Posted by Erin Zimmer, April 25, 2008 at 10:00 AM
In the spirit of tight battles this week, we bring you Cakespy's showdown between macarons and madeleines. The two pastry delights may be similar-sounding, have similar fussiness factors and each draw from français roots, but only one can be our leader. The votes are in, and ahead with 169 total yays, Team Macaron wins. But not far behind, Team Madeleine got a respectable 123 votes.
Still undecided between the fairy sandwich and fan-shaped Proustian cookie? Aran of the precious site Cannelle et Vanille analyzed the polls best. "I see the madeleine as the 'stout' girl vs the 'école superior' refined macaroon. Madeleines are soft and bumpy, dipped in coffee, making a messy table from spilling milk...And the macaron with its thin crunchy exterior and refined almond crumb is like the perfect, slim daughter of a diplomat.. The macaron has traveled the world... as the madeleine is a sweet country girl." Sounds like a sweet Aesopian fable of the Town Cookie and Country Cookie.
Continue reading »
Posted by Robyn Lee, April 4, 2008 at 6:45 PM
If you've never had a Portuguese egg tart before, you're missing out on some sweet, custardy deliciousness. Aiyah spotted these trays of Portuguese egg tarts while in Hong Kong. She describes them as, "incredibly light, creamy, warm and sinful." Count me in for a tray...or two.
Posted by Erin Zimmer, March 27, 2008 at 11:00 AM
While in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, this weekend, whoopie pie flavor exploration became the number-one priority. The Central Market downtown was the best playground, where four flavors sat behind a glass counter: red velvet with white cream filling, chocolate with peanut butter filling, pumpkin with buttercream filling and chocolate chip cookies (harder texture, not puffy like the others) with white cream filling. After asking the aproned woman which was most "authentic," she paused.
"Well, pumpkin is probably most popular." (Sidenote: pumpkin outside of autumn is awesome). "But chocolate chip is probably most authentic."
Continue reading »
Posted by Adam Kuban, August 21, 2007 at 6:00 PM
Photograph from Robyn Lee on Flickr
Robyn Lee, who usually posts Serious Eats's Photo of the Day, is once again on vacation in an undisclosed location. And since she would never highlight one of her own amazing photos in this space, I'm going to hijack this feature today and do it for her. Above is a pain au chocolat from Bouley Market. And, in keeping with Robyn's penchant for anthropomorphizing food, I would go so far as to say this lil' guy almost has a face. See it?
Continue reading »
Posted by Lia Bulaong, April 16, 2007 at 10:45 AM
Sheryl Cababa of Crispy Waffle has been making a lot of quiches lately as presents for all her friends who've just had babies and don't have time to cook. She says, "I don't know anyone who doesn't like quiche, and honestly, who doesn't like an all-butter pastry crust? I have two options here: one with bacon, and one with spinach and mushrooms for those that don't dig meat. But, you can basically use any savory ingredients that you would use in an omelet-- it'll all taste good."
Posted by Lia Bulaong, March 22, 2007 at 3:51 PM
You may think you love cookies, but chances are Anna Ginsberg's passion for them far outstrips yours. I mean, her blog is called Cookie Madness. She bakes something every day and her combination of talent and persistence have paid off, big time: she won last year's Pillsbury Bake-Off!
Posted by Lia Bulaong, March 14, 2007 at 6:55 PM
Kelly DiNardo in the Washington Post today, on the troubles of selling cupcakes online: "There are challenges besides shipping logistics and growing a business too quickly. Getting customers to make the leap of faith about buying an item they haven't seen or smelled might be the biggest hurdle for an online bakery. In fact, Forrester Research found that the main reason people don't like to shop for food online is that they like to see or touch food items before they buy them (the report didn't mention taste)."
Except for having groceries delivered by FreshDirect, which delivers my purchases to my front door in their own truck instead of through the mail, I don't really buy food online without personal recommendations because I like to know what I'll be getting—I have Photoshop so I know photos can lie, and I've read enough press releases and website testimonials to not trust they won't be hyperbole. The only pastry I can imagine ordering online without having tried it first is a King Cake, since they're specific to both New Orleans and the Mardi Gras season, but good cupcakes, cookies and cakes seem easy enough to find in person. Have you ever bought baked goods online? Would you ever?
Posted by Lia Bulaong, March 2, 2007 at 5:31 PM
"chinese BBQ roast pork is one of my favorite foods because it’s delicious and so easily accessible in chinatown, as nearly every block will have a shop that has fresh roast meats in the window. i love anything made with it : roast pork buns, roast pork flaky pastry called “char siu so”, roast pork rice crepe, and scrumptous barbeque roast pork on its own, but i have never seen a flat roast pork cookie before." Jo Jo of Eat 2 Love discovered what sounds like may potentially be my new favorite savoury pastry treat.
Posted by Lia Bulaong, February 12, 2007 at 8:56 AM
I haven't made George Hart's Trilobite Cookies yet so I don't know what they taste like, but his write-up is hilarious: "Trilobites are extinct marine animals which lived gazillions of years ago. Real trilobites may or may not have tasted like chicken. (who knows?) These cookies are the result of my most recent research into what ancient trilobites would have tasted like if primitive biochemical processes were based on jam/chocolate/cookie molecules. Independent paleoconfectionary laboratories often ask for my formula, so I have placed it here for the world to enjoy."
