaf for 40-45 minutes, rotating once halfway through, or until a thermometer reaches 200º F when inserted in the center of the loaf. If you tap the loaf with your finger, it should sound hollow.
9. Cool the loaf in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove and allow to cool completely before slicing or it will fall apart!
This loaf will last 3 to 5 days wrapped airtight and left on the counter. Right after baking it will be super fresh and fluffy, but over a few days it will get staler, making it better for applications like French toast. :)
Cherry Almond Tart
I tell people all the time that my favorite part of pastry is mixing and matching different components to make various desserts. I always make a double batch of tart crust and keep the extra dough in the freezer — a fine display of planning ahead, and some true self care if you think about it.
Lately I’ve been trying to get a bunch of pastry staples up on this blog, such as puff pastry and frangipane. Once I have base recipes published, you will often find me referring back to them, like in this recipe. We are going to use frangipane and tart dough to make a quick tart that’s equally good for breakfast or dessert, and not too sweet! I used to start each morning in the bakery with a slice of frangipane tart. Probably not the healthiest breakfast, but hey, cereal is straight up sugar, too.
No matter the season you can place your favorite ripe fruit on here and it will perform well. Poached pears, fresh peaches or plums, apples, or even a mix of berries will all work nicely here. I’m using sweet cherries for this one. I originally attempted to poach some plums for it but… everyone makes mistakes and unfortunately the plums are no longer with us today! Rest In Peace to those lovely plums.
Recipe Notes: I don’t always blind bake the shell for my frangipane tarts. You can if you want, but I’ve found it unnecessary if you place the tart directly on a hot sheet pan in a preheated oven. The tart dough itself must also be on the thin side; just barely thick enough to press into the crimped tart pan’s edges. Once the tart is assembled, I rest mine in the freezer for 10 to 20 minutes. I’ve found when I bake it from room temperature my cherries sink to the bottom. There’s nothing wrong with that, but for aesthetic purposes I like my fruit to stay right on top.
cherry frangipane tart
1/2 batch of prepared tart dough
1 batch prepared frangipane
1 cup cherries, pitted and halved
Roll out the tart dough and line a 9” tart pan (or miniature tart pans, this will probably make about 6). Dock the bottom with a fork and place it in the freezer. Preheat the oven to 375º F and place a sheet pan on the lower rack.
Make the frangipane if you haven’t done so. Remove the tart dough from the freezer and fill it with the frangipane. Spread it into an even layer, then dot with cherries (or your fruit of choice) in a circular pattern. Place back in the freezer for 10 minutes.
Remove the tart from the freezer and place it in the preheated oven directly on the hot sheet pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the tart crust is browned on the edges and the frangipane is set and puffed in the middle. Cool completely before slicing.
Serve with whipped cream or ice cream, or just as is! The tart will last for at least 2 days if you wrap it up well and store at room temp.
Strawberry Mille-Feuille
I remember the first time I saw a row of mille-feuille soldiers lined up for battle in a bakery display case. I had just moved into my then-partner’s Parisian flat in the 18th arrondissement, and there was a small boulangerie/patisserie combo on the corner of our apartment building. It certainly wasn’t Pierre Hermé, but the establishment had won some awards, which they displayed proudly in the front window. It’s worth noting that it’s seldom you see bread and pastries together because they’re typically separate businesses in France. This is partially due to the fact that to be called a “boulangerie” a business must completely make its bread from scratch on the premises start to finish, no pre-made doughs allowed! Also, fine pastry requires fine training, and its rare that you find a baker who does both bread and pastry at an expert level. The passion usually goes one way or the other, which is probably why I’ve found several symbiotic pastry chef-bread baker friendships throughout my life. Sharing knowledge is fun!
The little corner bakery was named Boulangerie Simart de Przystaniak Christophe — try saying that 3 times fast! They offered a classic (and average) line up of religeuses, macarons, croissants and more. They also had a full shelf of amazing bread that you could get fresh from the oven. I can still smell it. My favorite item, though, was the mille-feuille, comprised of few layers of well-baked puff pastry sandwiched together with a lightened pastry cream. Stunningly simple once you get past the puff pastry part. I loved how the deep nutty flavors of the puff pastry found harmony with the perfectly fluffy cream. I went in the boulangerie every day but would only get my favorite pastry a few times a week. After a few months I reached “regular” status and the cashier, Camille, could predict my orders most of the time. Whenever I would ask for a mille-feuille Camille would always respond with “bien sur monsieur, c’est une bonne journee!” which meant “of course, it’s a good day!” It was definitely a good day if I left with a mille-feuille.
My version of the beautiful layered pastry uses a sheet of my puff pastry, a handful of ripe strawberries (preferably dark in color), and a pastry cream that we’ll stabilize with gelatin and then lighten it with whipped cream — this is also called creme diplomat. But, if you wish to make things simpler, you could just fill with a lightly sweetened whipped cream…
Recipe Notes: You can absolutely use store bought puff pastry for these if you need a quick dessert! Other berries should work in place of strawberries as well. You can also just keep it vanilla if you like. These are best eaten day of, but would hold up overnight thanks to the gelatin, although they’ll soften considerably. As I said above, the creme diplomat can be completely subbed out for plain old whipped cream if you prefer.
mille-feuille
Makes 4 individual pastries
puff pastry
1 sheet prepared puff pastry, about 8x12”
strawberry crème diplomat
1 half batch prepared pastry cream (roughly 1 cup), still warm
1 teaspoon powdered gelatin
3/4 cup strawberries, diced
1 tablespoon heavy cream
Plus 1 cup heavy cream, chilled, for whipping
To bake the puff pastry: preheat the oven to 400°. Line a half baking sheet with parchment and place the sheet of puff pastry on it (it should be cold/nearly frozen). Prick (“dock”) it all over with a fork. This will help keep it even and prevent excessive rising. Place another sheet of parchment on top of the puff pastry, and then top it with another half baking sheet. Again, this prevents rising and keeps it even. Bake for about 30 minutes, then carefully remove the top sheet pan and parchment and continue baking 5 minutes or until very golden brown. Remove from oven and cool completely. Check half way through the initial bake time and if the pastry is browning too quickly, lower the temp to 375°.
To make the strawberry crème diplomat: In a small bowl, add 1 tablespoon of water and sprinkle the gelatin over the top. Stir and let sit for a moment before continuing. If your pastry cream is still hot, stir the gelatin mixture directly into it. If it isn’t, heat about 1/3 cup until hot, then add in the gelatin mixture and immediately stir that back into the chilled pastry cream. Place the pastry cream in the fridge and do not use until it’s completely chilled. If you want things to move more quickly, spread the pastry cream on a sheet pan in a thin layer and cover it before chilling. This will make it chill much faster, but also create more dishes. You can make the strawberry cream and prep the pastry for the next steps while you wait.
Blend the diced strawberries with 1 tablespoon of heavy cream until smooth. Since it’s such a small amount, I used a hand blender in a glass measuring cup. Strain the mixture. Whip 1 cup heavy cream until medium peaks appear (if you remove the whisk from the cream, it should leave an imprint and some small “peaks”). Fold the puréed strawberries into the whipped cream, just until combined. If not using immediately, you can guess: just put it back in the fridge!
To assemble: Remove the chilled pastry cream from the fridge and beat with a spoon for a few minutes to smoothen it out, if needed. Begin folding in the strawberry cream, slowly at first until the mixture lightens but still holds a loose shape, almost like soft serve (you may need a little less cream depending on how thick or thin your pastry cream is after cooking!). Cover and chill while prepping the layers.
Place the baked puff pastry on a cutting board and cut into equally sized rectangles. You will need 3 per pastry — but you can also just do 2 layers, it’s your life! I cut my rectangles to 1.5” x 3”.
Place the crème diplomat in a piping bag with a star, ribbon, or round tip — baker’s choice! Pipe an even layer of cream on 2 of the rectangles (if the mixture isn’t firm once piped, a quick pop in freezer at this point should help them set up). Carefully stack one of the rectangles on the other, and top with a plain rectangle that has no cream on it. Garnish with powdered sugar. Repeat with the remaining components until you’ve built 4 mille-feuille. Serve immediately, or chill for a few hours before eating… but these are best eaten soon after making. When I worked in restaurants we would keep all of the components (except the baked pastry layers) in the fridge and assemble to order, which is also a great idea for home dinner parties.
Hi reader! Thanks for reading! I know this one was quite technical, so here’s something a little easier if you need it: rhubarb & tahini blondies
Pastry Cream
If you’ve ever worked in a pastry kitchen you’re probably all too familiar with pastry cream. I’ve spent many hours over the years whisking a pot of pastry cream until it reaches the proper thickness. It makes a great filling for doughnuts, cakes, cream puffs, and tarts. Essentially, instant Jello pudding (vanilla flavor) is a cheater’s pastry cream. This is like that, but with a much better taste and ingredients you can pronounce.
Recipe Notes: as my chef would say, do not walk away from the pot. Nothing is worse than a burnt pastry cream, ew! The scorching can also happen in a split second, and once you’ve burnt some of it, it’s pretty hard to get the gross taste out. Trust me, I’ve done it so many times! If you need to stabilize your pastry cream, such as for creme diplomat, I will include a note on that towards the end of the recipe.
Pastry cream
2 cups whole milk
2/3 cup sugar, divided
1 egg
2 yolks
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons butter
Pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1 scraped vanilla bean
For chocolate variation: add 3/4 cup chocolate chips after the pastry cream comes off the stove.
If using vanilla bean, scrape the pods and rub the beans into the sugar. Place roughly half of the sugar in a medium sized pot and pour in the whole milk. Place the rest of the sugar in a mixing bowl and whisk in the whole egg, yolks and cornstarch.
Heat the milk and sugar mixture over medium just until it almost boils. Using a ladle or something similar, spoon a scoop of the hot milk into the bowl of sugar, cornstarch, and eggs. Whisk immediately. Gradually whisk more milk (about 1/3 to 1/2 of what’s in the pot) in until the mixture is pourable and no lumps remain, then pour it back into the pot with the remaining milk. Bring the mixture to a full boil, whisking constantly. Lower to a simmer and cook for 5 to 7ish minutes, without stepping away, until the the custard is very thick and the whisk leaves an indentation when removed.
Place a sieve/strainer over a large bowl and pass the cream through it to remove any lumps. Whisk in a pinch of salt, the butter, and vanilla extract (if not using vanilla bean). Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the cream — if it’s exposed to air for too long, it will develop a skin on top. Refrigerate until using.
*Instead of using 1 egg + 2 yolks, you could use 5 yolks and it will make a richer pastry cream. Personally I use a whole egg in my pastry cream because I don’t like having tons of egg whites leftover from using a large amount of yolks, but do as you wish!
Puff Pastry
I’m a “self taught” baker. I didn’t go to culinary school — I learned everything on the job (from pastry chefs) and then taught myself everything I didn’t learn that I wanted to know with books and videos. Puff pastry was one of the first things I got truly obsessed with. The first puff recipe I tried was a handwritten page with only gram quantities listed. Under the method, all it said was “fold 6x.” The was scribbled down by Nina, owner of Bakeri in Brooklyn, and if you knew her you could instantly recognize her handwriting and characteristic lack of notes. Any time I’m testing a recipe these days it looks the same exact way — a list of numbers with no method — because I know in my head how I’m going to proceed. But still, most of the time my lack of notes gets me in trouble. Back to puff; I couldn’t really get this recipe to work out. I tried so many times and Nina even offered her assistance, but I wanted to get it right myself... Eventually I started to get better and better at laminating, but it was no overnight success story: 5 years later I will tell you I finally have the puff pastry where I want it. I’m not kidding. You can’t perfect a craft in a week, it takes years. And I love that.
Recipe Notes: Please use high fat (82% or higher) unsalted butter. Plugra or Kerrygold are usually what I grab for laminated goods. Keep your dough cold and make sure to mix it the day before to allow some hydration and relaxation to take place. Some people do this all in one day, but it’s never worked for me. When laminating, you should be able to feel a firm sheet of butter in between the dough, just like a laminated piece of paper between plastic. If it’s getting soft and mushy, STOP! Chill it immediately until firm again. You will do irreparable damage if the butter starts melting and the dough starts tearing. For you brave ones out there, this is a highly technical recipe, so even if it isn’t perfect the first time you make it… don’t give up! You’ll learn more with each new attempt.
puff pastry
400g all purpose flour
80g butter, unsalted, cold + cut into cubes
25g granulated sugar
6g kosher salt
175g water, cold
10g vinegar
+ 300g butter for the block, almost at room temperature
DAY 1
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, 85g butter, sugar, and salt. Using the paddle attachment, run the mixer on low speed for 3 minutes, or until all of the butter is dispersed into the flour and is barely visible. There should be no large chunks. Add the vinegar to the water, turn the mixer on low speed, and pour in while the machine is running. Allow a shaggy dough to form, which should take 3 to 5 minutes. It probably won’t be perfectly mixed and smooth. That’s fine! Tons of gluten is going to get developed in the folding process and the dough will get smoother, so don’t worry about having a perfect dough right now. Remove from the bowl and knead with your hands on the table for a few minutes. Press the finished dough into a square baking dish (8x8 or 9x9) and shape into a flat, equally leveled square. Remove from the pan, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate overnight.
Make the butter block: On a sheet of parchment paper, trace the square pan you used to shape the dough. Flip the parchment over so you don’t get pen markings on your dough. Cut the 300g of butter reserved for the block into slabs, then arrange within the traced box. Using an offset spatula, spread the butter as evenly as possible. Chill and trim as needed until you have the perfect square. You can also place another piece of parchment on top of the butter and roll it with a rolling pin. I prefer spreading, chilling, and trimming the cold square until it’s perfect, but whatever works! When your square is done, fold it up in the parchment, wrap in plastic, and chill until Day 2.
DAY 2
Remove and unwrap the dough block. Roll out into a long rectangle at least twice the length of the square baking pan you used, while keeping the original width. The dough should be firm (somewhere between pie dough and biscuit dough) and should never stick to the table, but if it does, try flouring lightly and chilling in the freezer for a few.
Remove the butter block from the fridge. Place it on the bottom half of the dough and fold the other half on top. Does it match up? If not, now is the time to fix it. I trim my dough even though it can be known as sacrilege to some, but I’d rather have evenly laminated pastry than a ton of wonky, unusable dough. When you look at your dough from the side, imagine a sandwich. The top piece of bread, the filling, and the bottom piece of bread should be pretty equal in thickness. When you’ve got the squares/layers matched up, it’s time to start laminating. Pinch the sides of the dough shut to fully enclose the butter in the dough package. I usually pop the dough package in the freezer at this point for at least 5 minutes, just to let it get nice and firm again.
Before beginning the folds, check if the butter is pliable. How do you check that? Turn your dough + butter package on its side so it’s standing tall. Gently attempt to bend it into a U shape. There should be some resistance, but not so much that the butter block breaks inside the dough. If it’s super easy to fold into a U, you might want to chill a bit longer. The temperature range between “too warm” and “too cold” is super delicate, so don’t beat yourself up if it’s not coming to you right away. Again, it took me years to get “good” at laminating, and I still feel like Jon Snow; I know nothing.
To laminate: Flour the work surface lightly. Begin rolling the entire package of dough and butter from the bottom of the block towards the top, pressing down with some force as you roll. Continue rolling until the block is 4x its length, and no thinner than 1/2”. Do not rotate the dough while doing this — try to roll in one direction only (up + down) as much as possible. This dough should be firm and probably won’t be super easy to roll, but as you keep going it will get easier. Once the dough is rolled out, we are going to perform a book fold.
Book fold: fold the top and bottom of the dough in towards the middle so that their edges meet each other on top. It will look like an open “book” with the edges of the dough meeting on top of the bottom layer. Now, lift both sides of the dough and fold it in half again. It should now look like a closed book with four layers. Please refer to the above slideshow for a visual of this process!
You’ve now completed 1 of 3 book folds. Allow the dough to rest in the fridge, covered with plastic to prevent drying, for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Then, repeat the book fold process again. This will be your 2nd of 3 folds. Cover and chill again, another 30 minutes to 1 hour (or even longer if you can’t get to it right away), then perform your third and final book fold.
If your dough is super hard to roll and is shrinking a lot, STOP! Let it rest longer. This isn’t a race! If you need puff pastry ASAP, I advise finding a rough puff or blitz puff recipe.
Finishing up: Once you’ve completed your 3 book folds, the dough is ready to use, but should be relaxed again for an hour or overnight if you’ve got the time. After the resting period, roll the dough out into large 1/4” sheets. I typically cut my sheets to fit on a half sheet pan. Wrap and freeze to store. You can also just freeze blocks of finished dough before rolling them out, but I like to store mine in sheets for easy use.
Baking tips: puff pastry should go in the oven very cold or frozen. The oven should be at least 400º from the start to help the layers “puff,” otherwise they’ll just melt together and not be very flaky! Some recipes call for starting at a high temperature and reducing to a low one. I find it varies depending on your oven; some of my puff pastries can bake on 400º the whole way through. I usually watch and check if needed to make sure the edges and bottom of the pastry aren’t burning. It’s a good idea to test bake a single puff pastry to see how your oven works. I always bake my puff until it’s very golden brown — the last thing I want is gummy, unbaked layers after days of work. Make sure you give your pastries enough space between them to puff.
Now what?
Now you’ve got your very own puff pastry and you can do whatever you want with it! I recommend making some frangipane, topping with fruit and baking that way. You could also try your hand at a Mille-Feuille.
Fruit + Frangi Puffs
1 batch almond frangipane, softened and ready to use
A handful of your favorite berries
1 sheet prepared puff pastry, very cold
Powdered sugar, for finishing
Preheat the oven to 400º F and line a baking sheet with parchment or a silpat.
Cut the puff pastry into 3.5-4” squares, depending on how large you want them to be. Place on the baking sheet and prick the centers of the squares with a fork, but not the edges. Poking holes in the center prevents it from rising too much.
Place the frangipane in a piping bag (or just spoon directly on) and pipe a small amount on the center of each square, leaving some space around the edges. Top with berries and place in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until risen, well browned, and puffy. Cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar before eating!
Frangipane
Frangipane is a silly word, but it’s a great tool for pastries ranging from sweet puffs to tarts or even croissants! Almond croissants are one of my favorite French pastries. This is a pastry staple and good to have in your arsenal. I recommend using it for fruit puffs, which you can find the recipe for at the end of my puff pastry guide.
I prefer frangipane that isn’t too sweet as I often combine it with ripe and/or syrupy poached fruits. If you want to try some variations, feel free to sub in about half a cup of hazelnut, pistachio, or even coconut flour. This recipe makes a scant 2 cups of frangipane which is just enough for this cherry almond tart.
Almond Frangipane
1 stick (114g) butter
1 cup (100g) almond flour
1/2 cup (100g) sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 eggs
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Scrape down the sides and add the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated, then the vanilla extract.
Dump in the almond flour, powdered sugar, all purpose flour and salt into the mixing bowl all at once. Paddle until the chunky mixture comes together, 1 to 2 minutes.
Refrigerate until using.
Perfectly Fudgy Brownies
Brownies (the right kind, that is) are definitely in my top 5 desserts. They’re probably even the thing I bake the most, if not chocolate chip cookies. When I was working at Tasty, one of my favorite assignments was to develop the ultimate one-bowl brownie. I made the recipe on camera while my friend Claire produced it. It was super fun to make my own version of a classic recipe and the video was received well — 5 stars from over 6,000 votes, whoa! 1400 viewers also chimed in with tips on how they tweaked or improved the recipe. It’s a bizarre feeling to think so many people have made/seen something I put out there. Thanks to Claire Nolan for making it happen! :)
Okay, so. Flash to present day and I am growing tired of making that brownie and also tweaking it every time. The main things I wish I had done differently are all reflected in this recipe. This is officially my favorite brownie. Its chewy, gooey, crackly and perfectly chocolatey. I hope you like it too!
Recipe Notes: You can definitely sub the dark chocolate for semisweet, just know the brownies will be a touch sweeter (maybe that’s what you prefer!). Make sure to cool the butter and chocolate mixture before adding it to the eggs. By the way — I call for “room temp” eggs here. They trap air and build volume much faster than a cold egg. If you’re in a rush, you can pop the eggs in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes before using them. This recipe is available in grams, too! Always go that route when possible. Finally, if you have no mixer, you can certainly make these by hand. Just try to whip the eggs as much as you can, 2 to 3 minutes of elbow grease should do the trick.
perfectly fudgy brownies
1 1/2 sticks (170g) unsalted butter
3/4 cup (130g) dark or unsweetened chocolate chips
3 eggs, room temperature
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (50g) brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup (90g) all purpose flour
3 tablespoons (21g) cocoa powder
Preheat the oven to 350° F and place a rack in the upper middle section. Grease an 8x8 square baking dish and line the bottom and sides with parchment.
Melt the butter in a small pot. Place the chocolate chips in a medium sized bowl and when the butter is fully melted, pour it over the chips and set aside (don’t stir yet).
Place the room temperature eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl with a hand mixer). Using the whisk attachment, gradually bring the speed up from low to high and allow to whip for 3 minutes (set a timer). When done, it should be very thick, fluffy and visibly pale. This is called the “ribbon stage.”
Stir together the chocolate and melted butter — it should be completely smooth. Add to the mixing bowl and combine again until one color. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer.
Sift the measured flour and cocoa powder directly into the bowl. Using a spatula (by hand!), fold the dry ingredients in until no flour streaks remain. Be sure to scrape the very bottom of the bowl several times. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.
Bake the brownies in the preheated oven for 35-38 minutes, or until a knife comes out mostly clean, and the middle looks puffed and cracked. Heads up: this gooey beast is hard to over-bake. A few minutes most likely won’t make it or break it, so if in doubt, push it a few minutes longer. They’ll fall apart if they aren’t fully baked.
Cool the brownies in the pan for at least 30 minutes (preferably 1 to 2 hours) before cutting. If you want clean edges, they must be fully cooled before cutting. I typically cut this size batch into 16 squares. Enjoy!
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Cheesecake Cream Puffs
When I first moved to Paris in 2015, I was bombarded with pastries and confections I didn’t knew existed, flavors I hadn’t heard of, and even fruits I had never seen. It was awesome, but it also made me feel like I knew nothing about pâtisserie even though I had been working in kitchens for 3 years prior in the pastry department. Frankly, I didn’t know much, and I still learn new things every day. It’s one of the best parts of baking.
Instead of beating myself up about my lack of expertise I decided to get to work and start eating as much as possible. I ate weird giant meringues called merveilleux (probably my least favorite dessert). I tried the fanciest macarons that honestly weren’t that great — just very pretty. I had pastries from the iconic pâtissier Cedric Grolet right before his fruit pastries went viral; he was only doing simpler miniature versions at the time. I had so many incredible desserts that unfortunately some of them have been lost in the void that is my memory. But those initial feelings of “this is my place and these are for me” never left, and still when I return to France I gawk at the latest offerings, rush to grab my old favorite croissant, and sometimes even wait in line for the new overrated pastry du jour just to say I finally had it and it wasn’t as good as it looked on Instagram. I’m not going to get into my life story right now, but let’s just say I did not grow up eating mille-feuilles or religeuses and that has made me all the more appreciative.
One of the first new pastries I had and loved was called choux à la crème. It’s made with choux pastry, the same dough that we use for eclairs and their savory cheesy siblings, gougères. I’m gonna share my recipe for basic choux, which we will top with a crunchy graham cracker flavored topping and then fill with whipped cream cheese and jam. Cheesecake vibes for the win!
Recipe Notes: The craquelin topping is very forgiving and can cover blemishes on your puffs, but you should still be sure to sift your flour when making the choux pastry to avoid any lumps. Feel free to use store-bought whipped cream and jam to make things easier! Ifyou don’t have graham crackers but still want to make these, just omit them and replace with 1 1/2 tablespoons of flour. There’s also a video demonstration of this recipe on my Instagram if you prefer!
graham cracker craquelin
1/4 cup (55g) butter, melted
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons graham crackers, crushed fine
1/2 cup (75g) all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Dash cinnamon
pâte à choux
1/3 cup whole milk
1/3 cup water
3 tablespoons (42g) butter
2 tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar
Big pinch kosher salt
3/4 cup (120g) all purpose flour, sifted
2 to 3 eggs*
whipped cream cheese filling
6oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons powdered sugar, sifted
+ 1/4 to 1/2 cup of your favorite berry jam or fresh fruit
Make the craquelin topping: in a medium bowl combine the crushed graham crackers, brown sugar, all purpose flour, salt and cinnamon with a fork. Stir in the butter until the mixture comes together. Immediately place between two pieces of parchment paper and roll with a rolling pin to 1/4”. Place in freezer until ready to use.
Make the choux pastry: Make the choux: In a medium pot, combine the milk, water, butter, sugar, and salt. Heat over medium-low until the milk begins to simmer. Quickly whisk in the flour, then switch to a heat-proof spatula. Cook over low-medium heat, stirring constantly, until a film collects on the bottom of the pot. If you swirl the pot around while holding the handle, the dough should form into a ball. Place the dough into a stand mixer and beat with a paddle attachment for 3 minutes or until steam is gone (but the mixture is still warm-ish). Add eggs one at a time and allow each to fully incorporate, stopping and scraping the bottom of the bowl as needed. After adding 2 eggs use the stretch test (demo’d here in my IGTV video). If your pastry doesn’t stretch at least an inch, you may need another egg (or maybe even half of one — whisk it together and add gradually). The choux should be smooth and shiny when finished. Place in a piping bag fitted with a round tip and proceed to pipe.
To assemble: in a stand mixer, whip together the cream cheese (it needs to be completely softened to avoid lumps!), heavy cream and powdered sugar until it holds medium peaks. Place in a piping bag and chill until ready to serve. Slice the puffs in half hamburger style and pipe a good amount of whipped cream on the bottom portion of each. Top the cream with berry jam (I used cherry!) or even your favorite fruit or macerated berries. Best eaten immediately, but will last in the fridge for a few hours!
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