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52 Weeks of Baking: Madeleines
One of geeksugar's favorite treats is a fresh baked madeleine - for those of you that don't know, a madeleine is a French, cakelike cookie shaped like a shell. In fact, she likes them so much, her mom actually ended up buying her the special pan in order to make her own. Only there was one problem: geeksugar swears she can't cook.
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Reader Recipe: Tarte Aux Tomates
With so many tomato varieties in season, I've been trying to make as many tomato dishes as I can. Thanks to FinnLover, I have another recipe to add to my repertoire: her tomato pie. By using ready-made puff pastry, she's able to make this rustic, Provençal tart in no time.
Cream Puffs Two Ways — Beginner and Expert
Ever since I saw the March cover of Gourmet magazine, I've been craving cream puffs. However, the recipe the cover featured had ice cream and I prefer my cream puffs filled with lusciously smooth cream — like the ones seen here. Cream puffs are a classic dish that every home baker should artfully master.
Come Party With Me: Gossip Girl Premiere — Dessert
Gossip Girl premieres next week and to celebrate I've invited over some friends to enjoy dinner and watch the show with me. It's a Monday night, so the menu is minimal but delicious and filling. Since Gossip Girl takes place in New York, all the recipes I'm using were crafted by acclaimed NYC chefs.
Must-Read: The Sweet Melissa Baking Book
"The best food doesn't have to be challenging in its preparation, but should recall our fondest food memories," Melissa Murphy writes in The Sweet Melissa Baking Book. That pretty much sums up the philosophy of this cookbook ($17.82), penned by the brainchild of Brooklyn's popular Sweet Melissa Patisseries. Here, the French Culinary Institute-trained pastry chef reveals the secrets behind the refined, yet homespun, baked treats that the bakery's known for.
What's Yummy This Week — YumSugar Weekly Recap
- Seriously, make this cherry pie: it's the best you'll ever have.
- Party plans a "birthday paw-ty" for FabSugar's cutie-pie French bulldog.
- Starbucks is changing the names of several of its stores.
- Check out Summer's collection of cool, creamy ice cream cakes.
- We conducted a side-by-side test of two European raisin-and-nut chocolate bars.
- Find out why Texans love the soft filled pastries known as kolaches.
- An inside look at the food at a rustic wedding hosted on the banks of Northern California's Russian River.
In Season: Cherries
Watermelon, strawberries, peaches — there are so many fruits that get me jazzed for Summer, but the cherry is my all-time favorite. Whether it's the mild, yellow rainier or the ultrasweet bing, there's something magical about the sensation of biting through the cherry's taut, shiny skin and getting a burst of sweet, slightly tart, juicy flesh. Take advantage of cherries now, because they have a short Summer season that lasts through July.
Must-Read: The Balthazar Cookbook
Even for those of us who don't live in New York, it's hard to ignore the accolades of Balthazar, Keith McNally's world-famous SoHo brasserie that's been perennially packed since it opened over a decade ago.
New Yorkers may think it's still hard to book a rez, but those of us on the West Coast really can't snag a seat for brunch. That's why I was psyched to get my hands on a copy of The Balthazar Cookbook ($24.75).
Must-Read: Field Guide to Cookies
If you're completely over the cupcake craze but looking for other sweet entertaining ideas for Spring, consider the Field Guide to Cookies: How to Identify and Bake Virtually Every Cookie Imaginable ($10.87). Authored by Bay Area pastry veteran Anita Chu, the guide packs an impressive amount of information on the world's cookies into a rather teensy tome. Find out if this book would be a good match for you when you read more
Beautiful Tarts
A few years ago I saw Sara Moulton create an amazing looking French Apple Tart and immediately tried it out at home. It was surprisingly easy and came out pretty flawless, my only problem being the crust. At the time my culinary skills were slightly above novice and things just didn't cook evenly (as my dough was probably lumpy and uneven to begin with).
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