How the Cookie Crumbles - Eileen Talanian's Recipe Guidelines

Be Smart Before You Start --- Use a Mise En Place

A mise en place (pronounced mee zon plahs) is a practice used by chefs that refers to having all of the ingredients ready and measured “in their place” before you begin preparing the recipe. An easy way to set up a “mise” is to place a piece of deli paper on your work surface and write the names of all of the small ingredients (salt, baking soda, etc.) on it, then measure these ingredients, placing them on the paper next to their names. Make a separate paper for each group of items that is added at the same time. You can also put each ingredient into a small separate dish. Measure larger items into small bowls. Set all of the measured ingredients on your work surface near the mixer or area where you will be mixing. Setting up a mise is an essential habit to develop, and you'll feel totally organized and in control of your baking if you do it. This simple step takes only a few minutes, but will save you from adding something twice or not adding something at all. If you get interrupted while you are making the recipe, you will be able to tell just where you left off.

Melting Chocolate

Melting chocolate is a fairly easy process if you have a microwave oven. Just be sure the dish you use to melt the chocolate in is absolutely dry, because the chocolate will turn into a hard, grainy lump if even a drop of water gets into the chocolate. This method will work for quantities of one ounce or more. Chop the desired amount of chocolate and place it in a glass dish. Microwave the chocolate, uncovered, for 45 seconds. Remove the dish and check to see that most, but not all, of the chocolate has melted. If most of the chocolate is still solid, return the dish to the microwave oven for another 30 seconds and check it again. When most of the chocolate has been melted, use a small whisk to stir the chocolate until all of the lumps melt. Chocolate burns very easily, so you don’t want to try to totally melt the chocolate in the microwave.

White chocolate needs to be handled more carefully than any other chocolate, because it melts at a lower temperature and burns very easily. To melt white chocolate, bring a kettle of water to boil. Set a wide metal bowl into a baking dish large enough to hold it. Place the white chocolate, broken or chopped into small bits, into the bowl, cover it tightly with plastic wrap, and pour as much boiling water into the baking dish as possible. Let the bowl of white chocolate remain in the hot water for 5 or 10 minutes, then remove it, pull back the plastic wrap, being careful not to get even one drop of water in the chocolate, and stir with a rubber spatula until all of the chunks of chocolate have melted and the chocolate is very smooth. If necessary, tightly re-wrap the bowl and place it back into the hot water for a few more minutes to further melt the chunks.

Bake at the Right Temperature

Be sure your oven temperature is correct. An oven that is too hot or too cold can cause your delicious baked items to be less than a success, and many times can totally ruin them. Most ovens are off anywhere from 5 to 50 degrees, sometimes more, and this can ruin a batch of cookies or cause a cake to fall or peak in the center. Place an oven thermometer in the center of the oven while it is preheating, and check it before you place your pastry in the oven. If your oven is set at 350 degrees, for example, but the thermometer in the oven reads only 325, then you will need to turn up your dial 25 degrees to make up the difference. It’s cheaper and easier to use a thermometer to be sure your oven is the right temperature than to lose a batch of cookies or a delicate cake. Your oven should be at the correct temperature before you put your pastry in to bake.

Carmelizing Sugar for Crème Brulée

When making Crème Brulée, it is a simple procedure to caramelize the sugar that forms the thin, crisp crust. You will need a propane or butane torch – the kind you buy in a hardware store, or the smaller ones that are sold specifically for this purpose in kitchen shops. You can do this up to 30 minutes before the custard will be eaten. Sprinkle a thin layer of sugar evenly over the top of the custard, and, using a propane torch, heat the sugar until it browns and bubbles, up to a minute per custard, depending on the size.. It is quicker if you keep the torch in one place until the sugar browns, then move the flame to another spot, continuing until the entire top has been browned.

Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 30 minutes.

Determining the Doneness of Baked Custard

When you are baking custard, you need to remember that it will continue to cook a bit more after it has been removed from the oven. Cook it only until the edges are firm – the center will still jiggle a bit when the baking dish is gently moved.

Bain Marie or Water Bath

To make a water bath, you will need a 2 to 3-inch ovenproof pan that is at least 2 inches larger on each side than the pan you are baking your dessert in. Boil a kettle of water. Place the dessert(s) in the bain marie pan, and place it on the oven shelf. Carefully pour the hot water into the larger pan, taking care not to spill the water into the dessert(s). When the dessert is done, carefully remove it from the pan using tongs ar a spatula. Carefully remove the hot water-filled pan from the oven and empty out the water. Be careful not to spill the hot water.

Buy the Book! About Eileen Visit Keller's Creamery to see my featured chef video clips! International Association of Culinary Professionals Les Dames d'Escoffier International Food Site of the Day
	Here are some tips that will be helpful in making some of the recipes I’ve included in this issue:

	Be Smart Before You Start --- Use a Mise En Place A mise en place (pronounced mee zon plahs) is a practice used by chefs that refers to having all of the ingredients ready and measured “in their place” before you begin preparing the recipe. An easy way to set up a “mise” is to place a piece of deli paper on your work surface and write the names of all of the small ingredients (salt, baking soda, etc.) on it, then measure these ingredients, placing them on the paper next to their names. Make a separate paper for each group of items that is added at the same time. You can also put each ingredient into a small separate dish. Measure larger items into small bowls. Set all of the measured ingredients on your work surface near the mixer or area where you will be mixing. Setting up a mise is an essential habit to develop, and you'll feel totally organized and in control of your baking if you do it. This simple step takes only a few minutes, but will save you from adding something twice or not adding something at all. If you get interrupted while you are making the recipe, you will be able to tell just where you left off. Melting Chocolate Melting chocolate is a fairly easy process if you have a microwave oven. Just be sure the dish you use to melt the chocolate in is absolutely dry, because the chocolate will turn into a hard, grainy lump if even a drop of water gets into the chocolate. This method will work for quantities of one ounce or more. Chop the desired amount of chocolate and place it in a glass dish. Microwave the chocolate, uncovered, for 45 seconds. Remove the dish and check to see that most, but not all, of the chocolate has melted. If most of the chocolate is still solid, return the dish to the microwave oven for another 30 seconds and check it again. When most of the chocolate has been melted, use a small whisk to stir the chocolate until all of the lumps melt. Chocolate burns very easily, so you don’t want to try to totally melt the chocolate in the microwave. White chocolate needs to be handled more carefully than any other chocolate, because it melts at a lower temperature and burns very easily. To melt white chocolate, bring a kettle of water to boil. Set a wide metal bowl into a baking dish large enough to hold it. Place the white chocolate, broken or chopped into small bits, into the bowl, cover it tightly with plastic wrap, and pour as much boiling water into the baking dish as possible. Let the bowl of white chocolate remain in the hot water for 5 or 10 minutes, then remove it, pull back the plastic wrap, being careful not to get even one drop of water in the chocolate, and stir with a rubber spatula until all of the chunks of chocolate have melted and the chocolate is very smooth. If necessary, tightly re-wrap the bowl and place it back into the hot water for a few more minutes to further melt the chunks. Bake at the Right Temperature Be sure your oven temperature is correct. An oven that is too hot or too cold can cause your delicious baked items to be less than a success, and many times can totally ruin them. Most ovens are off anywhere from 5 to 50 degrees, sometimes more, and this can ruin a batch of cookies or cause a cake to fall or peak in the center. Place an oven thermometer in the center of the oven while it is preheating, and check it before you place your pastry in the oven. If your oven is set at 350 degrees, for example, but the thermometer in the oven reads only 325, then you will need to turn up your dial 25 degrees to make up the difference. It’s cheaper and easier to use a thermometer to be sure your oven is the right temperature than to lose a batch of cookies or a delicate cake. Your oven should be at the correct temperature before you put your pastry in to bake. Carmelizing Sugar for Crème Brulée When making Crème Brulée, it is a simple procedure to caramelize the sugar that forms the thin, crisp crust. You will need a propane or butane torch – the kind you buy in a hardware store, or the smaller ones that are sold specifically for this purpose in kitchen shops. You can do this up to 30 minutes before the custard will be eaten. Sprinkle a thin layer of sugar evenly over the top of the custard, and, using a propane torch, heat the sugar until it browns and bubbles, up to a minute per custard, depending on the size.. It is quicker if you keep the torch in one place until the sugar browns, then move the flame to another spot, continuing until the entire top has been browned. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 30 minutes. Determining the Doneness of Baked Custard When you are baking custard, you need to remember that it will continue to cook a bit more after it has been removed from the oven. Cook it only until the edges are firm – the center will still jiggle a bit when the baking dish is gently moved. Bain Marie or Water Bath To make a water bath, you will need a 2 to 3-inch ovenproof pan that is at least 2 inches larger on each side than the pan you are baking your dessert in. Boil a kettle of water. Place the dessert(s) in the bain marie pan, and place it on the oven shelf. Carefully pour the hot water into the larger pan, taking care not to spill the water into the dessert(s). When the dessert is done, carefully remove it from the pan using tongs ar a spatula. Carefully remove the hot water-filled pan from the oven and empty out the water. Be careful not to spill the hot water.