Baking is a science and an art that often intimidates because it is one of the few aspects of cooking where you really have to follow the recipe to succeed.  Of course, while following the recipe is essential to good baking understanding why the recipe is the way it is can help even more.  That's why today's cookbook "About Professional Baking" by Gail Sokol is a treasure chest of information for anyone who wants to be a better baker even if you are not striving to be a professional baker.  In this book, Gail, who is a culinary arts professional and instructor, has incorporated her vast knowledge and experience to create a wonderful learning tool and knowledge base for all who aspire to bake well.  

An International Association of Culinary Professions cookbook awards finalist, this book is formatted much like a text book.  Unlike traditional cookbooks filled with a collection of recipes, "About Professional Baking" is broken into chapters that focus on specific skills and use recipes as examples of those skills.  The first four chapters are devoted to explaining various components and concepts of baking such as measuring, mixing, organizing and of course details on the ingredients.  A whole chapter is devoted to wheat and other flours.  The remaining eighteen chapters lead you through various skills and baking science concepts ranging from thickeners to leaveners to specific skills such as cake making.  For example, the first recipe in the book is "Individual Rhubarb Berry Cobblers" which teaches you how to prepare and use a starch-thickener for a fruit filling.

While some knowledge of earlier chapters is helpful, the detail and quality of presentation throughout this book makes it possible to simply pick and choose particular topics rather than requiring you to work through the entire book.  For example, the "Black and White Chocolate Semifreddo" recipe does not appear until chapter 18 but, as you can see below, the information provided allows you to prepare the recipe and learn all about making a semifreddo without requiring you to have gone through the rest of the book.

Gail further increases our knowledge and understanding of baking by including a chapter devoted to healthy baking.  In this chapter, she teaches how to modify recipes to use the healthier alternatives needed to create healthy baked goods.  

The amount of information in this book is substantial.  If you just want quick and easy baking recipes then this book is probably not for you. But if you want to learn some of the science behind the art of baking, if you want to improve the quality of your baking, or if you want to feel more confident baking then "About Professional Baking" can help you.

Black and White Chocolate Semifreddo

From "About Professional Baking" by Gail Sokol, Thompson Delmar Learning, 2006

Makes 1 loaf pan: 9 ¼ by 5 ¼ by 2 ¾  inches (23 by 13 by 7 cm)

• How to prepare a still-frozen dessert called a semifreddo.
• A custard base adds richness.
• Whipped cream incorporates air, creating a light, airy texture.
• Angling the pan during freezing adds visual interest to the finished dessert.

STEP A:

GANACHE CENTER

1. Place the heavy cream, butter, and sugar into a heavy medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil and remove from the heat.

2. Whisk the chocolate into the mixture, until it is well blended. Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature.

STEP B:

MAKE 1 RECIPE OF CREME ANGLAISE (See below) THROUGH STEP 4. MAKE SURE IT IS HOT.

STEP C:

ASSEMBLY

1. Line a metal 91/4- by 51/4- by 23/4- inch (23- by 13- by 7-cm) loaf pan with two pieces of plastic wrap, allowing the excess plastic wrap to hang over the edges of the pan. Set aside.

2. Place approximately 12 fluid ounces (11/2 cups; 360 mL) hot crème anglaise into each of two bowls, dividing it in half.

3. Using a different whisk in each bowl, whisk the chopped white chocolate into one bowl and the chopped semisweet chocolate into the other bowl until both chocolates are melted. Have ready two bowls sitting in two ice water baths with a sieve in each. Pour each mixture through a sieve and whisk each until it is cold, stirring frequently. Once cooled, the dark chocolate crème anglaise should be stored until needed in the refrigerator with a piece of plastic wrap placed directly on top of it.

4. In a bowl of an electric mixer, place 8 fluid ounces (1 cup; 240 mL) of the heavy cream. Using the whip attachment, beat the cream until it reaches soft peaks. Using a rubber spatula, fold the whipped cream into the cooled white chocolate crème anglaise. Place the prepared loaf pan at a 45-degree angle. Pour the mixture into the pan. Place it in the freezer, maintaining the 45-degree angle by propping it. Freeze until firm.

5. Spread the reserved ganache evenly over the frozen white chocolate mixture. Return to the freezer for 30 minutes, still maintaining the angle.

6. Whip the remaining heavy cream to soft peaks. Stir the chilled dark chocolate crème anglaise with a whisk in case any chocolate has settled to the bottom of the bowl. Add the whipped cream to the mixture and gently fold the two together. Remove the loaf pan from the freezer and set it flat on a smooth surface. Pour the dark chocolate mixture into the pan and spread it evenly. The mixture should now come to the top of the pan. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and freeze for several hours.

7. When ready to serve, unmold the semifreddo onto a cutting board. Allow it to sit at
room temperature for 10 minutes to warm up slightly. Using a sharp knife, trim both
ends off and cut the remainder into slices. Serve immediately.

Crème Anglaise

From "About Professional Baking" by Gail Sokol, Thompson Delmar Learning, 2006

Makes approximately 16 fluid ounces (2 cups, 473 ml)

1. Using a small, sharp knife, scrape down the length of the inside of the vanilla bean and put the black pulp along with the bean into a heavy medium saucepan.  Add the heavy cream and the milk. Bring the mixture to a boil.  Remove the pan from the heat and cover it to allow the milk and cream to become infused with vanilla flavor.

2. Set up an ice water bath using 2 bowls: 1 large and 1 medium sized.  Fill the larger bowl one third of the way with ice.  Add cold water to the ice until the ice cubes are just floating.  Place the smaller bowl into the ice water and the strainer into the smaller bowl.  Set aside.

3. In a heatproof mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and the sugar until well combined.  Slowly dribble in some of the hot milk mixture to temper the eggs and then gradually add the remaining milk mixture, discarding the vanilla bean.

4. Pour the custard back into the saucepan and place over medium low heat.  Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until a thermometer reaches 180°F (82°C).  You may have to move the pot on and off the heat if the custard gets too hot.  It should never come to a boil.  When the custard is done, it should coat the back of the spoon.  To ensure the custard is done, once it coats the back of the spoon, take a finger and drag it across the back of the spoon.  If a path remains, the custard has thickened to the correct consistency.  Do not place the spoon back into the custard sauce.

5. Remove the custard from the heat and immediately pour the sauce through the strainer into the reserved bowl set over the ice water.  The strainer will catch any curdled egg protein to ensure a smooth sauce.  Stir the sauce until it cools.  Pour it into a smaller container and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the custard.  Refrigerate.

About Professional Baking

This IACP (International Association of Culinary Professionals) cookbook finalist is designed to present the principles of science that are applicable to baking. Each distinct chapter covers one or a group of related concepts, and contains introductory narrative and background information; an exemplary recipe; and a series of culinary lessons. Additional recipes are included in each chapter, and a step by step, full color series of photos accompanies each culinary lesson. The special features of this text include discussions of science related topics; pastry history; Lessons Demonstrated boxes, which highlight important principles in each chapter; Professional Profiles sections that highlight important culinary figures; and numerous tables, charts, and photographs designed to explain the principles in recipes. The unique presentation of material, the author's accessible writing style, the culinary lessons, and the numerous recipes provided make this text the most appropriate baking text available for today's culinary student.

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Citrus-Glazed Grilled Salmon

From "In the Kennedy Kitchen" by Neil Connolly, DK Publishing 2007

• 1 ½ to 2 pounds center-cut salmon fillets, skinned
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 orange, cut into 8 slices
• ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped pickled ginger
• ¼ cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons Grand Marnier

1.    LIGHT A HOT FIRE in a barbeque grill or set your gas grill to hot.  At the same time, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.  Cut the salmon fillets into 4 equal pieces.

2.    MAKE THE CITRUS GLAZE.  In a large nonreactive ovenproof skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat.  Add the orange slices and brown lightly on both sides, about 1 minute per side.  Add the orange juice, balsamic vinegar, pickled ginger, and sugar.  Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.  Boil for 3 to 4 minutes to reduce to a syrup thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.  Remove from the heat and stir in the Grand Marnier.  Set the citrus glaze aside in the pan.

3.    WHEN FIRE IS HOT, sear salmon fillets meaty side down for 3 to 4 minutes, until nicely browned with grill marks.

4.    TRANSFER THE SALMON fillets skinned side down to the skillet holding the citrus glaze and baste to coat.  Place in the oven and bake for 7 to 8 minutes, or until cooked through but still moist.  Serve with the remaining glaze drizzled over the fish.  Garnish with orange slices.

Chef's Note:  There are many varieties of salmon, some are better than others, but all offer very good eating.  While farmed salmon is acceptable, wild is a real treat.  Most comes from the Pacific, where varieties include Coho, Chinook (or king salmon, which is the largest of any salmon), and Copper River salmon, and sockeye salmon, both of which are leaner and exceptionally dark in color.

About In the Kennedy Kitchen

The famed compound at Hyannisport was the Kennedy family's favorite place to relax, and Rose Kennedy's kitchen was the central gathering place. Everyone--including Jackie Kennedy Onassis, JFK Jr., Caroline Kennedy, Maria Shriver, and Arnold Schwarzenegger--came wandering in the back door to visit Rose. Her chef, Neil Connolly, always made sure there was lobster salad, potato salad, and a platter of roast chicken in the fridge, and in this book, he brings these and other favorites to your home. Included in this cookbook are Kennedy family photos and anecdotes collected personally by Neil.

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Photography by Alan Richardson

Snickery Squares

From: Baking: From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan, Houghton Mifflin. 2006

I like to think of these as classy Snickers, a made-at-home, slimmer, sleeker version of the beloved candy bar.  The squares are composed of a buttery shortbread base, a layer of smooth caramel dulce de leche mixed with crunchy candied salted peanuts (like the ones you get in Cracker Jacks) and a top coat of dark chocolate sprinkled with crushed candied peanuts.  All the pieces are simple and each is tasty on its own, but put them together, and you get something much better than the individual components

For the Crust

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
• 1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten

For the topping

• 7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• ½ stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces, at room temperature

For the filling

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 ½ cups salted peanuts
• about 1 ½ cups store-bought dulce de leche

Getting Ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8-inch square pan and put it on a baking sheet.

To make the crust: Toss the flour, sugar, confectioners' sugar and salt into a food processor and pulse a few times to combine.  Toss in the pieces of cold butter and pulse about 12 times, until the mixture looks like coarse meal.  Pour the yolk over the ingredients and pulse until the dough forms clumps and curds - stop before the dough comes together in a ball.

Turn the dough into the buttered pan and gently press it evenly across the bottom of the pan. Prick the dough all over with a fork and slide the sheet into the oven.

Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, or until it takes on just a little color around the edges. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool to room temperature before filling.  

To make the filling:  Have a parchment - or, better yet, a silicone mat-lined baking sheet at the ready, as well as a long-handled wooden spoon (you'll be cooking sugar that will climb to over 300 degrees F, so you'll want to keep as far away from it as possible) and a medium (about 2-quart) heavy-bottomed sauce pan.

Put the sugar and water in the saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Keeping the heat fairly high, continue to cook the sugar, without stirring, until it just starts to color.  (If sugar splatters onto the sides of the saucepan, wash down the splatters with a pastry brush dipped in cold water.)  Toss in the peanuts and immediately start stirring.  Keep stirring, to coat the peanuts with the sugar.  Within a few minutes, they will be covered with sugar and turn white - keep stirring until the sugar turns back into caramel.  When the peanuts are coated with a nice deep amber caramel, remove the pan from the heat and turn the nuts out onto the baking sheet, using the wooden spoon to spread them out as best you can.  Cool the nuts to room temperature.  

When they are cool enough to handle, separate the nuts or break them into small pieces.  Divide the nuts in half.  Keep half of the nuts whole or in biggish pieces for the filling, and finely chop the other half for the topping.

Spread the dulce de leche over the shortbread base and sprinkle over the whole candied nuts or the big pieces.

To make the topping: Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water or in a microwave oven, using a low power setting.  Remove the chocolate from the heat and gently stir in the butter, stirring until it is fully blended into the chocolate.

Pour the chocolate over the dulce de leche, smoothing it with a long metal icing spatula, then sprinkle over the finely chopped candied peanuts. Slide the pan into the refrigerator to set the topping, about 20 minutes; if you'd like to serve the squares cold, keep them refrigerated for at least 3 hours before cutting.

Cut into 16 bars, each roughly 2 ½ inches on a side.

About Baking: From My Home to Yours

Dorie Greenspan has written recipes for the most eminent chefs in the world: Pierre Hermé, Daniel Boulud, and arguably the greatest of them all, Julia Child, who once told Dorie, "You write recipes just the way I do". In Baking: From My Home to Yours, her masterwork, Dorie applies the lessons from three decades of experience to her first and real love: home baking. The 300 recipes will seduce a new generation of bakers, whether their favorite kitchen tools are a bowl and a whisk or a stand mixer and a baker's torch. Even the most homey of the recipes are very special. Dorie's favorite raisin swirl bread. Big spicy muffins from her stint as a baker in a famous New York City restaurant. French chocolate brownies (a Parisian pastry chef begged for the recipe). A dramatic black and white cake for a "wow" occasion. Pierre Hermé's extraordinary lemon tart. The generous helpings of background information, abundant stories, and hundreds of professional hints set Baking apart as a one-of-a-kind cookbook. And as if all of this weren't more than enough, Dorie has appended a fascinating minibook, A Dessertmaker's Glossary, with more than 100 entries, from why using one's fingers is often best, to how to buy the finest butter, to how the bundt pan got its name.

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Do you like ice cream, frozen yogurt, sorbet, ice milk or frozen soy milk? If you're anything like us then the answer is an emphatic Yes!  But have you tried making any or all of these at home?  Or what about making your own homemade frozen ice cream creations?  Well, thanks to Peggy Fallon's new cookbook, "Ice Cream and Frozen Treats" you can now make all of these wonderful treats and temptations at home!  

"Ice Cream and Frozen Desserts" begins with a collection of ice cream, frozen custard and gelato recipes.  You'll find many traditional favorites and corresponding variations including vanilla and chocolate but you'll also be tempted with wonderful modern ice creams such as chocolate-chipotle, cinnamon-basil and green tea ice creams.  As great as these recipes are, "Ice Cream and Frozen Desserts" has much more to offer.  Peggy provides a wide assortment of light ice creams, ice milks, sorbets, frozen yogurts and even frozen soy ice milk recipes that you will absolutely crave.  Of course, these frozen treats are not as rich tasting as real ice cream but by eliminating egg yolks and cream, Peggy has provided us with wonderful frozen treats without the guilt inherent in full-fledged ice cream.

"Ice Cream and Frozen Desserts" also has recipes for frozen creations using store bought ice creams that are great for entertaining.  One example is today's recipe, "Black and White Chocolate Cupcakes".  This recipe can be made with store bought vanilla ice cream or even better with Peggy's "Tahitian Vanilla" ice cream in wonderful little frozen chocolate cups for the ultimate in adult entertaining.  You'll also love her "Baked Potato Sundae" dessert that converts vanilla ice cream, chocolate, pine nuts, and whipped cream into a whimsical baked potato that will entertain your guests and taste great.  Many of the frozen creations Peggy provides are quick and easy, or as she calls them "practically instant", treats that both you and your kids will love such as "Chocolate Cookie Ice Cream Cake" and "Chocolate-Peanut Butter Pie".  

With so many great recipes either to make your own ice cream or to convert store bought ice cream into an amazing treat you'll surely be craving for Peggy Fallon's "Ice Cream and Frozen Desserts".

Black and White Chocolate Cupcakes

• 12 ounces (350 grams) semisweet or white chocolate, chopped
• 1 quart (1 liter) Tahitian Double Vanilla Ice Cream (see recipe below) or your favorite brand
• Chocolate Whipped Cream, for garnish
• Fresh raspberries or crystallized violets, for garnish

Serves 8 to 10

1. Line 10 muffin or cupcake tins with paper liners.  Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl placed over a pan of barely simmering water.  Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until melted smooth.  Remove the chocolate from the heat and set aside for 5 to 10 minutes.

2. Spoon 1 tablespoon of melted chocolate into each paper liner.  Using a narrow pastry brush, spread the chocolate over the bottom and up the sides of the liners to coat evenly, leaving a 1/8 inch (1/3 cm) margin at the top.  Freeze for 30 minutes or until the chocolate is firm.  Set the bowl of chocolate sauce aside.

3. When the cups are set, return the bowl of chocolate to the pan of barely simmering water.  Add 1 more tablespoon of warm chocolate to each cup and brush over the bottom and up the sides of the paper liner, forming a second layer, still leaving the bare margin at the top.  Refrigerate or freeze for at least 1 hour.

4. To remove the chocolate from each paper liner, grasp the top edges of the paper and gently peel it away from the chocolate; set on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Do not rush this process, as the cups are fragile.  Refrigerate or freeze until the chocolate is firm; then cover and refrigerate until needed.

5. To serve, carefully set a frozen chocolate cupcake on each dessert plate.  Fill with a scoop of Tahitian Double Vanilla Ice Cream.  Top with a dollop of Chocolate Whipped Cream and garnish with a single berry or crystallized violet.

Tahitian Double Vanilla Ice Cream

From Ice Cream and Frozen Desserts by Peggy Fallon, DK Publishing 2007

If you love vanilla, why bother with an ice cream recipe that contains only a miserly teaspoon of the luscious essence?  This version flaunts a double dose of fragrant vanilla, placing it right at the head of its class.  Tahitian vanilla has a heady floral flavor, worth its extra price.

• 1 vanilla bean, preferably Tahitian
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup milk
• ¾ cup sugar
• Dash of salt
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon Tahitian vanilla extract
  

Makes about 1 quart (1 liter)

1. Using the pointed tip of a sharp knife, split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape the tiny black seeds into a heavy medium saucepan.  Add the vanilla bean, cream, and milk and bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Remove from the heat, cover and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes to blend the flavors.

2. Add the sugar and salt.  Return to medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is hot, about 5 minutes.

3. Beat the egg yolks lightly in a medium bowl.  Gradually whisk in about 1 cup of the warm vanilla cream.  Return the egg mixture to the saucepan, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, 170° to 175°F (75° to 80°C).  Do not let boil, or the egg yolks will curdle.

4. Strain the custard into a bowl, pressing through as many of the vanilla seeds as you can.  Refrigerate covered, until the custard is very cold, at least 6 hours or as long as 2 days.

5. Stir in the vanilla extract.  Pour the custard into the canister of an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's directions.  Transfer the ice cream to a covered container and freeze until it is firm enough to scoop, at least 3 hours or overnight.

About Ice Cream and Frozen Desserts

Ice Cream and Frozen Desserts by Peggy Fallon puts your ice cream machine to delicious use with a rainbow of flavors for rich ice creams, light sorbets, creamy frozen yogurts, and party-perfect molded desserts.  Enjoy over 125 easy, all-natural, homemade recipes, ranging from elegant Cinnamon-Basil ice cream to traditional Tahitian vanilla ice cream to playful chocolate chip birthday pizza with scoops du Jour.  You'll also find an enticing array of quick, creative, "almost-instant" desserts made from store-bought or freshly made ice cream that are ideal for entertaining.  

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