Baking

Making Homemade Vanilla Extract (Edible Gifts)

July 3, 2020 by Sylvia Rose 3 Comments

Making vanilla extract from scratch is a reward all on its own. Whether it’s to save a bit of money, enhance your baking experience, or make a thoughtful handmade gift, there’s something special about extracting your own vanilla flavour.

MAKING VANILLA EXTRACT FROM SCRATCH

To some, making a vanilla extract from scratch seems out of the realm of possibility. The truth is, it couldn’t be easier to make!

No matter how many different ways you roll the dice, vanilla is expensive.

Taking the DIY approach, however, will save you a few bucks and give you a cool kitchen project. All you need is a handful of vanilla beans, a half-pint mason jar, 80-proof alcohol, and six months’ worth of patience.

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Making and Maintaining a Sourdough Starter (it’s easy!)

June 19, 2020 by Sylvia Rose Leave a Comment

Why bother with store-bought yeast when you have your own sourdough starter in the fridge? Learn how to make and maintain this old-fashioned leavener with only three ingredients: flour, water and time.

SOURDOUGH: A NOURISHING TRADITION

Sourdough first came on my radar when I read through Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House series as a child.

I would have given almost anything to take a bite out of one of Ma Ingalls’s good sourdough biscuits!

Indeed, sourdough has been around for a long time, much longer than most people would guess.

Did you know that sourdough bread dates back to at least 3700 BC?

While sourdough was shelved away for a while (like a number of other old-fashioned skills and traditions) it is experiencing a resurgence.

When yeast was hard to come by in some areas, sourdough was back in popular demand, and it’s no small wonder why!

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Classic Genoise Sponge Cake Recipe (only 4 ingredients!)

March 13, 2020 by Sylvia Rose 66 Comments

A classic genoise sponge cake is made with four simple ingredients: flour, sugar, eggs, and butter. Ready for a French pastry lesson?

classic genoise sponge cake cooling down

WHAT DOES GENOISE MEAN?

If you didn’t know, this classic genoise sponge cake is a favourite when it comes to French pastry.

For example, genoise sponge makes the base for many beloved cakes, like the fraisier (a strawberry layer cake with marzipan, mousseline cream, and hints of kirsch).

Around the holidays, it’s rolled up to make bûches de noël (yule logs), which means it’s great for making jelly rolls, too.

Despite its widespread use in French pastry, its origins are Italian.

Named after Genoa, the sixth-largest city in Italy, we can now see where the name comes from.

Genoise = Genoese/Genovese.

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Dark Chocolate Ganache Tart from Scratch

January 24, 2020 by Sylvia Rose 8 Comments

A dark chocolate ganache tart makes for a decadent and elegant dessert. Learn how to make this classic French pastry recipe from scratch and be the talk at the dinner table! No one will be able to resist this rich, silky chocolate ganache filling and the crumbly cookie-like crust.

dark chocolate ganache tart with red berries

THIS CHOCOLATE TART IS A BITE OF HEAVEN

If you’ve never had a dark chocolate ganache tart before, you’re in for a treat. It’s not a recipe that’s for the lactose-intolerant, though, that’s for sure!

While I believe it’s important to steer clear of refined sugar as much as possible, I also don’t believe it’s healthy to deprive ourselves from the occasional treat.

That’s why when I do indulge, I make sure it’s something good. This tart is made with the purest ingredients (no vegetable shortening here!) and it will have your dinner guests raving.

So, what on earth makes this classic French dessert taste so darn good?

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Sweet Shortcrust Pastry Dough aka Pâte Sucrée

January 17, 2020 by Sylvia Rose Leave a Comment

Sweet shortcrust pastry dough, or, pâte sucrée, is a classic French recipe that is perfect for tarts. Richer than a standard shortcrust pastry, it is sweet, buttery, and good to the last crumb.

FOR THE BEST TARTS, MAKE A SWEET SHORTCRUST PASTRY DOUGH

The crust, next to the filling, is arguably the most important part of any tart or pie.

A good filling can redeem a bad crust, but why have a sad crust in the first place? They’re not hard to make!

Let me tell you, though, I’m a happy camper whenever I dig into a tart to discover a sweet shortcrust pastry crust.

Pâte sucrée (what I call it at home) is practically a dessert in itself, tasting almost like a cookie.

This makes for one decadent slice that most folks will gobble right up. So? What’s the secret behind it tasting so darn good?

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Sesame Naan Bread: A Cast Iron Skillet Recipe

January 10, 2020 by Sylvia Rose 6 Comments

It’s time to pull out the cast iron skillet and learn how to whip up a batch of this sesame naan bread. It’s the perfect accompaniment for those winter soups and curries!

CAST IRON SKILLET SESAME NAAN BREAD

If you’ve never had naan before, it’s kind of like pita bread that’s found in many Eastern cuisines.

When I think of naan, Indian is the first cuisine that comes to mind, but it’s one of many.

Traditionally, naan is baked in a tandoor oven, but since I don’t have one of those in my kitchen, I always turn to my trusty cast-iron skillet whenever I’m making a batch. This is also the case when I make flour tortillas and breakfast biscuits, so naan bread is a natural fit.

If you’re new to the world of cast iron cooking, you might want to read up on how to use cast-iron cookware, but if you know your way around cast iron, please, continue. Of course.

It’s also possible to use whatever pan you wish, but I hope you give cast iron a shot!

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