The Baking Answer Book (11 page)

Q
Do I really need an oven thermometer, as so many baking books suggest?

A
Because every oven has a dial or digital display for setting the temperature and also some kind of display to let you know when your oven has reached that temperature, buying an oven thermometer might seem superfluous. But the fact is, many if not all ovens will give inaccurate readings unless they are routinely calibrated by a technician. An inaccurate temperature gauge will adversely affect your baked goods. Baking biscuits in a too-cool oven will inhibit them from rising adequately. Baking a cake in a too-hot oven will cause it to overbrown while leaving the interior uncooked.

HOW TO COOK SUGAR

Cooked sugar, which has been heated to above 212°F (100°C), is necessary in recipes for fruit preserves, fudge and other candy, cooked meringues, nougat, caramel, praline, and many others.

It sounds simple: Heat sugar with a little water until the sugar dissolves, insert a candy thermometer, and remove the pot from the heat when the water has evaporated and the sugar has reached the proper temperature.

The difficulty is in getting the sugar to melt into a smooth liquid without crystallizing and becoming grainy during the process or as it cools. Crystallization can occur when even just 1 grain of sugar that has failed to dissolve comes into contact with the melted sugar solution, causing a chain reaction in which the sugar that has been dissolved reverts back to its former crystal form. So it is important to make sure that no sugar crystals remain stuck to the sides of the pan, threatening to fall into the solution and set off the crystallization process.

There are several ways to keep errant sugar granules from sticking to the sides of your pot: You can use a pastry brush moistened with water to brush the sides of the pot clean. If you do this, be sure that the brush itself is clean. Any impurity introduced into the sugar solution may cause crystallization.

Another method is to moisten your hands and wipe the sides of the pot with wet fingers. This way, you can feel whether granules remain. Something I’ve found very effective is to bring my solution to a simmer and then cover the pot for a minute, allowing the water condensing inside the pot to wash the sides clean.

Molten sugar is an extremely sensitive and unstable solution, and any jostling or stirring can cause the sugar to crystallize. So even after you have successfully melted your sugar into a smooth caramel, you must be sure to treat it gently, resisting the urge to stir, which might cause a disastrous change at the molecular level. Most likely, your sugar will cook unevenly because of the uneven heat of the cooktop burner. If one spot starts to brown before the rest, gently tilt and swirl the contents of the pot until the sugar is evenly colored.

When the water has evaporated, the sugar will cook — and burn — quickly. Watch your pot and your thermometer carefully. It’s best to remove the pot from the heat as soon as it reaches the low range of the temperature recommended in the recipe. Residual heat will continue to cook the sugar, and you don’t want to risk burning it. Some people take the precaution of plunging the bottom of the pan into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking quickly.

Many pastry chefs like to cook sugar on its own, without any water, because there is less risk of the water splashing some of the granules onto the sides of the pan, and because it saves time. But precisely because it is so fast, the “dry” method is a good way for a less experienced cook to burn a pot of sugar. The sugar will transform from a clear syrup to a very dark caramel in a matter of seconds. Using water slows down the process and gives you more control.

Rich Caramel Sauce

This is a good excuse to practice sugar cookery. This rich, gooey sauce is delicious on ice cream or as a warm dip for fresh fruit. I’ve had good luck in avoiding crystallization with the no-stir method, but feel free to use any of the tricks on
pages 66
and
67
to keep the sides of your pan sugar crystal-free.

MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS

1½ cups sugar

½ cup water

6 tablespoons dark rum (optional)

1.
Combine the sugar and water in the pan, gently stirring until all of the sugar is moistened, and being careful not to touch the spoon against the sides of the pot.

2.
Bring to a simmer over medium heat, cover, turn the heat to low, and cook for 1 minute to allow the condensing water to wash down the sides of the pot.

3.
Remove the lid, increase the heat to medium, and bring to a boil. Lower a candy thermometer into the syrup, clipping it onto the side of the pot and making sure that the
sensor is submerged in the syrup but not touching the bottom of the pot. Boil until the sugar turns a light amber color and the thermometer registers 340°F (171°C). Do not stir. If part of the syrup is turning darker than the rest of the syrup, gently tilt the pan to even out the cooking.

4.
When the syrup is a uniform amber color, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the heavy cream with a long-handled wooden spoon. Be careful, because the cream will bubble up. When the bubbling has subsided, stir in the rum, if using.

5.
Transfer the mixture to a heatproof bowl and let stand until warm. Serve immediately or transfer to an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 1 week, reheating in a microwave or on the stove before serving.

Q
How many spatulas does a baker need?

A
A baker can’t have too many spatulas. At the minimum, have three rubber spatulas in small, medium, and large sizes. I like spatulas made of heatproof silicone, which won’t melt when used to scrape the insides of a hot pan. For removing cookies from a baking sheet, removing the first brownie from a pan, or turning pancakes, you’ll need a spatula with a wide (about 3-inch), sharp blade made of metal or nylon. Finally, both a small (4-inch) and large (10-to 12-inch) offset spatula, which is a metal spreader angled from a wooden handle, are indispensable. Use them to spread frosting, smooth cake batter, and to slide under pie and pastry doughs so they don’t stick to a countertop.

Q
What is the best implement for removing zest from citrus fruit?

A
Zest is the outer yellow rind of the lemon, lime, or orange that contains the fruit’s fragrant oils and perfumes. The inner white rind, called the pith, has a harsh and bitter flavor and should not be used in baking. Citrus zest is
used as a flavoring or a garnish in a variety of baking recipes. Choose your zesting implement depending on how you intend to use the zest.

If you want the zest to disappear into a dough or batter, you should grate it as finely as possible. The small holes of a box grater will accomplish this, but then it will be up to you to pick at the zest, which remains stubbornly stuck on the sides of the grater, with a toothpick, skewer, or tip of a paring knife. Less frustrating and much more efficient is a Microplane grater. A tool originally sold in hardware stores for rasping wood, it easily removes fine shreds of zest from fruit and deposits it onto your work surface (just as the rasp deposits sawdust on the floor), leaving behind the bitter white pith.

For fine strands of zest to use as a garnish, use a citrus zester, a handheld device with five tiny holes that will remove the zest in delicate strands. A citrus stripper or shredder is another utensil with a sharp-notched edge that removes the zest in ¼-inch-wide strips. If you want even thicker strips of zest, to make candied lemon peel or to create a custom garnish, use a sharp vegetable peeler, taking care to leave behind as much of the bitter white pith as possible.

Q
I have 15 minutes and $150 dollars to spend on baking odds and ends. What should I put in my shopping cart?

A
Aside from the basics I’ve already mentioned, here is a list of relatively inexpensive items you might pick up if you don’t already own them.

Useful Baking Utensils

Bench scraper
. A stainless steel straight-edge blade with a wooden handle, this handy tool will divide sticky bread dough with ease and scrape the countertop clean. King Arthur Flour Company (see Resources) sells a silicone scraper with a straight edge and a rounded side that can scrape cookie dough from the inside of a mixing bowl as well. (The catalog claims that this scraper can clean ice off your windshield, but I can’t say I’ve put mine to this use.)

Biscuit cutter
. You can always use a juice glass to cut biscuits, but a stainless steel biscuit cutter with a sharp edge and a handle makes the job easier. They are sold in nesting sets of 4, ranging in size from 1½ to 3 inches in diameter.