Tag: dessert-person

Introduction

We knew that there were chocolate and cinnamon babkas. But, it turns out there’s another – the Speculoos Babka. The main ingredient is Speculoos Cookie Butter (store bought versions are sold by Lotus and Trader Joe’s), which tastes much like those little cookies they hand out on flights. It’s a fun babka variation, but requires a bit of technique and practice to get right.

Recipe Outline

Recipe: Speculoos Babka	Special Equipment: Stand Mixer, 2 Standard Loaf Pans
Source: Dessert Person	Time: 1 day
Author: Claire Saffitz	Difficulty: 4/5
Type: Dessert (Baking)	Score: ★★★☆☆

Making The Sweet Yeast Dough

Tip: Claire covers the sweet yeast dough in first portion of this video.

Making The Babka

Tip 1: You’ll need all of your filling to get a thick enough layer and you’ll need to stick to the recommended dimensions.

Tip 2: Make sure the spread is applied very evenly and perhaps even a little thinner in the middle. Otherwise, the “swirl” will come out unevenly undistributed.

Topping And Baking The Babka

Tip 1: Keep a close eye on the temperature and remove immediately at 185° – this could be at even just 40 minutes.

Tip 2: Add more flour for a crumbier top.

Final Product

Key Takeaways

• Make sure everything is done precisely to measurement, indicators, and temperatures .
• Speculoos cookie butter is dangerously delicious.
• Final Score: 3/5 – A fun babka variation. It was very good, but not quite as good as the babkallah, however.

Introduction

This is an incredibly cool and rewarding recipe. It’s amazing what this recipe manages to achieve without including a single non-staple ingredient (i.e. no chocolate, nut, fruit, nor anything special like that). It’s a masterclass in what you can do with just baking staples in your pantry. The result is absolutely delicious. It’s a moderate amount of work though and requires a stand mixer. A pastry bag helps slightly, but is not necessary at all.

Recipe Outline

Recipe: St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake	Special Equipment: Stand Mixer, 13×9 Glass Pan
Source: Dessert Person	Time: 2 days
Author: Claire Saffitz	Difficulty: 3/5
Type: Dessert (Baking)	Score: ★★★★☆

Baking The Dough (Day 1)

Tip: Don’t worry if it doesn’t rise significantly (or at all) overnight. Ours barely did and still came out great.

Making The Topping (Day 2)

Tip: If you don’t have a pastry bag simply top the cake with splotches and smooth with an (offset) spatula.

Baking The Cake (Day 2)

Tip: Use a dusting wand for an even coating at the end.

Final Product

Key Takeaways

• Try to stick by the indicators, but it’s not the end of the world if they don’t all come through.
• You can do some amazing things with just butter and flour.
• Final Score: 4/5 – An incredible interesting, unique, and delicious cake. Definitely worth trying!

Introduction

This is a fantastic brownie recipe. It has everything a great recipe needs: simplicity, a secret ingredient, and it’s a crowd-pleaser. Notable features include the use of malted milk powder, nice chunky bits throughout the brownie, and the ability to easily add variety (mint, nuts, and whole grain). The recipe isn’t particularly difficult either.

Recipe Outline

Recipe: Malted Forever Brownies	Special Equipment: 8×8-Inch Pan
Source: Dessert Person	Time: 2.5 hours
Author: Claire Saffitz	Difficulty: 2/5
Type: Dessert (Baking)	Score: ★★★★☆

Making The Batter

Baking The Brownies

Tip: If you don’t like your brownies too gooey consider going an extra 5 minutes.

Final Product

Key Takeaways

• The malted milk powder and chocolate chunks are a great touch.
• If you like salty deserts, sprinkle some flakey salt on top before baking.
• Final Score: 4/5 – An excellent brownie. After you make this you probably won’t want to try another recipe. It delivers on every level – recipe design, look, and taste.

Introduction

This is a solid recipe for a flourless chocolate cake. It is well-written and instructive. The cake is very well balanced and not too rich. It definitely takes some effort and precision, but no particular part is very difficult. A hand mixer works perfectly fine in place of a stand mixer.

Recipe Outline

Recipe: Flourless Chocolate Wave Cake	Special Equipment: 9-Inch Springform Pan and Hand/Stand Mixer
Source: Dessert Person	Time: 2 hours
Author: Claire Saffitz	Difficulty: 3/5
Type: Dessert (Baking)	Score: ★★★★☆

Making The Chocolate Mixture

Making The Batter

Baking The Cake

Tip 1: Be very careful with the cake after baking. The top is very fragile and it will crack very easily.

Tip 2: You may need to bake the cake a bit longer than 35 minutes to avoid it being too wet.

Final Product

Key Takeaways

• The top of the cake is very fragile.
• Be careful to let the cake bake through.
• Final Score: 4/5 – The cake is delicious and not too rich. The recipe is easy to follow as long as you pay attention to the given indicators.

Introduction

This is a simple and easy loaf cake. The loaf is very good, but isn’t quite amazing. It would go great with a glaze of some sort.

Recipe Outline

Recipe: Spiced Honey and Rye Cake	Special Equipment: Standard Loaf Pan
Source: Dessert Person	Time: 3 hours
Author: Claire Saffitz	Difficulty: 1/5
Type: Dessert (Baking)	Score: ★★☆☆☆

Making The Batter

Final Product

• Final Score: 2/5 – The cake is good, but make sure you use a quality honey to top. You can also make your own glaze.

Introduction

This is a fun, yet moderately complex tart to make. I’d highly recommend doing the Meyer Lemon Tart from Dessert Person first. This recipe uses the same sweet tart dough base, but has a much more technical and complex filing. Specifically you will need to make some caramel and work with gelatin. It’s definitely worth it though as it looks and tastes amazing.

Recipe Outline

Recipe: Blackberry Caramel Tart	Special Equipment: None
Source: Dessert Person	Time: 6 hours
Author: Claire Saffitz	Difficulty: 3/5
Type: Dessert (Baking)	Score: ★★★★☆

Making The Pie Crust

Tip: Save all of your extra dough. You’ll need it for patching! Consider making a bit extra of the recipe just in case (if you trust your ability to get ratios right). If it’s your first time making sweet tart dough, then consider making two pie crusts. Our first (pictured above) didn’t turn out well and we started over. The dough itself is very easy to make.

Baking The Pie Crust

Tip 1: After baking don’t forget to patch the holes, including any larger holes from docking.

Tip 2: Be very careful when removing the foil. The pie crust is extremely fragile!

Making The Blackberry Caramel

Tip: Don’t panic and keep going; the caramel will brown eventually. Make sure to scape down any stray sugar crystals in the pan periodically with a wet pastry brush to keep your caramel smooth – as Claire recommends. You only need to do this at the start or if you stir to aggressively and get sugar on the sides on the pan.

Adding The Gelatin

Tip 1: Make sure you use a pan that will allow you to distinguish between the gelatin granules being dissolved or not. For example, if you have a very scratched pan then consider using a different one so you can tell when all of the gelatin is dissolved.

Tip 2: It may take a while for it to come to the right consistency. Keep stirring until it does.

Filling And Chilling The Tart

Tip 1: Consider making extra filling as we barely had enough.

Final Product

Key Takeaways

• You may have to buy the gelatin online if you can’t find at the grocery store.
• Be patient with the caramel and the gelatin. Go by the indicators of doneness – not the recommended time.
• The blackberries really make the dish shine. Only attempt this dish with quality blackberries.
• Final Score: 4/5 – This is a technical pie that involves a fair amount of work – but nothing too complex. It’s a great way to learn additional techniques and show off quality blackberries.

Introduction

This is a unique and delicious cookie. The ingredients are incredibly simple, yet the taste is complex and subtle. It’s hard to describe. The recipe is particularly well written. Note that the linked recipe is not an exact replica of the recipe as it appears in Dessert Person (although it is close enough). Make sure to buy high quality rye flour. Definitely give this one a try.

Recipe Outline

Recipe: Thrice-Baked Rye Cookies	Special Equipment: None
Source: Dessert Person	Time: 3 hours
Author: Claire Saffitz	Difficulty: 2/5
Type: Dessert (Baking)	Score: ★★★★★

Making The Dough

Tip 1: Don’t forget to toast the flour. It imparts a subtle, nutty flavor. It also has a similar effect to the egg yolk below.

Tip 2: The cooked egg yolk is an interesting (but critical) addition. The cooked egg yolk prevents too much gluten from developing without making the batter heavy. The result is a cookie that holds its shape, but melts in your mouth. Claire writes about this here.

Baking And Re-Baking The Cookie

Tip: If you can’t find Demerara sugar, then consider Turbinado.

Final Product

Key Takeaways

• Use high quality flour. After all, it’s the star of the cookie.
• The cookie is surprisingly easy to make if you just follow the instructions.
• Final Score: 5/5 – This is a unique cookie with a lot of interesting and cool (but easy) techniques. They melt in your mouth and are surprisingly complex for having so few ingredients. One of the best cookies in Dessert Person.

Introduction

This recipe is definitely worth a try. The cookies are good, but are more “interesting” than they are “great”. The brown butter and sage is an excellent combination. While a hand mixer can be used if you’d really like, a stand mixer is definitely ideal.

Recipe Outline

Recipe: Brown Butter and Sage Sablés	Special Equipment: Hand/Stand Mixer* (Stand Mixer is Ideal)
Source: Dessert Person	Time: 3.5 hours
Author: Claire Saffitz	Difficulty: 3/5
Type: Dessert (Baking)	Score: ★★★☆☆

Cooking The Sage And Butter

Tip: There will be a definitive point when the butter is browned and the dark specks forms. Don’t stop early.

Forming And Baking The Cookie

Tip: If you can’t find Demerara sugar, then consider Turbinado.

Final Product

Key Takeaways

• Read each step carefully in your head before executing it. The order and little details are important.
• Brown butter and sage is an underutilized combination!
• Final Score: 3/5 – An interesting cookie with a highly educational recipe. It’s a very interesting cookie. Definitely worth a shot if you’ve never had brown butter and sage nor a sablé.

Introduction

This cookie is basically a gingerbread cookie, minus the fun shapes. The recipe is incredibly straightforward and absolutely delicious. It’s definitely a great holiday cookie recipe.

Recipe Outline

Recipe: Chewy Molasses Spice Cookies	Special Equipment: Hand/Stand Mixer
Source: Dessert Person	Time: 2.5 hours
Author: Claire Saffitz	Difficulty: 1/5
Type: Dessert (Baking)	Score: ★★★★☆

Making The Dough

Tip 1: Ensure you use unsulfured molasses.

Tip 2: If you don’t have allspice, there are some close imitations you’ll likely have.

Forming And Baking The Cookie

Tip 1: If you can’t find Demerara sugar, then consider Turbinado.

Tip 2: The cookies will seem raw and very soft/gooey when they’re done. Don’t worry, they’ll harden significantly as they cool.

Final Product

Key Takeaways

• Cook different batches for different durations to get a few different degrees of chewiness – and then select your favorite.
• Final Score: 4/5 – An easy and delicious cookie. It is one of the best “gingerbread “cookies I’ve had.

Introduction

This is a fun recipe built around Marcona almonds. Marcona almonds are especially savory, but can be hard to find depending on where you shop. If you ever have some, then this is a fun cookie to make. While you can substitute something other than a Marcona almond, it isn’t ideal unless the replacement is an equally savory & impressive centerpiece.

Recipe Outline

Recipe: Marcona Almond Cookies	Special Equipment: Food Processor
Source: Dessert Person	Time: 1 hours
Author: Claire Saffitz	Difficulty: 1/5
Type: Dessert (Baking)	Score: ★★☆☆☆

Making The Dough

Baking The Cake

Tip: Don’t go too heavy on your egg wash or the outside may burn early. Likewise, keep a close eye on them as they bake.

Final Product

Key Takeaways

• This recipe is slightly easier to do with a pastry bag.
• Final Score: 2/5 – The cookie is a bit plain, but anything else would take away from the almonds!