The holidays wouldn't be without a plate of warm, homemade treats to share with loved ones. To take baking this year from good to great, School of Chocolate chef Amaury Guichon shares five quick and easy tips that are guaranteed to take your cookies and other baked goods to the next level. Follow them and you can't go wrong.
1. To further develop the aroma of your dough (sable/crumble/biscuits, etc.), you can toast and cool nut powder before incorporating it into the dough.
2. An important ingredient in pastries is vanilla. If you used the insides of the bean, dry the bean and grind it with a food processor. Then add it to the granulated sugar (the bean is just as flavorful as the little black seed in it). You now have your own vanilla sugar that you can use as a substitute for regular sugar in your next recipe.
3. If you are a fan of sugar cookies, to increase the overall quality of your dough, always make it the day before and keep it in the fridge overnight. All dry ingredients absorb the moisture and the dough becomes more even during baking.
4. If you want to sprinkle a thin layer of “snow” on your Christmas creations, mix 32 grams of potato starch with 130 grams of icing sugar. The potato starch ensures that the sugar lasts longer without melting.
5. Follow the recipe below to finish your Christmas creation with the “perfect” whipped cream. The mascarpone increases the fat content in the cream, intensifying the sweet vanilla aroma, and it gives you a perfect edge in your piping every time.
Whipped Cream Recipe
75 g mascarpone
500 g whipping cream
50 g vanilla sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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