Latest Recipe Testing

Checking back in with a new recipe testing post. I launched my recipe testing series this year because I know many of you are equally interested in the hows and whys of recipes.

So far this year:

1. recipe testing – introduction
2. recipe testing – babka
3. recipe testing – bread pudding
4. recipe testing – lemon meringue pie
5. recipe testing – slice ‘n’ bake cookies, whole wheat rolls
6. recipe testing – aka the dancing mixer escapade
7. recipe testing – boston cream pie

I was in San Francisco for a 1 day Pinterest conference last week and just arrived home from Kansas, where I toured a wheat farm, a flour mill, baked bread, ate incredible food, and spent time with equally enthusiastic bakers, Red Star Yeast, and Kansas Wheat. I had a wonderful time and am sharing pictures from the trip on my blog next week, so check back. I’m so happy to be home with my little family though!!! It’s good to leave but also good to come home. 🙂

Before my travel, I reserved a day for recipe testing. I worked on a new no-churn ice cream recipe (pictured above) as well as the July Baking Challenge. (Hint: apples and pie.) Neither required a ton of testing, but I’m looking forward to getting my hands dirty with creme brûlée and fresh bread next week!

I mentioned this the other week, but just in case some missed it– I made my fresh fruit tart with vanilla mascarpone cream again recently. A few readers have noticed that the mascarpone curdles when mixed in step 7, so this time I whipped the heavy cream into stiff peaks separately, then folded it into the mascarpone. This definitely helped! I garnished the tart with strawberries, blueberries, and homemade sweetened whipped cream. Great dessert for 4th of July coming up.

1 CHANGE = FASCINATING RESULTS

Isn’t it interesting that one small change, like whipping the cream in my fruit tart filling, makes such a big difference? We see this in two recent recipes as well.

The picture below is the same exact recipe. Combining the oats and milk and giving the oats time to soak up some of the liquid creates a taller, fluffier, heartier muffin. The muffins on the left were wet, squat, and sad. Here is the improved blueberry oatmeal muffins recipe.

And the picture below is the same exact recipe too. Rolling out the dough into a long rectangle, instead of a small square, results in a taller loaf with triple the swirl. The bread on the left is shorter and definitely craving more swirl. Here is the improved homemade cinnamon swirl bread recipe.

TWO QUESTIONS

1. If you were to eat a fruit crisp or fruit cobbler, which would you choose? I have a recipe idea but would love to know if sweet biscuit topped cobbler or oatmeal streusel topped crisp is more your style.
2. Thoughts on creme brûlée? I think I asked you about this before but I’m finally getting around to it!

Happy Father’s Day, dads!! 🙂