Bon Appetit Desserts (4 page)

WHAT: Cream
is formed naturally when milk separates into two layers—a thick, creamy top layer with a thin milky liquid below. The percentage of milk fat in the top layer determines what kind of cream it will be:
Heavy whipping cream
, which is what
Bon Appétit
dessert recipes call for, has 36 percent to 40 percent milk fat. For the thickest, richest whipped cream, use pasteurized (
not
ultra-pasteurized) heavy whipping cream. Note that organic whipping cream will take much longer to whip.

USES
: Whipping cream lends an unmatched richness to desserts and a tenderness to many baked goods. Heavy whipping cream is the basis for rich custards, ice creams, ganache, and, of course, fluffy whipped cream. Whipping cream becomes thick and airy and doubles in size when whipped, and the process occurs more quickly when the cream, mixing bowl, and beaters are well chilled.

FIND
: In the dairy section of the supermarket.

STORE
: In the refrigerator. Check the sell-by date on the package.

WHAT: Sour cream
is similar to yogurt in that it is treated with a lactic acid culture to give it a tangy flavor and thick texture, but cream is used instead of milk.
Crème fraîche
is also made with a starter culture—the result is a sweet, tangy cream that’s similar in consistency to sour cream.

USES
: Sour cream, along with yogurt and buttermilk, is a key ingredient in baked goods, as its acidity not only helps tenderize cakes, quick breads, and pie crusts, but also helps set the proteins so that pie crusts don’t slide down the sides of the pie dish. Crème fraîche is often used in place of sour cream or as a tangy alternative to whipped cream as a topping.

FIND
: In the dairy section of the supermarket. Crème fraîche is available at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores.

STORE
: In the refrigerator. Check the sell-by date on the package.

WHAT: Yogurt
is made by adding bacterial cultures to milk and cooking the mixture at a low temperature. The bacteria cause the milk to thicken, giving yogurt a creamy texture and slightly tart flavor. Most of the yogurt available in supermarkets is made from cow’s milk, although sheep and goat’s milk yogurts are also available.
Greek-style yogurt
is a type of strained yogurt, made by straining the yogurt through cheesecloth or a coffee filter to remove the excess liquid.

USES
: Yogurt adds tanginess and moistness to cakes and quick breads. It is also a lighter alternative to sour cream and crème fraîche, which are made from cream.

FIND
: In the dairy section of the supermarket. If you can’t find Greek-style yogurt there, look for it at specialty foods stores (such as Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods markets) and Greek markets.

STORE
: In the refrigerator. Check the sell-by date on the package.

WHAT
: Organic eggs are the preferred choice in baking, since the chickens are fed an organic diet and raised without antibiotics. The color of an eggshell—white, brown, green, or blue—makes no difference to the flavor or nutritional value of the egg (the shell color varies with the breed of hen).

USES
: Most baking recipes call for large eggs, but always use the size that the recipe calls for to ensure the best results. For meringues, make sure the egg whites are at room temperature to ensure more volume. (You can use packaged egg whites if you prefer, but you may not achieve the same results; the
Bon Appétit
test kitchen uses only fresh egg whites.)

FIND
: Most supermarkets now offer regular, free-range, and organic eggs; farmers’ markets are also a good source for organic eggs.

STORE
: In their carton in the coldest part of the refrigerator (usually the bottom shelf) for up to a month.

WHAT
: Concentrated flavorings, such as vanilla, almond, and peppermint. Some are extracted from the oil of plants (such as mint and bitter almonds); others are made by distilling and pressing ingredients (such as vanilla beans).

USES
: Always use pure extracts and avoid imitation extracts, which are inferior in quality and flavor. Extracts are useful in baking, as they can be added to batter, dough, sauce, ice cream, and custard without affecting the texture or consistency. Since their flavors are intense, they should be used sparingly. For the best results, add extracts to mixtures that are slightly cooled, since heat weakens the flavors.
Vanilla
extract is the most widely used extract, as it complements most other flavors (see page 14 for more on vanilla extract).
Almond
extract has a strong, sweet flavor that complements most pitted fruits, such as cherries, apricots, plums, and peaches.
Peppermint
extract pairs well with chocolate.

FIND
: In the baking aisle.

STORE
: Indefinitely in a cool, dark place.

WHAT
: Wheat flour is the essential ingredient of many desserts; hard and soft wheat are the two main types of wheat used to make it. The difference is the amount of protein in each. When flour is mixed with water to form dough, the proteins in the flour bond to create a gum-like substance called gluten. Gluten is stretchy and gives dough the elasticity to expand and trap the gas formed by leavening agents like yeast, baking powder, and baking soda. Hard wheat is high in protein and forms flour with stronger gluten; flour made from soft wheat has less protein.

USES
: Getting the proper texture for various baked goods requires different types of flour:

• All purpose flour
  is a blend of hard and soft wheats; it is the most common flour used in home kitchens. It can be used for making most baked goods, including breads, cookies, pie crusts, and cakes (unless otherwise specified in the recipe). The recipes in this book call for unbleached all purpose flour, which has not been exposed to bleaching chemicals; instead the ground flour has turned from yellow to white naturally through exposure to oxygen.
  

• Cake flour
  is soft wheat flour and results in baked goods with a tender texture.
  

• Pastry flour
  is soft wheat flour with a bit more protein than cake flour; it’s good for making pie doughs, muffins, biscuits, and pastries. Whole wheat pastry flour is also available.
  

• Self-rising flour
  is all purpose flour with baking powder and salt added. If you don’t have self-rising flour on hand, you can add 1½ teaspoons of baking powder and ¼ teaspoon salt to 1 cup of all purpose flour to equal 1 cup of self-rising flour.
  

• Bread flour
  is unbleached flour made with hard wheat and is high in gluten. Because it results in a well-risen loaf, it is the best flour to use for making yeast breads.
  

• Whole wheat flour
  contains the grain’s bran and germ and so has a higher fiber and oil content. White whole wheat flour is milled from white, rather than red, wheat. It has a milder flavor and lighter color than traditional whole wheat but the same fiber and nutrition.
  

FIND
: Most flours can be found in the baking aisle; some specialty flours can be found online (see Online and Mail-Order Sources on page 632).

STORE
: Airtight in a cool, dry place for up to six months. Whole wheat flour should be refrigerated (for up to six months) to keep the oils in the flour from turning rancid.

WHAT
: Fresh fruits that have been dehydrated, retaining only 15 percent to 25 percent of their original moisture; dried fruits have a more concentrated flavor than their fresh counterparts.

• Dried tart cherries
  , also known as dried sour cherries, have a wonderful sweet-tart flavor.
  Dried Bing cherries
  are sweeter and darker.
  

• Dried apricots
  are available sulphured and unsulphured. Sulphured dried apricots are more common. They are preserved with sulphur dioxide to extend the shelf life, lighten the color, and keep the dried fruit soft. Unsulphured and organic fruit is darker and sweeter.
  

• Raisins
  are dried grapes usually made from Thompson seedless or Muscat grapes. Thompson seedless grapes can be used to produce both dark and golden raisins. When the grapes are sun-dried for several weeks, the resulting raisins are darker and more shriveled. To produce golden raisins, the grapes are treated with sulphur dioxide, then dried with artificial heat; golden raisins are fatter and more moist. Raisins made from Muscat grapes are dark and very sweet.
  

• Dried currants
  , also called Zante currants, are actually not currants; they are tiny raisins made by drying Black Corinth seedless grapes (when fresh, these grapes are also known as Champagne grapes). Dried currants are not related to fresh currants.
  

• Dried figs
  come in two varieties—dried Calimyrna figs, with thick, beige skin, and dried black Mission figs, which have very dark skin. You can use these varieties interchangeably in
  Bon Appétit
  recipes, though the appearance will be different. The figs should be sweet and still relatively moist. Trim the tough tip of the stem, then chop them into a suitable size and add them to baked goods.
  

• Dried coconut
  is unsweetened shredded, shaved, or chipped coconut flesh. It is different from
  sweetened flaked coconut
  , which has been dried, flaked, rehydrated, and sweetened and tends to be moister; they are not interchangeable. Both types lend a mild, sweet, coconut flavor and texture to desserts and are often used as a garnish. When toasted, dried coconut becomes golden and crunchy with a slightly nuttier flavor.
  

USES
: Dried fruits add flavor and sweetness as well as texture to pastries and baked goods. You can use dried fruits as is, or reconstitute them by soaking them in warm liquid—such as water, wine, fruit juice, or liqueur—until they are soft. (But reconstituted fruit is very different from fresh fruit, so don’t try to substitute it for fresh.) Dried fruit can also be simmered in a fruit compote, where it softens considerably.

FIND
: Most dried fruits are available in the dried fruit section or produce department of supermarkets and specialty foods stores. Unsulphured dried fruits, such as apricots, are available at natural foods stores and some supermarkets. Dried unsweetened shredded coconut is available at specialty foods stores, natural foods stores, and some supermarkets. Sweetened flaked coconut is available in the baking aisle at most supermarkets. See Online and Mail-Order Sources, page 632, for other places to find dried fruits.

STORE
: Keep airtight at room temperature for several months or refrigerate in a tightly sealed bag for up to a year.

WHAT
: Frozen fruit is a convenient alternative to fresh fruit since it is cleaned, peeled, pitted, cut up, and ready to use. The fruit is harvested at its peak and quickly frozen, so it is ripe, nutritious, and economical; most are available year-round (although frozen cranberries may be difficult to find in the summer).

USES
: Frozen berries, cherries, and cranberries are especially good for baked goods (such as pies and cobblers), cooked sauces and compotes, and smoothies and shakes. For some recipes, the fruit does not need to be thawed before using.

FIND
: In the frozen foods aisle. When purchasing frozen fruit, feel the bag to check that the pieces of fruit are separate; if they are clumped together in one large piece, this is a sign that the fruit may have been thawed due to improper handling and then refrozen. Most recipes call for unsweetened frozen fruit, but some frozen fruit is sweetened and packaged in syrup, so check the packaging carefully. To freeze your own fresh fruit, wash, trim, peel, seed or pit, and chop larger fruits, like bananas, mangoes, peaches, and strawberries (other berries and cranberries can be frozen as is), then arrange the fruit in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze. Enclose frozen fruit in resealable plastic freezer bags and keep frozen.

STORE
: In resealable plastic freezer bags in the freezer for up to six months. Unopened packages of purchased frozen fruit can be kept in the freezer for six months.

WHAT
: A thickener and stabilizer derived from animal bones, cartilage, tendons, and other connective tissue (therefore, not suitable for consumption by vegetarians).

USES
: Thickens desserts such as panna cotta, gelatin, mousse, pudding, parfait, and marshmallows. It does not impart any color, flavor, or smell. It must be soaked in a cool liquid (usually water) to soften, then stirred over low heat until completely dissolved before it is blended with other ingredients. Once the dessert is chilled, the gelatin becomes firm like jelly, and depending on the amount used, it will set the dessert to the desired consistency, from thickening to firming completely. Some ingredients, such as fresh figs, ginger, guava, kiwi, mangoes, papaya, and pineapple, contain an enzyme that prevents gelatin from setting; however, once cooked, they can be used.

FIND
: Gelatin is sold as unflavored, unsweetened tiny granules in small packets; it’s available in the baking aisle of supermarkets. Agar, a thickener made from red algae, is a good vegetarian/vegan alternative that can be found in natural foods stores.

STORE
: Gelatin keeps in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to a year. Dried agar can be stored for up to two years in an airtight container.