Issue 22 - Mini Elegance

My son’s graduation party was coming up, and I needed an easy, luscious, and special dessert to make for the event. I had just finished a major project that was due June 1st, and needed to get the garden in order for the party. What to make, what to make? With 50 people coming, I didn’t want to get into anything involved or complicated; I needed to think of something simple and popular, that could be made in very small individual servings.

One of the reasons I love to garden is that it gives me time to ponder things I need to work out in my mind. While finishing off the yard work, the solution to my quest came to me: baked custards. Specifically, Deep Chocolate Pots de Crème and Crème Brulée. Chocolate and vanilla. Simple and quick to make, always well received, and absolutely indulgent. And that’s exactly what I made. There would be a wonderful cake (baked by Amy Edelman in her Night Kitchen Bakery in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia) but it’s just not my way to offer only one dessert. And anyone coming to one of my parties would expect nothing less.

The recipes for these elegant, silken-textured treats are included in this issue. You will be amazed at the ease of preparation and how little time is required to make them. They are baked in a bain marie, or water bath, but don’t let that put you off – this is truly an easy endeavor if you follow the simple directions. The Crème Brulée is mixed in less than 10 minutes, and bakes in less than half an hour. The Pots de Crème takes just a tad more time to mix – but still comes in under 15 minutes! And only another 15 to bake.

You can bake the custards up to 2 days ahead. (Broil or torch the brulée sugar topping at the last minute.) Serve them with fresh seasonal berries, sliced peaches, nectarines, or cherries. Your guests will love these desserts.

Be sure to check out the other recipes and the Baking Hints page for information about baking techniques - and don’t forget to check out my recommended equipment list for great products to bake with.

Happy baking!

Eileen

Never been to How the Cookie Crumbles before?

I'd like to welcome you to How the Cookie Crumbles - a webzine for Home Bakers, where you will find excellent recipes, baking hints, and sensible information on baking equipment and ingredients that make the process of baking from scratch easier and more fun. No heavy technical jargon, no confusing lingo. Just good advice and helpful information.

This site is dedicated to the joys of home baking. But just what, exactly, is a "home baker?" Home bakers have a passion for baking, or the strong desire to learn how to bake from scratch. And "from scratch" is the key to defining home baking. Real home bakers don't use mixes or canned frostings or store-bought baked goods. They understand that the soul of their efforts comes from using wholesome ingredients of the highest quality, and paying attention to detail. While it's true that anyone can learn to bake, not everyone understands there is a huge difference between package baking and home baking. This site is for those of you who know the difference. As we go along we'll be talking about baking a variety of items, both sweet and savory. Periodically I'll be adding additional cookie recipes, muffin recipes, biscuit recipes, cake recipes, filo pastry recipes, tart recipes, cobbler recipes, pie recipes and much more. (Each issue will have a different theme.) These are all from-scratch recipes using wholesome, quality ingredients. All of the recipes you find in this site have been personally developed and thoroughly tested, so you can count on them to be delicious and successful. Most of the recipes are truly easy to make, so don't feel you need to be a professional pastry chef to use this site. You just need to be a passionate Home Baker.

Kids can learn so many things by baking: fractions, following directions, how to measure, how things in the kitchen work. It will help improve their self-esteem and fine motor skills. And they will think you are amazing for doing this with them. Enjoy all of the recipes in this issue and in the Recipe section of this web site, and have a great time baking with your family!

Check out my Links page for more sites that talk about baking with children.

I would love to hear about helpful techniques or gadgets that you use when baking. Helpful ideas will be included in our Baking Hints page, with your name. Thanks for your interest in How the Cookie Crumbles, and enjoy home baking!

- Eileen Talanian

I'm Eileen Talanian, and I have baked since I was 5 years old. My lifelong passion for baking led me to start a European-style mail order and wholesale cookie company called An American Kitchen. I headed the award-winning, and nationally acclaimed, company for more than 10 years, then sold it so I could spend time with my two children and my husband. My passion for baking has not diminished at all and I am currently working on my third cookbook. (My first cookbook, Chewy Cookies, has been completely revised and updated and is now available. It includes step-by-step directions, and chapters on holiday cookies, butter-free macaroons, bar cookies, home-style favorites, kids' favorites, and cookies for chocolate lovers. Great recipes from an award-winning baker. Buy it now.) My second cookbook, Marshmallows: Homemade Gourmet Treats, will be published in March 2008. It includes step-by-step instructions for making homemade marshmallows and marshmallow fluff in many delicious flavors, and it includes dozens of ways to use them. Order it now. I am currently working on my third book, Bread Pudding: Sweet and Savory Gourmet Recipes, which will be published by Gibbs Smith, Publishers, in the fall of 2009.
All recipes and text found in this site are copyright 2003-2008 by Eileen Talanian.