Welcome back!  Today, we have a miniature version of a classic American dessert: Mini Apple Pie! Sometimes an entire apple pie is too much (but when is it really?), so having the technique to bake some mini pies can certainly come in handy. Plus, you can bake multiple different mini pies at once by taking the filling from any other pie, such as peach or cherry pie. It's a great way to make a delicious pie sampler! Mini Apple Pies Makes four 4" pies Ingredients: 2 9"  pie crusts  (or almond-based pie crusts ) 3 large apples, cubed, such as Granny Smith 100 grams brown sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/8 teaspoon ground clove 1 tablespoon corn starch Directions: In a bowl, mix the apple chunks with the brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger, nutmeg, and clove. Let the spiced apple sit in the fridge for at least 3 hours. This will draw the juices out of the apple. Add the corn starch into the apples and mix to th...

Welcome back!  Today, we have a recipe for the most iconic cookie ever: Chocolate Chip Cookies! Loaded with smooth chocolate, these cookies are an absolute treat that everyone is sure to love. Plus, this recipe's pretty easy to whip up quickly, so it's super convenient when you need to prepare something for a party or if you just want some indulgent snacks.  Chocolate Chip Cookies Makes 18 cookies Ingredients: 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened 100 grams white sugar 75 grams brown sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 large egg 1 1/2 cups (190 grams) all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon baking powder (optional) 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 6 ounces chocolate chips or chunks Directions: In a mixing bowl, cream the butter with the white and brown sugar. Add in the vanilla extract and egg and mix. Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt into the wet mixture. Mix this together, but don't overmix! Add the chocolate chips or chunks and mix. Let the cooki...

Welcome back!  Today, we have a classic breakfast-dessert dish: Cinnamon Rolls! Cinnamon rolls evoke the feeling of a nice American brunch spread, or a breakfast at a Southern cafe - who market their cinnamon rolls as the gooiest, fluffiest, most cinnamon-y delights you've seen. Well, cinnamon rolls actually find their strongest roots in Scandinavia, with Sweden in particular. In fact, Sweden and Finland originated a National Cinnamon Roll Day, on October 4th, to celebrate their cultural delicacy. The American version really isn't too different save for the use of a cream cheese frosting. Cinnamon Rolls Makes 9 cinnamon rolls Ingredients: 375 grams bread flour 1 egg 1 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast 1/2 teaspoon salt 40 grams sugar 180 grams milk, slightly warm 40 grams softened butter 4 tablespoons softened butter 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon 4 ounce softened cream cheese 2 tablespoons softened butter 2/3 cup powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 9...

Welcome back!  Today, we have a delicious and aesthetic dessert: the Cake Roll! As the name suggests, it is the wonderful innovation of cake in log form. But it's not as simple as just rolling the sheet of cake up - we have to worry about the cake cracking when it rolls and the outside surface looking smooth and clean. So for this recipe, we switched up our usual Chiffon Cake recipe for something a little different, as you'll see in the first few steps. Cake Roll Ingredients: 50 grams neutral oil 70 grams cake flour 60 grams milk 5 egg yolks 5 egg whites, chilled 50 grams sugar 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1 cup whipping cream 1 tablespoon sugar Fresh fruit, like mango or strawberry A 11" x 10" or 11" x 11" baking pan Directions: Heat the oil in a small pot to 158-167°F. Remove the pot from the heat and mix in the flour thoroughly. Mix in the milk until evenly incorporated. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time until homogenous. Whisk the egg whites with lemon juic...

Welcome back!  Today, we have a Southern favorite: Peach Cobbler! In fact, peach cobbler is so loved, it's become Texas's official state cobbler, and you can find it at any real barbecue place in the South. Cobblers are an easy way to bake your summer fruits into a warm, delicious dish, whether it be apples, berries, or of course, peaches. You basically throw all your ingredients together and toss it in the oven (a couple of times) and that's your cobbler! Peach Cobbler Ingredients: For the filling: 4 large peaches (about 2 pounds), cut into small chunks Juice from half of a lemon 1/4 cup brown sugar A pinch of salt 1 teaspoon corn starch For the topping: 1 cup flour 1/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/8 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces 1/4 cup plain yogurt 2 tablespoons milk 1/4 cup turbinado sugar Optionally, you can add some spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, either to the filling or the topping. Directions: In a ...

Welcome back!  Today, we have a fun festive recipe: Gingerbread Cookies! Gingerbread cookies are a staple for the holiday season, featuring an iconic blend of spices mixed with the smooth richness of molasses. Plus, they're super fun to make with cookie cutters and then decorate with candies or icing. It makes for a great holiday activity that also gives you a delicious treat afterwards! Gingerbread Cookies Makes about 20 large cookies Ingredients: 3 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon ground ginger 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 cup butter, softened 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed 1/2 cup molasses 1 egg Directions: Cream the butter and brown sugar in a bowl using a hand mixer. Add the molasses in and mix. Crack the egg in and mix until smooth. Sift in the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix everything together with the hand mixer until the dough st...

Welcome back!  Today, we have a delicious Thanksgiving treat: Pumpkin Cheesecake! Pumpkin is a wonderful seasonal ingredient that works well in many contexts, and since we had already made a Pumpkin Basque Cheesecake , we decided to incorporate pumpkin in a more traditional-style cheesecake this year. This cheesecake features a spiced, nutty crust in addition to the smooth, creamy filling for a rich blend of flavors and textures. Pumpkin Cheesecake Makes a 7" cheesecake Ingredients: Crust: 30 grams pecans 70 grams cookies such as Biscoff or Speculoos 3 tablespoons melted butter 1/4 teaspoon salt Filling: 2 boxes (16 ounces) cream cheese, softened 300 grams steamed pumpkin (we used a kabocha pumpkin) 2 eggs 40 grams Greek yogurt 1/4 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup sugar 1 tablespoon corn starch 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon salt Directions: Prepare the crust: Add the pecans and cookies into a large food processor or...

Welcome back!  Today, we have a recipe for a delicious summer treat: Fruit Tart! When you find yourself with a wide range of fresh fruit - especially berries - you can put this dessert together for a dish that everyone will love. In addition to the fruit topping, you'll need a tart crust, obviously, and a nice pot of creme patissiere. In a way, that makes this rather similar to our Apple Tart  recipe, but the preparation is still slightly different! Fruit Tart Makes a 10" tart Ingredients: For the crust: 90 grams unsalted butter, softened 20 grams sugar 35 grams powdered sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 egg 20 grams almond flour 150 grams all-purpose flour For the filling: 2 cups milk 1/3 cup sugar 1/4 cup cake flour 2 tablespoons corn starch 4 egg yolks 2 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1/2 vanilla pod For the topping: Fresh fruit, like berries, peaches, kiwis, mangoes, or whatever is in season. Directions: Prepare the crust as specified in our Sweet Tart Crust rec...

Welcome back!  Today, we have a recipe for a baking essential: Creme Patissiere, aka Pastry Cream! Creme Patissiere is a type of custard that is used in a wide variety of delectable desserts, like Fruit Tarts or Cream Puffs. It's a technique that you'll want to develop in order to broaden your repertoire of baked goods, but thankfully, it's not hard at all to master. Creme Patissiere Ingredients: 2 cups milk 1/3 cup sugar 1/4 cup cake flour 2 tablespoons corn starch 4 egg yolks 2 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1/2 vanilla bean Directions: Take the cake flour, corn starch, and 1/2 cup of milk and mix until there are no specks of flour left. The mixture should be very smooth. Put the egg yolks into this mixture and mix them in smoothly. Put the rest of the milk (1 1/2 cup) and the sugar in another pot. If you're using vanilla bean, scrape the seeds into the pot, adding the pod in as well. Heat this on a stove and mix.  Once the milk is bubbling slightly...

Welcome back!  Today, we have another crust recipe: this time for sweet tarts! When making our Fruit Tart , we came across two distinct ways to prepare the crust: one being a pate sablée , the other being a pate sucrée . Pate sablée  involves forming more of a crumble with diced cold butter mixed with flour while pate sucrée  is made by creaming softened butter with sugar. Since it seemed that either was acceptable for our tarts and our previous Pie Crust recipe used a pate sablée , we decided to go for a pate sucrée  this time. Sweet Tart Crust Makes a 10" crust Ingredients: 90 grams unsalted butter, softened 20 grams sugar 35 grams powdered sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 egg 20 grams almond flour 150 grams all-purpose flour You could also use only sugar or only powdered sugar, just be sure to use 55 grams total. Directions: In a bowl, cream the butter with sugar, powdered sugar, and salt until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg. Add in the almond flour and sifted fl...

Welcome back!  Today, we have a fun little cookie-like recipe: Ladyfingers! Actually, ladyfingers are more cake-like in their preparation, but since the resulting product is typically thin and dry, it passes more for a cookie. That being said, this is a great way to enjoy cake in a more bite-sized and also crunchy fashion, though it's more usual to see these used within another dessert, such as Tiramisu  or Charlotte cake, for example. Ladyfingers Makes about 36 ladyfingers Ingredients: 2 egg yolks 20 grams sugar 2 egg whites 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar 30 grams sugar 40 grams cake flour 10 grams corn starch Powdered sugar Directions: Separate the yolks and whites of two eggs into two bowls. In the bowl with the egg yolks, add 20 grams of sugar and whisk until it is pale and thickened. Whisk the egg whites in their bowl. After they have been whipped up a little, add the lemon juice/vinegar and slowly add in the sugar and mix. Whisk until it reaches stiff peaks. Gently ...

Welcome back!  Today, we have a recipe for a simple Italian dessert: Panna Cotta! This dish literally means "cooked cream", and really, that's all it is! It takes just a few ingredients but when put together, is elevated into something much more refined. What's even better is that you can garnish the panna cotta with a variety of different sauces or toppings; since it has such a simple flavor, a multitude of things will pair well with the dessert. Panna Cotta Ingredients: 1 cup milk 1 cup heavy cream 1 package (7 grams) gelatin 3 tablespoons water or milk 1/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Directions: Bloom the gelatin by pouring it into the water and letting it sit for a few minutes. In a pot, pour in the milk and cream. Set this on the stove on medium-low heat. Add in the sugar and stir to let it dissolve and mix. Once the mixture starts to form little bubbles, take it off the heat. Add in the bloomed gelatin and the vanilla extract and mix it in. As quickly a...

Welcome back!  Today, we have a recipe for a special preparation of a fruit: Poached Pears! Poaching is a great way to enjoy your pears by imbuing them with interesting flavors that really enhance the pear's natural flavor. This is typically done with a base of wine, red or white, but then the other herbs and spices can vary, really just depending on what you like. Of course, we tried to pick flavors that would complement the wine selection. Poached Pears Ingredients: 4 pears For a red wine poach: 2 cups red wine 1/2 cup orange juice or water (if the wine is not enough to poach the pears) 1/4 cup sugar 2 tablespoons honey 1 piece orange peel 1 stick cinnamon (or 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon) Other spices, like cloves, star anise, or peppercorn For a white wine poach: 2 cups white wine 1/2 cup water 1/4 cup sugar 2 tablespoons honey 2 slices ginger, thinly sliced 10 large leaves of mint Directions: In a pot, pour in the wine and any additional liquid, if necessary. Place the pears in...