Bake from Scratch May/June 2021

WELCOME SUMMER May and June mark the sweet shift from warm spring into hot summer, a time when bakers reap a number of benefits. Market offerings of ripe stone fruit, berries, and herbs open up fresh opportunities for cakes, cookies, and pastries. And the longer days promise more time to bake in the blissful daylight. This issue takes every advantage of this golden time. From The Essential … Baguette (page 37) to our crusty breads feature (page 65) that spans the globe, artisan bread bakers can find a number of recipes to bring bakery-style loaves to the dinner table. If you’re looking to revisit a beloved classic cookie, our nostalgic Everything Snickerdoodle (page 57) is the cinnamon-coated extravaganza you’ve been waiting for. My enduring love for the snickerdoodle makes this one of…

BARS AND COOKIES Banana-Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies 103 Coconut Mochi Squares 89 Fresh Peach Crumb Bars 11 Fruity Cereal-Cardamom Sandwich Cookies 103 Lemon-Raspberry Marble Sandwich Cookies 102 Lime-Mint Crinkle Sandwich Cookies 104 Mini Snickerdoodles 62 Snickerdoodles 61 BREADS Baguettes 45 Blueberry Streusel Muffins 79 Broa de Milho 71 Gruyère, Onion & Pepper Biscuits 112 Herbed Honey-Buttermilk Rolls 28 Lemon, Poppy Seed, and Ricotta Muffins 77 Marraqueta 67 Morning Glory Muffins 80 Peaches and Cream Muffins 79 Snickerdoodle Crackle Bread Buns 63 Tijgerbrood 69 CAKES Banana Bread-Cream Cheese Pound Cake 94 Brownie Bundt Cake 96 Blueberry Coffee Cake 25 Chai-Zucchini Loaf Cakes with Cinnamon Glaze 55 Chocolate Cream Cheese Pound Cake 6 Dobos Torte 107 Honey-Lavender Bundt Cake 54 Mint Chip Sheet Cake 51 Piña Colada Tres Leches Cake 90 Snickerdoodle Icebox Cake 61 Snickerdoodle Swirl Bundt Cake with Salted Pistachios 64 Strawberry Cake 35 Strawberry-Orange Blossom Cornmeal Cake 50 FROSTINGS, FILLINGS, GARNISHES, AND GLAZES Blueberry Cream Cheese Frosting 103 Caramel Sauce 108 Chocolate Buttercream 108 Cinnamon Glaze 55 Cocoa Whipped Cream…

BELLECOUR BAKERY AT COOKS OF CROCUS HILL MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA What began as an emotion-filled decision to shut the doors of Bellecour French Bistro and Bakery as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic turned into a move that was geared toward supporting the community. The French farm-to-table-inspired restaurant pivoted, adapted, and changed models by moving their bakery entity to Cooks of Crocus Hill. The partnership is a collaboration that provides a one-stop shop with irresistible pastries, foods to go, coffee and tea, a cooking and bakeware store, and cooking school. WEBSITE: COOKSOFCROCUSHILL.COM/BELLECOUR-BAKERY INSTAGRAM: @BELLECOURBAKERY SUGARSUCKLE HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY Sugarsuckle, a small boutique bakery specializing in stylishly chic cakes, swiftly adapted to the pandemic shutdown by delivering DIY baking kits directly to home bakers’ doors. From colorful Rainbow Funfetti Cookies to delightful Fruity Pebble Cereal Treats, the kits supplied…

How did you get started with Lovely London Delights? London Warrick: I started baking in May 2020 on Mother’s Day when I made a whole cake for my mom. We cut the cake into individual slices and shared it with other mothers I knew. They loved it and started asking me to bake them cakes. Because school had been moved to an online classroom, I had a lot of free time where I could bake, so I decided to bring happiness to others through my baking. The recipe I first used is an old family recipe from a friend, and I added two different secret ingredients to make it extra special. At the beginning, when people started asking us for cakes, I wasn’t sure what to do, so we started making…

The golden secret to moist baked goods that remain tender for days? Humble, helpful cooking oil. Cakes made with oils have a lightness and fluffiness that butter can’t match, and when it comes to cacao-based treats, like your favorite decadent brownies or a chocolaty cake, baking with oil boosts the perception of richness and turns up the moistness factor. Why is it that cakes made with oil are loftier and more tender? Refined oils are reduced to their most basic components—unsaturated triglycerides that are liquid at room temperature—and are less dense than butter. As you can imagine, this leads to cakes that are light as air, with an even crumb structure, like the cross-sectional piece of our Honey-Lavender Bundt Cake presented on page 24. When recipes that contain heavier flours or…

I have inherited thousands of recipes from my grandma Naida—but before I tell you about my culinary heirlooms, let me tell you about the woman behind them. When I think of Grandma Naida, I remember her being the woman behind all of the food for our special occasions. A specific memory is baking my brother’s birthday cake during vacation. I was 5, standing on a stool, helping her create our family recipe for crumb cake. She let me stir the batter and, best of all, lick the spoon. My mom didn’t usually let me do that, so I probably remember it so well because of that sweet detail. Grandma Naida died when I was 7, but I still cherish each of those memories and I know my love of baking…