Table of contents for Nov/Dec - HOLIDAY 2017 in Bake from Scratch

I MIGHT BE BEHIND ON MY GIFT SHOPPING, but one thing I’m certainly not behind on is holiday baking! I love how autumn’s pumpkin spice and cinnamon transition seamlessly to the flavors of gingerbread, peppermint, and nutmeg. Until now, I’ve never thought about Chinese five-spice as a seasonal staple, but thanks to my friend Rebecca Firth (of the blog DisplacedHousewife), my must-bake list just got a lot longer. From her Cranberry Streusel Bundt that graces our cover to Satsuma Marmalade Hand Pies, her amazing holiday bakes incorporate her spice cabinet favorite into recipes that are comforting and familiar, yet all twirled up. This issue is full of festive and traditional recipes from around the world, including vibrant northern European wreath breads and classic Canadian desserts. Plus, we even take you…

Bake from Scratch has partnered with the industry’s most exciting artisans to create handcrafted, exclusive products with you, our beloved bakers, in mind. Head to bakefromscratch.com for one-stop shopping. 1. FACTURE GOODS BENCH SCRAPER, OFFSET SPATULA, AND CAKE SERVER Hand-forged brass blades and hand-carved walnut wood handles combine to create a stunning and sturdy trio of essential baker’s tools. Extra-Wide Bench Scraper $100, Offset Spatula $60, Cake Slicer/Server $80 2. HEDLEY & BENNETT APRON With a hint of French blue and brass hardware, this stain-resistant, wrinkle-proof blue herringbone apron packs two pockets, a towel loop, adjustable straps, and a snug top pouch for your phone. $110 3. AHEIRLOOM CAKE STAND Handcrafted with the same attention to detail you devote to your baking, this walnut wood-based cake stand offers a low…

So, what is Chinese Five-Spice? Chinese five-spice powder consists of five or more spices, which commonly include star anise, cloves, Cinnamomum cassia (Chinese cinnamon), Szechuan peppercorns, ginger, and fennel seeds. A little goes a long way in adding spice and interest beyond the usual holiday baking suspects of cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg. SPICED CRANBERRY SCONES Makes 16 These moist, tender scones are a great make-ahead holiday breakfast. Simply prepare all the way up until pre-bake, freeze for 1 hour, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and store in a resealable plastic bag in the freezer. When ready to brunch, take directly from the freezer to the oven, and bake as instructed, adding a few extra minutes of bake time. 1 cup (170 grams) fresh or frozen cranberries,* chopped 3 tablespoons…

BILL BOWICK AND DAVID BOUFFARD Bill Bowick and David Bouffard are architects, bakers, and life partners. They met in New York City and, after a short stint in London, left for Charleston, South Carolina, to open Sugar Bakeshop in 2007. Since opening, the bakery has appeared in Food & Wine, Bon Appétit, Taste of the South, and Travel + Leisure. David and Bill reside in Charleston and, come every holiday season, bake masterful gingerbread homes—and sell baking kits—modeled after the classic Charleston single house. Favorite holiday cookie: “Sugar cookies—my mom’s recipe—because they’re sweet, buttery, and beautiful.” —Bill “Gingerbread cookies because they warm your soul.” —David JOE SCHMELZER Recognized for the use of natural light in his images and his knack for making even the prickliest subjects feel at ease, Joe…

In your book Flavor Flours (Artisan Books, 2014) and the newly released paperback version, Gluten-Free Flavor Flours , you delve into the world of baking with non-wheat varieties of flour, making them the hero ingredient instead of just a mere substitution for wheat. From sorghum and teff to rice and corn flour (and not to mention nut flours galore!), there are lots to choose from. Of these, do you have a favorite to bake with? I love buckwheat. It has a reputation for bringing robust, earthy flavors, but different approaches can coax delicate characteristics from it. I found that it lends these incredible notes of honey and floral flavors like rose. It’s a great example of how any given flour can produce contrary…

My dad divides holidays into two categories: the gift holidays and the candy holidays. Gift holidays are when you give people presents: birthdays, Fathers’ Day, Mothers’ Day. They are also, in his opinion, vastly inferior to the candy holidays: Halloween, Easter, and Valentine’s Day. And then there’s Christmas. Aside from its obvious religious connotations, Christmas rules over the kingdom of holidays by virtue of being not only a gift holiday and a candy holiday, but also a cookie holiday, a hot chocolate and eggnog holiday, and a stocking-stuffed-to-the-brim-with-chocolates holiday, not to mention a sugar plum fairy holiday. In other words, the holidays are nothing without sugar. December holidays in particular are historically associated with sweets because sugar is a great way to preserve summer goodies for winter feasting. Before refrigeration,…

COOKIE BUTTER TRUFFLES Makes about 48 Cookie butter, much like peanut butter, pulverizes a good thing (Biscoff Cookies) into an addictive spread. These truffles double down on the Biscoff flavor with alternating layers of Cookie Butter Ganache and straight cookie butter. Try not to get too attached—these truffles will be the first to disappear at your holiday get-together. 1½ (12-ounce) bags (510 grams) 66% cacao semisweet chocolate baking wafers* Cookie Butter Ganache (recipe follows) 1 cup (256 grams) cookie butter* Garnish: Biscoff Cookie crumbs or melted white chocolate 1. In the top of a double boiler, melt chocolate baking wafers over simmering water. (Alternately, in a large microwave-safe bowl, microwave chocolate on half power in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until chocolate is melted and smooth.) Fill 4 (12-cavity) silicone…

Norwegian Julekake Rich, moist, and slightly sweet, Julekake is traditionally boule-shaped and flavored with sukat (what Norwegians call candied citrus peel), raisins, and cardamom. The bread, whose name loosely translates to “Yule cake,” originated in pre-Christian Norse times. Norwegians would make Julekake from one of the last cornhusks in the fall and place it in their homes as decoration through the holiday season. Customarily, they serve the bread during Christmas breakfast with jam and Brunost, a Norwegian brown cheese. Makes 1 (12-inch) wreath In our babka-inspired take on Julekake, we replaced the raisins with rehydrated cranberries. Instead of mixing the cranberries in with the dough, we created a sweet jam-like filling flavored with cardamom and cinnamon. The Vanilla Glaze falls over every ridge and seeps into each crevice of this…

REITERLESMARKT ROTHENBURG OB DE TAUBER With its impressively intact medieval old town, Rothenburg ob de Tauber in Bavaria is always stunning, especially during Reiterlesmarkt, when the crowds are devouring schneebälle, shortcrust pastry rolled into petite “snowballs.” rothenburg.de/tourismus/willkommen-in-rothenburg; December 1–23 STRIEZELMARKT DRESDEN Germany’s purportedly oldest Christmas market is Striezelmarkt, found in the rebuilt cultural hub of Dresden and best known for a barrage of stollen. Try this cake-like dried fruit bread on the Saturday before the second Sunday of Advent when an enormous loaf of it is unveiled, fêted in a parade, and sold piece by piece at the market for charity. dresden.de; November 29–December 24 ERFURT CHRISTMAS MARKET ERFURT Erfurt, smack in the center of Germany, has a glittering market that complements the city’s medieval storybook backdrop of original half-timbered…

PECAN BUTTER TARTS Makes 12 While much of Canada’s cuisine has European roots and inspiration, butter tarts, which first appeared in Ontario in the early 1900s, are uniquely Canadian. Some insist that the only authentic filling must include raisins, but we’ll let you be the judge of that. You can even substitute chopped pecans with coconut or chocolate for a tasty twist. Flaky Pastry Dough (recipe follows) ¾ cup (165 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar 5 tablespoons (70 grams) unsalted butter, melted ¼ cup (85 grams) dark corn syrup ¼ cup (85 grams) Grade A amber maple syrup 2 large eggs (100 grams) 1½ teaspoons (6 grams) vanilla extract 1 teaspoon (5 grams) distilled white vinegar ¼ teaspoon kosher salt ½ cup (57 grams) chopped pecans 1. Preheat oven…

I’d never heard of medovik, let alone tasted it, until one caught my eye at a Russian/Ukrainian bakery in Brooklyn’s Brighton Beach neighborhood, which is appropriately nicknamed “Little Odessa.” Medovik, also known as Russian Honey Cake, is a many-tiered creation. Stacking anywhere from five to 15 thin layers of caramel, almost graham cracker-y cake with a honey-cream filling that soaks into the pastry makes for a rich, toasty, beautiful beast of a cake. The bakery was slicing individual pieces off a giant mother cake—I was hooked after one bite. Medovik is an easy dessert to love but a difficult one to understand. In my attempts to unravel its history, I came across etymological dead ends, historical half-truths, and the disapproving looks of several Russian pastry chefs. The trouble started early…

1. JOHN JULIAN DESIGN’S PORCELAIN MORTAR + PESTLE Both a mod décor statement piece and a functional baker’s tool, this mortar and pestle impresses with an unglazed, matte porcelain finish to help you pulverize spices in style. $146, herriottgrace.com 2. LOSTINE BAGUETTE CUTTING BOARD XL Doubling as a cutting board and a colorful serving platter, this nautically inspired board brings function and flair to your table. $150, shophorne.com 3. PAIN BAGUETTE TOTE Àplat, a San Francisco-based company devoted to creating sustainable culinary tote bags, has a new entry in the game: the baguette tote, the best way to take your love of boulangerie on the road. $48, aplatsf.com 4. ATELIER TREMA CERAMIC BUTTER DISH With a nod toward European style, this oatmeal clay and white-glazed ceramic butter dish is the…

From muscovado to pearl, sugar goes way beyond granulated. But most of them start in the same place: with cane or beet sugar. Molasses, a natural byproduct of the sugar refinement process, is either refined out of the product entirely (for white sugars), removed partially (for raw brown sugars), or removed and added back in later (for conventional brown sugar). GRANULATED Refined white sugar, typically derived from sugar cane or sugar beets, that has had all molasses content removed. POWDERED/10X Just what it sounds like: granulated sugar turned into a powder. Sometimes pastry chefs call it 10x, referring to the fineness of the powder. It’s also known as confectioners’ sugar, which is what we call for in our recipes. BROWN SUGAR Brown sugar gets its color and deep, rich flavor…

Durable and with a long shelf life, confections make excellent edible gifts to send to far-flung family and friends. Follow our tips to make sure the fruits of your labor arrive intact and in style. CANDIES NEED SPACE If you cram your candies together, you’re risking a major meltdown. In order to make sure 20 cute candies don’t become one giant blob, try to keep everything from touching. Use wax paper or parchment paper as a divider if you plan on stacking up your confections. TINS, THE CONTAINERS OF CHOICE Decorative and sturdy, tins protect your candy in style, but they aren’t perfectly airtight. To keep it pretty and functional, seal your tins in gallon resealable plastic bags before placing them into your mailing box. Once the candy is delivered,…

ROASTED CHESTNUTS Makes about 4 cups There’s a reason this treat made it into one of the most beloved Christmas carols: roasted chestnuts are classic—and delicious. Follow our foolproof method to get your chestnuts ready for the recipes that follow. Or just eat them on their own for a warm, nutty holiday snack. 6 cups (892 grams) whole chestnuts in shells 1. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). 2. Using a sharp paring knife, cut an "X" in rounded side of chestnuts. (This lets steam escape, and will prevent them from exploding.) Place on a rimmed baking sheet, cut side up. 3. Roast until shells curl away from nutmeats, 20 to 30 minutes. 4. Wrap hot chestnuts in a kitchen towel, and squeeze gently to further loosen shells. Let stand until…

ROSEMARY SHORTBREAD LINZER COOKIES WITH RED PEPPER JELLY Makes about 12 Red pepper jelly brings a festive, spicy flair to these buttery rosemary-infused sandwich cookies. Skip the cheese and crackers at your next cocktail party and serve these sweet and savory Linzers with your favorite sparkling wine. ¾ cup (170 grams) unsalted butter, softened ½ cup (60 grams) confectioners’ sugar ½ teaspoon (2 grams) vanilla extract 1½ cups (188 grams) all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons (4 grams) chopped fresh rosemary ½ teaspoon (1.5 grams) kosher salt ½ teaspoon (1 gram) ground black pepper ¼ cup (80 grams) red pepper jelly 1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla at medium speed until creamy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape…

With over 400 cuvées of Champagne currently available at her Portland, Oregon, bakery, Pix Pâtisserie, Cheryl Wakerhauser has the art of bubbles and pastry pairings down pat. We asked the connoisseur for her top pairing guidelines—plus her bubbles picks and an exclusive recipe from her recent cookbook, Modern French Pastry (Page Street Publishing, 2017)—to help you start 2018 in good taste. CHERYL’S PAIRING TIPS 1. NOT ALL CHAMPAGNES OR SPARKLING WINES GO WITH DESSERT “It’s a misconception that all bubbles go with dessert. Some Champagne is meant for oysters, not chocolate, and you need to make sure you’re selecting the right Champagne for your pastry. While sweet may seem the obvious choice, drier sparkling wine is a better complement for the subtle sweetness of French pâtisserie. Bubbles pair well with…