Ovenly: Sweet and Salty Recipes from New York's Most Creative Bakery
272
Ovenly: Sweet and Salty Recipes from New York's Most Creative Bakery
272Paperback(Reissue)
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Overview
This updated second edition celebrates Ovenly’s tenth anniversary and includes new recipes of bakeshop favorites such as the ooey-gooey Hot Chocolate Cookie, the tart, moist Vegan Lemon Raspberry Quickbread, the Chewy Molasses Spice Cookie, and fresh twists on some of the bakery’s newer recipes, which are also sure to be classics.
With tips and anecdotes, exquisite photos, and pantry and kitchen tool essentials, Ovenly contains experimental yet perfected recipes for the most inventive and out-of-this-world pastries, desserts, and snacks.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780778311119 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Park Row Books |
| Publication date: | 01/05/2021 |
| Edition description: | Reissue |
| Pages: | 272 |
| Sales rank: | 649,836 |
| Product dimensions: | 8.20(w) x 9.70(h) x 0.80(d) |
Read an Excerpt
This chapter is a pared-down guide to our baking and snack nomenclature, and to the necessities you'll need to accomplish the recipes in this book. Included here are facts, tips, tricks, not-so-common ingredients and equipment that we think are most important. This guide is not a list of every single process or ingredient you will find in this book; it's just a summary of the less common or more essential ones .We have written this book with the assumption that the home baker has a general knowledge of tools and ingredients.
ESSENTIAL TOOLS
Bench Scraper
A bench scraper is indispensable for scraping surfaces; for turning pâte brisée and other butter doughs while rolling; for transferring ingredients, such as chopped chocolate, from a cutting board to a bowl (or other cooking apparatus); and for cutting brownies, bars and coffee cakes.
Cardboard Rounds
Precut corrugated cardboard rounds are precise in shape and totally necessary when decorating cakes. Hidden by the frosting, these rounds help to keep cakes sturdy and allow them to be transported more easily. Rounds can be purchased at kitchenware or craft stores or online.
Digital Scale
For dedicated home bakers, and for professional ones like us, a scale provides the most accurate measurements for consistency.
Dry and Liquid Measuring Cups
As their names imply, dry measuring cups are for measuring dry ingredients (flours, nuts, seeds, cocoa), while liquid measuring cups are for measuring wet ingredients (oils, waters, dairy products). Use a spoon to transfer ingredients to your dry measures, fill them completely and use a knife or bench scraper to level them off. Liquid measures feature gradations (usually in cups and milliliters) and include a pour spout for easy usage.
Why not just use one or the other? you ask. Liquid measures are generally accurate within a fraction of an ounce, no matter the liquid. For example, 8 ounces (1 cup) of olive oil is going to be generally equal to a cup of buttermilk.
This does not hold true for dry measures, since dry ingredients settle. For example, a cup of flour may weigh much more than a cup of oats or dried cherries. For our cookbook, we've chosen to measure in cups, taking into account the weight diferences of diferent types of ingredients, so using the right measuring tools is important when preparing an Ovenly recipe.
Offset Spatula
Offsets spatulas are integral in frosting cakes, great for cupcake frosting details, perfect for smoothing out batters in pans and much more.
Oven Thermometer
Don't let your oven temperature display or dial fool you—ovens vary in temperature, despite what your digital screen or dial may tell you. We always use an oven thermometer to ensure baking accuracy, and we suggest you do, too.
Paper or Silicone Baking Cups
These allow for the easy removal of muffins and cupcakes from the pan, prevent sticking and make cleaning up much easier. We prefer to use unbleached baking cups, such as those from Beyond Gourmet.
Pastry Bags and Tips
For executing cake details and frosting perfect cupcakes, we suggest investing a few dollars in a reusable pastry bag and a variety of tip sizes and shapes. If you are a novice cake decorator, we recommend purchasing either size 14, 18 and 22 open star tips and size 2, 4 and 6 plain/round tips to start or a basic cake-decorating kit, such as Wilton's 12-piece cupcake decorating set (widely available at craft stores or online).
Revolving Cake Stand
If you get into cake decorating, a revolving cake stand (like a lazy Susan) will make your life much easier. A revolving cake stand allows you to spin your cake while you frost, and it helps you to determine whether you have decorated a cake evenly and perfectly. We prefer models with a heavy cast-iron base (like those by Ateco), but plastic works, too. These are widely available in kitchenware stores and on the internet.
Rimmed Sheet Pans & Baking Pans
We prefer uncoated, rimmed, steel or aluminum half-sheet (18 x 13-inch) and quarter-sheet (9 x 13-inch) pans (also known as rimmed cookie sheets) for home use. They are ideal for baking cookies, rolling shortbread and roasting nuts and seeds. Sheet pans of various sizes are widely available at kitchenware stores and on the internet.
When we refer to a baking pan, we recommend using one that is at least 2-inches deep. Our standard baking pans are 9x9-inches or 9x13-inches.
Ruler
To create a lattice pie crust, evenly sized Hot Tarts or square bars, we recommend using a dedicated metal kitchen ruler. It will make cutting easier and will make your pastry look perfect.
Scoops
For us, scoops are essential in cookie making. Using a scoop ensures that each cookie is the same size and, therefore, that each bakes evenly. Scoops come in a variety of sizes, but we recommend purchasing one #20 scoop (1% ounces) for larger cookies and one #30 (1 ounce) for smaller cookies.
Stand Mixers & Hand Mixers
While we acknowledge that stand mixers are an investment, they are worth it. Well built and powerful, stand mixers are long-lasting and great for aerating batters, whipping creams and more. They are also very useful in savory cooking and bread making.
If you do not have a stand mixer, a hand mixer can be used to make recipes that call for a stand mixer. However, hand mixers generally are not as powerful; in recipes that call for aeration or whipping, or to fully incorporate some of our thicker cookie batters, you may have to add a minute or so to your mixing time.
ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS
Baking Powder
Baking powder is a combination of baking soda and an acidic salt, such as cream of tartar, plus cornstarch. Like baking soda, baking powder is a chemical leavening agent that causes batters to rise when they are baked. Combined with baking soda, baking powder does most of the leavening, while the baking soda neutralizes the acids found in the powder.
Too much baking powder can produce bitter batter. It also can make a batter rise too rapidly, creating large air bubbles, which may cause the batter to break and fall. If you use too little baking powder, your baked goods will be dense. For this reason, when you are creating your own recipes, be mindful of how you use baking powder and how much you use in a recipe.
Baking Soda
Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is a leavening agent. When combined with an acid (like that found in baking powder, yogurt, lemons and more), it releases carbon dioxide, which makes batters expand and rise.
Butter
When we specify butter at room temperature (about 65 degrees Fahrenheit), we mean just that. For recipes that call for mixing and creaming butter, the butter should be cool to the touch and easily retain your fingerprint when you touch it. Butter that is too soft (over 68 degrees Fahrenheit), melted butter, or butter that has been melted and then cooled, should not be used in recipes that require creaming.
We use unsalted Grade A butter (preferably local) in our recipes. The fresher the butter and the higher its quality, the better tasting your baked goods and pastries will be. If you don't plan on using butter right away, freeze it to preserve its flavor.
Cardamom
We prefer to buy whole green cardamom pods and to grind them ourselves. Grind whole pods in a coffee or spice grinder until a fine powder forms. Remove any fibrous strands before using.
Chocolate
The general rule of thumb is buy the best chocolate you can afford, and one that has the fewest ingredients. Brands we love include Callebaut, Guittard, Scharffen Berger, Taza and Valrhona. For most recipes, unless otherwise notes, we recommend using chocolate with a 60 percent cocoa content or higher. The higher the percentage of cocoa, the darker—and the less sweet and more bitter—the chocolate will be.
For our vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe, be sure to use a chocolate that does not contain milk or milk solids (most high-quality dark and bittersweet chocolates do not contain dairy products).
American-Process (Natural) vs. Dutch-Process Cocoa Powder
American-process (natural) cocoa powder is acidic and, therefore, will react with and activate leavening agents (baking soda, baking powder and so on). Dutch-process cocoa powder has been alkalized to make it neutral, and it will not react with leavening agents.
Generally, American-process cocoa powders are sharper, smokier and more acidic than Dutch-process cocoa powders, which are deeper and have a purer chocolate flavor. For the most part, our recipes do not rely on cocoa powders to enhance the rising power of leavening agents, you can use American-process and Dutch-process cocoa powders interchangeably. The key is to buy high-quality cocoa, like Guittard or Scharffen Berger.
Dark Dutch-Process Cocoa Powder
Dark Dutch-process cocoa powder (also called extra dark, black, black onyx and cocoa noir) has a high alkali content, a low fat content, an intense bittersweet chocolate flavor and a beautiful black hue. This cocoa powder is essential to our Brooklyn Blackout Cake and our Salted Dark Chocolate Pudding [PAGE TK]. Since dark Dutch-process cocoa powder can dry out cookies and other baked goods, be sure to use it in very wet doughs and in small amounts in other cookery.
This cocoa powder is available by special order from Sahadi's (www.sahadis.com) and Surfas Culinary District (www.culinarydistrict.com).
Eggs
Eggs come in a few different sizes (large, extra-large and so on). We use large eggs in all our recipes. A general rule is to bake with eggs that are at room temperature. At room temperature, eggs and dairy products combine to form a bond that traps air. When batters and doughs are heated, the air expands, producing a lighter crumb. For this reason, we also like to let our milk and creams come to room temperature before baking, unless otherwise noted.
Testing Eggs for Freshness
We prefer local eggs from pasture-raised hens. Since these often don't have an expiration date on them, stick any questionable whole eggs in a bowl of water to determine their freshness. Fresh eggs will sink, and rotten eggs will float. So if any of your eggs float, throw them out.
Separating Eggs
Crack the egg on the side of a bowl, pry the shell open and let the whites run out until all that remains is the yolk. Or crack the egg on a flat surface, dump the egg into the palm of your hand and let the whites run through your fingers until all that's left is the yolk.
We prefer to make our own [PAGE TK], but if you use store-bought, be sure to reduce the jam (or jelly or marmalade) before using it in a recipe, such as in our holiday cookies. To do so, bring the jam to a boil in a saucepan, and then simmer it for 5 minutes to thicken it. Let it cool before using.
Pomegranate Molasses
One of our favorite ingredients, pomegranate molasses lends a bright, tart and fruity flavor to cakes and frostings (and it's all natural!). When not using it in one of these recipes, try it in a cocktail. Pomegranate molasses is available from Sahadi's (www.sahadis.com) and most Middle Eastern specialty stores.
Milk, Creams & Buttermilk Milks
In all our recipes that call for milk, use whole milk. Whole milk contains about 3.5 percent fat, and as you would guess, 2 percent milk has that exact fat content and skim contains none. Fat helps bind ingredients together and will help your baked goods and pastries come out tender and moist.
Buttermilk
Buttermilk adds a rich tang and moisture to many of our recipes. We believe in using the real stuff, full fat, if you can find it. If not, widely available low-fat buttermilk will do.
Heavy Cream vs. Whipping Cream
Heavy cream and whipping cream differ in that the former contains at least 36 percent milk fat and the latter contains at least 30 percent. For our recipes, you can use either type. For recipes that call for whipped cream or for whipping cream until it is stif, the more fat, the more stable it will be. We recommend using heavy cream (the cream with the higher fat content) for piping, frostings and toppings.
Natural Food Coloring
We use only natural food coloring for our red velvet cake and our pomegranate frosting. The artificial stuff is a derivative of coal tar and petroleum (no joke), so we avoid it. Natural food coloring from India Tree and Chef Master Naturals are largely available in health food stores and on the internet.
Nuts & Seeds
As with spices, the fresher nuts and seeds are, the better. Since nuts and seeds are high in fat, they can go rancid. To prevent rancidity, we keep ours in an airtight container in the freezer (which also preserves their flavor better than the refrigerator) if we won't be using them right away. Experiment by substituting your favorite nuts and seeds in any of our recipes that call for them.
Oats
We use rolled oats (not quick-cooking oats) in our recipes. Rolled oats and gluten-free rolled oats differ only in the fact that the latter is milled in a gluten-free certified facility. If you don't have a gluten sensitivity, feel free to use regular oats.
Organic vs. Local
Local ingredients found at markets or in specialty grocery stores create a lower carbon footprint and—especially if purchased at a farmers' market or directly from a farmer—tend to be fresher. As we've said, in both baking and cooking, the fresher the ingredients, the better. When locally grown ingredients are not available, we try to use organic ones wherever we can. Organic ingredients are now widely available in local grocery stores…
Salts
Part of the fun with many of our recipes is choosing which salt to finish cookies and bars. For crunch, we usually reach for a coarse-grained sea salt like La Baleine or a flaked sea salt lie Maldon for its beauty and sheen. Light pink Himalayan salt and black volcanic salt are also great for decoration and flavor.
Just as we do our spices, we purchase our salts for home use from The Spice House, but they are also widely available in stores and online.
Spices
Use dried spices that are as fresh as possible, as they lose their potency over time. We purchase the majority of our spices from The Spice House in Chicago (www.thespicehouse.com). We love the quality of their products.
Vanilla Beans
See our process on [PAGE TK] to learn how to get the tiny vanilla "caviar" out of the tough skins. After removing it, do like Martha Stewart and stuff any used pods into your sugar jar. Just a few will flavor the sugar, which is great for baking, poaching fruits and more.
Vanilla Extract
Vanilla extract is made from preserving vanilla beans in alcohol. Be sure to use only the pure stuff (not imitation). Vanilla extract is also very easy to make: Simply slice three vanilla beans lengthwise, and place them in a pint-size jar with an airtight lid. Add a cup of your favorite booze (we personally like using bourbon, the cheap stuff), screw on the lid and let the mixture age for a month, shaking it every so often. As you use the vanilla extract, top the jar off with more liquor, and replace any old vanilla beans every four months or so. You can even add any scraped vanilla bean pods to the jar. The longer the extract ages, the more potent it becomes.
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