Innehållsförteckning för November/December 2019 från Bake from Scratch

It’s Gramercy Tavern’s 25th Christmas, and the restaurant casts an inviting glow. You’ll have the distinct feeling you’ve been transported to the candlelit magic of a Dickensian Christmas, a warm, nostalgic harbor in modern-day New York, New York. The halls are decked. The renowned in-house floral team has adorned the restaurant with ruby red roses, pomegranates, and holly berries; verdant kissing balls hang from the exposed beams; and an ever-changing harvest table hosts a golden cornucopia of metallic-hued artichokes, walnuts, pears, and grapes. In the corner is a bar-top Christmas tree adorned with lights, beads, and more than 100 intricately detailed cookie ornaments. The cookies smell richly of peppermint and vanilla, and each one sports a magnificent design iced by pastry chef Miro Uskokovic and his merry band of pastry…

This is a tale of two logs, one a pagan ritual and the other the Christian baker’s edible reimagining. The original Yule log was a special stump of wood pagan families would burn during the Yule season to bring fortune and good luck. Over time, this pagan rite was absorbed by the Christian celebration of Christmas, and the need for the log became more of a symbolic tradition. Nineteenth-century French pastry chefs shrewdly adapted this symbol into a delectable piece of pastry illusion, a decadent cake masquerading as freshly cut tree log. One of the earliest recipes recorded for the bûche de Noël is from Pierre Lacam’s cookbook Le mémorial historique et géographique de la pâtisserie. Genoise sponge cake was cut into rounds and sandwiched together with chocolate cream, forming…

PURELY PERSIMMON: Hachiya vs. Fuyu Persimmons resemble tomatoes in size and shape but taste much sweeter. They can be enjoyed as a subtle addition to many baked goods, and some varieties are better suited to baking. We used two of the most common types in our recipes: Japanese varieties Hachiya and Fuyu. Both have a flavor that’s predominantly sweet, with subtle hints of honey and plum. Because Hachiya and Fuyu have different textures when ripe, though, they aren’t necessarily interchangeable in recipes. Below, we break down their differences and how to properly choose and store them. HACHIYA Known as “baking persimmons,” Hachiya persimmons are oblong and heart- or acorn-shaped. These deep red-orange persimmons are an astringent variety, so they can only be enjoyed when completely ripe—otherwise, they will have an…

Deep in the heart of Bavaria, Germany, the snowy cobblestone streets of Nuremberg come to life every holiday season as locals and tourists visit the bustling alleys of the Christkindlesmarkt, Nuremberg’s world-renowned holiday market. Among the labyrinth of rustic wooden stalls, market-goers purchase everything from steaming plates of bratwurst to artisanal ceramics, but one holiday treat reigns supreme: lebkuchen. Packed with honey, black pepper, cocoa, and all manner of warm winter spices, these centuries-old cookies may be native to Nuremberg, but they’ve become a global holiday staple. Descended from honey cakes baked by the ancient Egyptians and Romans, lebkuchen as we know them today date back to the Middle Ages. In the 13th century, monks living in Franconia—the German medieval kingdom where Nuremberg stands today—revamped the ancients’ recipe. The result…

1. THE COOKIE COLLECTION By Brian Hart Hoffman (83 Press, 2019) Introducing the first Bake from Scratch ode to cookies! From luscious sandwich cookies to game-changing chocolate chip cookies, this tome is filled with unique recipes that are near and dear to our editor-in-chief’s heart, as well as epic recipes contributed by our friends in the baking community around the world. 2. MIDWEST MADE: BIG, BOLD BAKING FROM THE HEARTLAND By Shauna Sever (Running Press Adult, 2019) In this love letter to Midwestern baking, renowned cookbook author and Chicago, Illinois, native Shauna Sever shares comforting recipes from her homeland, like flaky Cornish pasties, a German-inspired peach pavlova, and cherry slab pie. Each reflects the heartland’s international culinary influences and down-home style. 3. BRONTË AT HOME: BAKING FROM THE SCANDI KITCHEN…

Take a sip of a steaming cup of mulled wine and you’re greeted with the warmth of mulling spices, an aromatic heat that works its way from the tip of your nose to your toes. As long as there has been wine, there has been mulled wine, a hearth-warmed, well-spiced drink that, for centuries, everyone from the ancient Greeks to the Vikings enjoyed during the chilly winter months. The wine itself was not so important—in fact, the starter for mulled wine was often unpalatable and bitter. What transformed the simple vino into the magical hot brew was a highly aromatic spice blend and, occasionally, sugar. This alchemical mix of mulling spices has varied widely over the years, from age to age and culture to culture. Here, we trace it from…

FESTIVE FOODS GIFT YOUR LOVED ONES HOMEMADE GOODIES, OR AMP UP YOUR BAKING WITH THESE FLAVOR-PACKED INGREDIENTS 1. THE EDITOR’S EGGNOG Treat your nearest and dearest to the go-to eggnog recipe of our editor-in-chief, Brian Hart Hoffman. Brian makes it every year for his closest friends and family, and this year, he’s letting our readers in on his special recipe. Striking the perfect balance between warm spice and sweet custard, this velvety eggnog is delicious spiked with brandy or bourbon or even added to coffee. Find the recipe at bakefromscratch.com/editors-eggnog. 2. SANDEMAN PORTO FOUNDER’S RESERVE RUBY PORT Get a little boozy with your baking by adding a dash of this ruby port to your favorite chocolate, nut, and winter fruit recipes. Bursting with a complex cherry flavor, Sandeman’s Founder’s Reserve…

It’s funny how the holidays can turn someone who doesn’t bake into the most enthusiastic of bakers. My grandfather baked only two recipes I was aware of his entire life: pecan pie and his holiday fruitcake cookies, which were a Norton (my mom’s family) holiday essential. Each year leading up to the season, Grandad prepared his fruitcake cookies for our family. It’s a simple recipe, with boxed spice cake mix, chopped pecans, and crumbled Claxton Fruit Cake. He learned it during his days in Civitan International, a community service organization based in his hometown of Birmingham, Alabama, which sells Claxton Fruit Cake around the holidays as a fundraiser. After baking several batches, my grandfather would lovingly arrange the cookies in a white cookie tin decorated with carousel horses—you can see…

PEPPERMINT SWIRL POUND CAKE Makes 1 (8½x4½-inch) cake Classic pound cake goes from simple to showstopping thanks to a double dose of peppermint candies and peppermint extract swirled into marbled vanilla and cocoa batters. Topped with a Cream Cheese Glaze, this cake strikes the perfect balance between sweet and tangy. ¾ cup (170 grams) unsalted butter, softened4 ounces (113 grams) cream cheese, softened1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar½ cup (110 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar1 teaspoon (4 grams) vanilla extract3 large eggs (150 grams), room temperature1½ cups (187 grams) unbleached cake flour¾ teaspoon (2.25 grams) kosher salt½ teaspoon (2.5 grams) baking powder2 tablespoons (30 grams) whole milk, room temperature3 tablespoons (25 grams) finely crushed round peppermint candies¼ cup (21 grams) Dutch process cocoa powder, sifted½ teaspoon (2 grams) peppermint…

SOUR CREAM COFFEE CAKE Makes 1 (9-inch) cake This endlessly customizable classic comes together in a flash. The warm notes of vanilla complement the subtle tanginess from the sour cream beautifully in the irresistibly tender crumb. When topped with the nutty crunch from the almond-cinnamon streusel, it’s pure magic. 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted2 large eggs (100 grams)2 teaspoons (8 grams) vanilla extract1½ cups (188 grams) all-purpose flour1½ teaspoons (7.5 grams) baking powder½ teaspoon (1.5 grams) kosher salt½ cup (120 grams) sour cream¼ cup (60 grams) whole milkAlmond Streusel (recipe follows)Sour Cream Glaze (recipe follows) 1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray a 9-inch springform pan with baking spray with flour. 2. In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, melted butter, eggs, and…