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Easy as Pie: 6 Tips From Tim Nugent of Top Chef: Just Desserts

Susannah Chen — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 05:15:54 PST

Want to get on the family's good side this turkey day? Then bake a pie! Sweet, buttery, and comforting, these pastries are a wonderful closing statement to an all-out meal. While it isn't too late to bake up your favorite recipe, pie can be a delicate balance of art and science. So to help you get started, we enlisted Tim Nugent, pastry whiz at San Francisco's Scala's Bistro and Top Chef: Just Desserts season one contestant. His tips for maximum pie finesse here.

A Royal Feast: Cornish Pasties

Lauren Hendrickson — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 01:42:26 PDT

The royal wedding is less than two weeks away, and the best way to celebrate such a momentous occasion on YumSugar is, of course, to explore English fare! To start, I looked to one of my favorite British chefs, Jamie Oliver, for a simple Cornish pasty recipe.

While the traditional Cornish pasty is a flaky half-circle of crust stuffed with beef, potatoes, yellow turnips, and onion, this recipe combines chicken, butternut squash, and carrots for a more modern take on the British staple.

Rather than serve these as a main dish, I cut the pastry smaller to make a perfect hand-held starter. My friends and I will be pulling an all-nighter to watch the wedding, so I'll assemble the pastry and filling the night before, but bake them the night of the viewing. To get ready for your royal wedding party or try a dish from across the pond, keep reading for the recipe.

Delight Thanksgiving Guests With a Rustic Pear Galette

Susannah Chen — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 15:00:29 PST

For your best Thanksgiving ever, be sure to end your meal on a high note with a memorable dessert. As an alternative to pumpkin, sweet potato, and pecan pies, offer up a pear tart as well. Unlike other structured fruit cakes and tarts, this pastry - pleated in a free-form manner that's commonly seen in France - is beautiful in an unfussy way. It's also incredibly easy to make, requiring little more than flour, fruit, butter, sugar, and eggs. For the recipe, read more.

Berry Tempting: Fast Raspberry Scones

YumSugar — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 13:00:07 PDT

After satisfying my curiosity about the fine distinction between biscuits and scones, I decided I needed to heed my physical craving for them, too. And given my near-obsession with raspberries this month, what better way than to pull together a quick raspberry scone?

The best part of this recipe is the fact that it doesn't require a mixer of any kind; just a food processor - something I couldn't live without, anyway. In half an hour, these babies were in the oven, and 15 minutes later, they were in my mouth.

It's best to eat the batch within a day, so make these for a crowd. Or, you can follow in my gluttonous footsteps: I meant to sample one out of the oven, but wound up eating at least three. The recipe? It's right here.

Must Read: Wedding Cake Art and Design

YumSugar — Thu, 27 May 2010 11:55:55 PDT

From the flowers to the music, there are a number of crucial elements to every wedding, but in my opinion, there's nothing more exciting than planning the actual cake. Regardless of whether or not she's looking into cake toppers, the cake tower is sure to be at the top of the bride's mind, and a new book, Wedding Cake Art and Design: A Professional Approach by Toba Garrett ($50), is here to help. I had a chance to preview the book. See my assessments of it when you read more.

Berry Tempting: Strawberry Rhubarb Pop-Tarts

YumSugar — Mon, 17 May 2010 16:15:51 PDT

I loved Pop-Tarts as a kid and I have such fond memories of the breakfast treat that I was ecstatic when I saw a recipe for a homemade version in Bon Appetit. Instantly, I knew it was an absolute must make.

The whole process is actually much easier than I was anticipating and it left me wondering why I hadn't made these earlier. I used two different jams to fill the tarts: a plain strawberry and strawberry-rhubarb. I preferred the strawberry-rhubarb since it was a little more chunky in texture.

The filling possibilities are endless - any jam would work and I can only imagine how delicious Nutella would be. If you haven't enjoyed a Pop-Tart in a while, skip the box and give these a try. Keep reading for the recipe and more photos of these wonderfully flaky tarts.

Definition: Torte

YumSugar — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 14:00:51 PDT

A dense, rich cake of Central European origin. Unlike a sponge cake, a torte is made with little to no flour, but instead with ground nuts or breadcrumbs, as well as sugar, eggs, and flavorings. It is typically baked in a springform pan, and may be multilayered and filled with cream or jam, or covered with cream and fruit or nuts. Have you ever made a torte?
Source: Flickr User Maggie Hoffman

Know Your Ingredients: Puff Pastry

YumSugar — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 05:50:22 PDT

PartySugar keeps puff pastry in her freezer; it comes in handy when she's looking for an easy appetizer to pull together at the 11th hour. But what exactly is puff pastry, and what differentiates this dough from others? Puff pastry originated in the 15th century in France, where it's known as pâte feuilletée, or "leafed pastry," a reference to the dough's countless flaky layers. Although its main ingredients are as basic as flour, butter, water, and salt, puff pastry expands exponentially when baked, rising to up to eight times its original height. The dough's many layers are the result of a labor-intensive process of chilling butter in between layers of pastry, rolling it out, and allowing it to rest. The prevalence of commercial, ready-made puff pastry makes for easier preparations of sweet and savory classics, including turnovers, strudels, croissants, palmiers, beef wellington, and pot pie. To achieve the best results, avoid overhandling the dough (this will make it tough), and bake it in a preheated oven at a moderate temperature.

Source: Flickr User syvwlch

Spring Tart Two Ways - Sweet and Savory

YumSugar — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 05:50:47 PDT

Spotting flawless asparagus, artichokes, and strawberries in markets this month is exciting enough to want to shout "Spring's here!" from the rooftops. Instead, celebrate the season by highlighting peak produce in an unexpected way: as the star ingredient of a delicate baked tart. Envelop ripe apricots in a simple pie crust to make a free-form dessert. Or, if you're looking for a savory main, top store-bought puff pastry with umami-laden asparagus stalks and Comté cheese. For recipients of either dish, your enthusiasm for the greenmarket is sure to be infectious. Whet your appetite for both recipes when you keep reading.

Killer App: Swiss Chard and Mushroom Empanadas

partysugar — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 11:45:33 PDT

When I read that yesterday was National Empanada Day, I had a craving so intense for the flaky, savory pastries that I went home and made some! While I enjoy the thick, Spanish pie-shaped empanada, I much prefer the mini, handheld Argentinean variation. They are bite-sized, fun to eat, and can be filled with just about anything.

Years ago I spent a month testing out empanada dough recipes until I found the perfect one. However, last night I didn't have two hours to let the dough rise, so I used puff pastry. These delectable empanadas are addictive, buttery, and downright delicious. The filling is a mixture of sautéed mushrooms, wilted chard, and cheese. It's an easy appetizer that makes a good vegetarian start to a Latin feast. Want the recipe? Read more.