Shortbread biscuits/cookies

[Lee_C]

Thanks NCB! Yes, I think I'm always going to have problems using my offset spatula with the 8 x 8 tin. Even if the tin were shallower, the spatula including handle is too long to fit within the walls properly. I might try seeing if I can bend the angle of the blade a bit more, something around 45 degrees, so that the handle is more vertical. Nope, you explained the process very well.
I left it for about 15 minutes and then made the cuts. But I've got all pieces on 2 plates in the fridge now so tomorrow I'll melt the chocolate.

I've made quite a few things that are slightly underbaked! Kind of annoying. I guess I should have cooked it for the full 45 minutes at least, perhaps even 50.

I ended up with 33 larger pieces which is more than enough for me. But with an 8 x 8 tin and the dough cut into 2" x 1/2" rectangles, I think I should have had 64. And I did use a ruler sitting across the lips of the tin, but the problem was I couldn't actually get the ruler down inside the tin, so I eyeballed it and used my plastic dough scraper to score it. But my lines were wonky giving uneven sized sections. I can buy a half length ruler though, that would work better. Or maybe I need one of those metal dough cutters that have centimetre and inch markings on. Once I slowly and very carefully lifted it out of the tin (that was certainly a precarious moment for fear of it all falling apart!) I cut it again but I had to follow the uneven scoring that was still visible.

Next time, I'll do what you do and completely leave the scoring until it's out of the tin so that I can slice right up against a ruler.

Also, before baking, the dough was getting very soft in the tin and made scoring and fork perforations more messy. I did chill it for 15 minutes before baking but probably should have also chilled for a few minutes before scoring and docking.

Yes a cake ring would be easier! I'll have to consider getting one. I look forward to hearing how your corn and rice flour combo is when you've made it. And, if the tin your sister gave you is dark, I guess you'll be wanting to bake for longer on a lower heat?

 

[Norcalbaker59]

Thanks NCB! Yes, I think I'm always going to have problems using my offset spatula with the 8 x 8 tin. Even if the tin were shallower, the spatula including handle is too long to fit within the walls properly. I might try seeing if I can bend the angle of the blade a bit more, something around 45 degrees, so that the handle is more vertical. Nope, you explained the process very well.
I left it for about 15 minutes and then made the cuts. But I've got all pieces on 2 plates in the fridge now so tomorrow I'll melt the chocolate.

I've made quite a few things that are slightly underbaked! Kind of annoying. I guess I should have cooked it for the full 45 minutes at least, perhaps even 50.

I ended up with 33 larger pieces which is more than enough for me. But with an 8 x 8 tin and the dough cut into 2" x 1/2" rectangles, I think I should have had 64. And I did use a ruler sitting across the lips of the tin, but the problem was I couldn't actually get the ruler down inside the tin, so I eyeballed it and used my plastic dough scraper to score it. But my lines were wonky giving uneven sized sections. I can buy a half length ruler though, that would work better. Or maybe I need one of those metal dough cutters that have centimetre and inch markings on. Once I slowly and very carefully lifted it out of the tin (that was certainly a precarious moment for fear of it all falling apart!) I cut it again but I had to follow the uneven scoring that was still visible.

Next time, I'll do what you do and completely leave the scoring until it's out of the tin so that I can slice right up against a ruler.

Also, before baking, the dough was getting very soft in the tin and made scoring and fork perforations more messy. I did chill it for 15 minutes before baking but probably should have also chilled for a few minutes before scoring and docking.

Yes a cake ring would be easier! I'll have to consider getting one. I look forward to hearing how your corn and rice flour combo is when you've made it. And, if the tin your sister gave you is dark, I guess you'll be wanting to bake for longer on a lower heat?

Shortbread can become an obsession... after chocolate chip cookies I think I made more shortbread than anything else. So be forewarned

Yes I’ll definitely reduce the temperature if I use the tin my sister gave me. It’s really a lovely tin, the decorations on it are quite nice. It’s just the dark metal

Yes I always use my 8” cake ring for shortbread. 2 x 1/2” fingers is the perfect serving size.

Your 8” tin has the removable bottom, yes? That would make it a lot easier than a regular tin. I don’t know how people can make shortbread in a standard cake tin.

When I first started baking I under baked quite a bit as well. It took me a while to understand when something was fully baked. I still hesitate now and again. And with some things it’s better to be a little under baked then over baked, like a chocolate chip cookie.

 

[Lee_C]

Yeah, could well become an obsession for me, along with my almond macaroons.

Yes, my tin is the Paul Hollywood one. Very good quality metal in a sort of light gold/bronze colour with removeable base. Although when I made brownies and lemon bars with it, I didn't use the loose base, I lined it with paper with flaps overhanging the sides held by clips, so I can pull the whole lot out quite easily.

Ooh, choc chip cookies. Do you mean the super chewy ones? I love those! We have some over here in the shops called Maryland cookies which I'm not keen on, they're small, crispy and not chewy. But I love handmade double choc or white choc with macadamia nuts, the larger flatter slightly gooey chewy ones.

 

[Lee_C]

Well, I finished. Not as clean looking decorations as I wanted but it's ok I guess

 

[Norcalbaker59]

Yeah, could well become an obsession for me, along with my almond macaroons.

Yes, my tin is the Paul Hollywood one. Very good quality metal in a sort of light gold/bronze colour with removeable base. Although when I made brownies and lemon bars with it, I didn't use the loose base, I lined it with paper with flaps overhanging the sides held by clips, so I can pull the whole lot out quite easily.

Ooh, choc chip cookies. Do you mean the super chewy ones? I love those! We have some over here in the shops called Maryland cookies which I'm not keen on, they're small, crispy and not chewy. But I love handmade double choc or white choc with macadamia nuts, the larger flatter slightly gooey chewy ones.

I do you like those removable bottom tins. They’re very difficult to find in the US. There is only one company that I know of that produces them, and you have to purchase them online. But the manufacturer is a very good company. Problem is the shipping cost is always so hard so every time I think I’m going to purchase them I get discouraged by the shipping cost.

Well I’ll have to give you a chocolate chip cookie recipe. I’m all about the chewy chocolate chip cookie. Are used to make a really good white chocolate macadamia nut. But my recipe is long outdated. It was a combination of butter and shortening, Which was a common combination 20 years ago. It was an incredible cookie. But I refuse to use shortening in any of my baked goods these days. So it has sat for years waiting for me to update it

 

[Norcalbaker59]

Well, I finished. Not as clean looking decorations as I wanted but it's ok I guess

View attachment 2548 View attachment 2549

Well you’re short bread turned out quite lovely. The color is nice and light; the shape and proportion is good; and the crumb looks quite good. I say passed Shortbread 101.

 

[Lee_C]

Well you’re short bread turned out quite lovely. The color is nice and light; the shape and proportion is good; and the crumb looks quite good. I say passed Shortbread 101.

I took a few of the biscuits along to my gig last night and my band members loved them! One said it's crumblier than he normally likes but that the flavour was spot on. None of them stopped at one piece. I gave a couple of pieces for the bandleader to take home to his wife. She messaged me this morning saying
"Hi Lee, your shortbread biscuits were ' melt in the mouth' gorgeous!!! Thank you".

So thank you NCB for your recipe, it's a winner

 

[Norcalbaker59]

I took a few of the biscuits along to my gig last night and my band members loved them! One said it's crumblier than he normally likes but that the flavour was spot on. None of them stopped at one piece. I gave a couple of pieces for the bandleader to take home to his wife. She messaged me this morning saying
"Hi Lee, your shortbread biscuits were ' melt in the mouth' gorgeous!!! Thank you".

So thank you NCB for your recipe, it's a winner

Well I’m glad your friends enjoyed your shortbread. That’s what baking is all about. Yes homemade shortbread is always softer than commercially produced shortbread. Commercially shortbread has significantly less butter produce a firmer cookie. Otherwise it could not survive shipment. When I make a cut out cookie I drop the butter to 70%. Otherwise the cookie crumble apart.

 

[Cahoot]

@Norcalbaker59 Just curious, I've looked at a few shortbread recipes for comparison and noticed that none of the recipes that cut out cookies (either rolled and cut out, or icebox makeup methods) prior to baking use any additional starch, while almost all the recipes that are pressed into a mold/pan and cut after baking do have additional cornstarch or rice flour. When you make cut-out cookies, do you still use the same formula, with the exception of decreasing the butter to 70%?

 

[Norcalbaker59]

@Cahoot, by cutout cookie I assume you mean for decorating with royal icing. I do not use shortbread as they do not produce a super smooth surface. For a decorated cookie, you need a cookie that will hold a sharp edge, will not puff up, has a smooth surface and does not brown. The best recipe so far is the modified sugar cookie recipe from Cook’s Illustrated. They have a couple of sugar cutout cookie recipes, the one I like is below.

When I make a shortbread cookie, NOT for decorating, that I cut with cookie cutter, I use rice flour flour and reduce the butter to 70%. The edges sharp,on these, but the tops are not super smooth, so not ideal for decorating with royal icing. Plus I tend to add spices, zests, and other flavorings to my shortbread cookies, so that adds textures.


whisk and set aside

1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
3/4 salt



Sift and set aside

355g all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda



In a food processor blend until a paste forms, about 1 minute

200g baker’s sugar
227g unsalted butter, chilled


add egg mixture to the butter and sugar and blend until just combined

then flour and mix until just combined


divide into equal portions by weight; roll 1/4” thick between parchment. Chill 2 hrs minimum.

Set rack one below center of oven. Preheat oven 370°F. Cover baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cutout and bake 14 - 17 min depending of size of cookies.


=======================================
My photos of my sugar cutout cookies are in my computer, which died on me. So I can’t to them.

These are my shortbread cookies. You can see they have a sharp edges, but the tops are not super smooth, so not ideal for decorating

I add zest and spices, so that adds texture as well

 

[Cahoot]

@Cahoot, by cutout cookie I assume you mean for decorating with royal icing. I do not use shortbread as they do not produce a super smooth surface. For a decorated cookie, you need a cookie that will hold a sharp edge, will not puff up, has a smooth surface and does not brown. The best recipe so far is the modified sugar cookie recipe from Cook’s Illustrated. They have a couple of sugar cutout cookie recipes, the one I like is below.

When I make a shortbread cookie, NOT for decorating, that I cut with cookie cutter, I use rice flour flour and reduce the butter to 70%. The edges sharp,on these, but the tops are not super smooth, so not ideal for decorating with royal icing. Plus I tend to add spices, zests, and other flavorings to my shortbread cookies, so that adds textures.


whisk and set aside

1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
3/4 salt



Sift and set aside

355g all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda



In a food processor blend until a paste forms, about 1 minute

200g baker’s sugar
227g unsalted butter, chilled


add egg mixture to the butter and sugar and blend until just combined

then flour and mix until just combined


divide into equal portions by weight; roll 1/4” thick between parchment. Chill 2 hrs minimum.

Set rack one below center of oven. Preheat oven 370°F. Cover baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cutout and bake 14 - 17 min depending of size of cookies.


=======================================
My photos of my sugar cutout cookies are in my computer, which died on me. So I can’t to them.

These are my shortbread cookies. You can see they have a sharp edges, but the tops are not super smooth, so not ideal for decorating

View attachment 3261

View attachment 3260


I add zest and spices, so that adds texture as well
View attachment 3256

I didn't know about the CI sugar cookies, so thank you for providing the recipe; I'll file that away for future use .

I was just referring to shortbread cookies not baked in a mold, but not necessarily decorated. Some examples:

https://www.joyofbaking.com/shortbreads/shortbreadcookies.html https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2014/11/bouchon-bakery-shortbread-cookies.html https://devilsfoodkitchen.com/recipe/lemon-thyme-shortbread/#recipe

The common themes with those type of recipes are no additional starch, baked at a higher temperature, and not super high butter (67-89% are what I've seen). The edges of your cookies appear just as sharp if not sharper than of those other recipes though. Do you still use a ratio of 25/29% rice flour and bake at 300°F?

With how pale and light those look (no brown edges!), it does seem like they were still baked at 300°F, which makes me surprised at how well they held their shapes.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

I didn't know about the CI sugar cookies, so thank you for providing the recipe; I'll file that away for future use .

I was just referring to shortbread cookies not baked in a mold, but not necessarily decorated. Some examples:

https://www.joyofbaking.com/shortbreads/shortbreadcookies.html https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2014/11/bouchon-bakery-shortbread-cookies.html https://devilsfoodkitchen.com/recipe/lemon-thyme-shortbread/#recipe

The common themes with those type of recipes are no additional starch, baked at a higher temperature, and not super high butter (67-89% are what I've seen). The edges of your cookies appear just as sharp if not sharper than of those other recipes though. Do you still use a ratio of 25/29% rice flour and bake at 300°F?

With how pale and light those look (no brown edges!), it does seem like they were still baked at 300°F, which makes me surprised at how well they held their shapes.

Definitely the hallmark of fine shortbread is a pale cookie crust. You don’t want any color in shortbread. So low temperature and a long bake. The best shortbread molds are ceramic. But they’re very expensive. My sister gifted me a beautiful shortbread mold; unfortunately it’s made of dark metal so it browns the shortbread. So I never use it. Which is a shame because it has a beautiful pattern.

I prefer Japanese or Asian rice flour to the American rice flour. The domestic rice flour tends to be grittier.

I prefer to mix my shortbread by hand. Shortbread is the rare exception in which I use 68°F (20°C) butter. You cannot skimp on the quality of the butter when it comes to shortbread since it’s all about the butter. And it’s for this reason I don’t believe you can make a vegan shortbread.

Shortbread cookies

• 15% rice flour
• 70% unsalted butter
• 30% - 35% caster sugar
• .008 salt

Batch

• 280g unbleached 10% protein flour
• 42g rice flour
• 98g baker’s sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 196g unsalted butter, 68°F (20°C)

The key to the sharp edges is hiHg butterfat butter and to chill the dough before it is rolled out and cut. I chill my cookies again before baking.

I also bake on parchment, never on silpat as the silpat conducts heat to intensely.

 

[Cahoot]

Definitely the hallmark of fine shortbread is a pale cookie crust. You don’t want any color in shortbread. So low temperature and a long bake. The best shortbread molds are ceramic. But they’re very expensive. My sister gifted me a beautiful shortbread mold; unfortunately it’s made of dark metal so it browns the shortbread. So I never use it. Which is a shame because it has a beautiful pattern.

I prefer Japanese or Asian rice flour to the American rice flour. The domestic rice flour tends to be grittier.

I prefer to mix my shortbread by hand. Shortbread is the rare exception in which I use 68°F (20°C) butter. You cannot skimp on the quality of the butter when it comes to shortbread since it’s all about the butter. And it’s for this reason I don’t believe you can make a vegan shortbread.

Shortbread cookies

• 15% rice flour
• 70% unsalted butter
• 30% - 35% caster sugar
• .008 salt

Batch

• 280g unbleached 10% protein flour
• 42g rice flour
• 98g baker’s sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 196g unsalted butter, 68°F (20°C)

The key to the sharp edges is hiHg butterfat butter and to chill the dough before it is rolled out and cut. I chill my cookies again before baking.

I also bake on parchment, never on silpat as the silpat conducts heat to intensely.

I made the shortbread recently in a pan using the "premium" ratios of 100% butter, 30% sugar with cornstarch. It was absolutely melt in your mouth. I never eat shortbread but it was really good honestly.

I was wondering about the butter temperature, the original recipes specifies "very soft" butter and is mixed by hand, I assume to minimize aeration of the butter. Why do you use 68°F/20°C butter, which would be soft but not "very soft"? Or is the assumption that after working the salt into it, it gets to the mayonnaise/stiff whipped cream consistency as desired in the original recipe?

 

[Norcalbaker59]

I made the shortbread recently in a pan using the "premium" ratios of 100% butter, 30% sugar with cornstarch. It was absolutely melt in your mouth. I never eat shortbread but it was really good honestly.

I was wondering about the butter temperature, the original recipes specifies "very soft" butter and is mixed by hand, I assume to minimize aeration of the butter. Why do you use 68°F/20°C butter, which would be soft but not "very soft"? Or is the assumption that after working the salt into it, it gets to the mayonnaise/stiff whipped cream consistency as desired in the original recipe?

As butter warms it will begin to separate. Have you noticed that very warm butter has visible water droplets on it? That butter is no good for anything at that temperature as it is already broken.

The butter needs to be pliable enough for you to work it but not so warm that it’s ready to break or already broken. Once broken (the water and milkfat has separated) it will produce a greasy product. The flavor will be off. You cannot achieve a rich creamy butter flavor with broken butter.



When you start to work the salt in, that not only loosens the butter, it but it also warms the butter. By the time the dough is mixed, the butter is quite warm. The reason I mix by hand is to control the gluten development, keep the dough loose, and the temperature of the butter low. I never mix shortbread in the mixer because of friction heat.

 

[Cahoot]

As butter warms it will begin to separate. Have you noticed that very warm butter has visible water droplets on it? That butter is no good for anything at that temperature as it is already broken.

The butter needs to be pliable enough for you to work it but not so warm that it’s ready to break or already broken. Once broken (the water and milkfat has separated) it will produce a greasy product. The flavor will be off. You cannot achieve a rich creamy butter flavor with broken butter.



When you start to work the salt in, that not only loosens the butter, it but it also warms the butter. By the time the dough is mixed, the butter is quite warm. The reason I mix by hand is to control the gluten development, keep the dough loose, and the temperature of the butter low. I never mix shortbread in the mixer because of friction heat.

Ah I see, so basically if you start with butter that's already warm enough to be considered "very soft" it'll risk melting and breaking from the heat applied during mixing.

A bit of a tangent here, but this talk about butter temperature also got me thinking of another question. Many creams and custards (e.g. pastry cream, crémeux, lemon cream) involve adding butter at the end, usually mixing it in with an immersion blender or food processor when the custard has cooled to around 140°F (60°C) to prevent the butter from melting and losing its emulsification.

In those applications, should the butter be cold or room temperature? I assume that the process follows the same chemistry as when mounting a sauce with butter in savoury cooking; conventionally there, cold pieces of butter is slowly added to the warm sauce. I also recall my question about caramel sauce breaking (https://www.baking-forums.com/threads/what-causes-separation-in-caramel-sauce.6128/), where you concluded that the butter should be cold. So it seems that keeping the butter cold prevents it from melting too fast and losing its emulsification.

However, I've seen other sources say to use room temperature butter. Specifically, Pierre Hermé's well-known lemon cream recipe (https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2008/04/lemon-lemon-lemon-cream-recipe.html) says room temperature butter, and his pastry cream recipe published in the Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé cookbook also specified room temperature butter.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

Ah I see, so basically if you start with butter that's already warm enough to be considered "very soft" it'll risk melting and breaking from the heat applied during mixing.

A bit of a tangent here, but this talk about butter temperature also got me thinking of another question. Many creams and custards (e.g. pastry cream, crémeux, lemon cream) involve adding butter at the end, usually mixing it in with an immersion blender or food processor when the custard has cooled to around 140°F (60°C) to prevent the butter from melting and losing its emulsification.

In those applications, should the butter be cold or room temperature? I assume that the process follows the same chemistry as when mounting a sauce with butter in savoury cooking; conventionally there, cold pieces of butter is slowly added to the warm sauce. I also recall my question about caramel sauce breaking (https://www.baking-forums.com/threads/what-causes-separation-in-caramel-sauce.6128/), where you concluded that the butter should be cold. So it seems that keeping the butter cold prevents it from melting too fast and losing its emulsification.

However, I've seen other sources say to use room temperature butter. Specifically, Pierre Hermé's well-known lemon cream recipe (https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2008/04/lemon-lemon-lemon-cream-recipe.html) says room temperature butter, and his pastry cream recipe published in the Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé cookbook also specified room temperature butter.

Use 68°F (20°C) butter. You want the butter just soft enough to be pliable, but not cold. You need to create a emulsion, so the butter cannot be too cold. Since you are using a blender or food processor, you will be able to work the butter in without it melting. I use a food processor even though I have a really good immersion blender. The key is to cool the custard mixture to at least 140°F (60°C), then add the butter in small chunks to allow it to emulsify into the egg mixture.


Pierre Herme’s lemon cream is my go to recipe. I even substitute the lemon juice with passion fruit or grapefruit/cara cara orange juice to make other creams. I love Dorie Greenspan, but I hate when recipes are dumbed-down for the American market. Use of non-sensical instructions like “room temperature” makes no sense. Last week we had a heat wave and the temperature reached 112°F (44.6°C). I live in a historic old 100 yr old house, so I don’t have central air conditioning, only fans, so my “room temperature” reached 98°F (37°C). Room temperature is a non-sensical term, and I wish they would stop using it.


This is Pierre Herme’s lemon cream recipe, which is essentially the same recipe you linked. I absolutely LOVE this lemon curd/cream. It is beyond perfect. Herme was making lemon curd, then realized the horrible greasiness that so many of us hate about curd was due to the fact that the butter was added at the beginning—which melted and separated the butter. Once butter is separated, will cannot be anything but a greasy mess. Then he had an epiphany; why not add the butter after cooking the custard to create a creamy emulsion and not break the butter? Such brilliance!

I use Meyers lemons when they are in season here; they have an orange and thin smooth skin, and the juice is much sweeter than the more common yellow lemon with the rough skin and tart juice.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

One of the keys to perfect creams, flans, custards, sauces, is a tamis. I own several in different sizes. After heating the egg mixture, I run it through the tamis twice, using a plastic bowl scraper to press it through and scrape the underside; then transfer it into the bowl of the food processor.

The tamis is one of the most important, must have tools in the kitchen.

The screen on the tamis is very fine; this is what makes everything so smooth.

 

[Cahoot]

@Norcalbaker59 Is the reason you use the food processor over the immersion blender because it's more powerful and makes a better emulsification? The reason why I ask is that I see pastry chefs always use immersion blenders when emulsifying butter and was wondering if it was actually better than a food processor or simply more convenient.

If that's the case, then when would an immersion blender be better than a food processor? I assume for mirror glazes and ganache, where you don't want to incorporate any air? It's been a question on my mind for a while since I've wanted an immersion blender for a while now, but never knew whether it was something I "needed" or was just "nice to have".

Speaking of kitchen equipment, I never even knew what a tamis was until a few days ago. I've heard of chinois/China caps for straining soups, stocks, and other liquids. I currently only have regular round fine-mesh strainers which I use for all my sifting and straining needs, but I've always been afraid of damaging them when pressing down on them. Would you say a tamis is necessary along with round fine-mesh strainers?

And just another small question (oh boy do I go off topic a lot), when you substitute other citrus for the lemon cream, do you change the ratio of sugar/eggs at all, or is it just replacing the juice and zest? I love the recipe and have been thinking of using it for other variations, but wasn't sure if it'd be too sweet or not set properly substituting other citrus juices.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

@Norcalbaker59 Is the reason you use the food processor over the immersion blender because it's more powerful and makes a better emulsification? The reason why I ask is that I see pastry chefs always use immersion blenders when emulsifying butter and was wondering if it was actually better than a food processor or simply more convenient.

If that's the case, then when would an immersion blender be better than a food processor? I assume for mirror glazes and ganache, where you don't want to incorporate any air? It's been a question on my mind for a while since I've wanted an immersion blender for a while now, but never knew whether it was something I "needed" or was just "nice to have".

Speaking of kitchen equipment, I never even knew what a tamis was until a few days ago. I've heard of chinois/China caps for straining soups, stocks, and other liquids. I currently only have regular round fine-mesh strainers which I use for all my sifting and straining needs, but I've always been afraid of damaging them when pressing down on them. Would you say a tamis is necessary along with round fine-mesh strainers?

And just another small question (oh boy do I go off topic a lot), when you substitute other citrus for the lemon cream, do you change the ratio of sugar/eggs at all, or is it just replacing the juice and zest? I love the recipe and have been thinking of using it for other variations, but wasn't sure if it'd be too sweet or not set properly substituting other citrus juices.

I think there are only a couple of cases when an immersion blender is preferred, chocolate work for sure. But if I had to choose between an immersion blender or a good food processor, I would go with a good food processor. An immersion blender is a nice to have tool, but a good one is expensive. And buying a good one is important. Being about to control the speed and removing the wand for cleaning is important. But overall as far as kitchen tools go, you would get more use from a food processor. I use more food processor more than my immersion blender.

With the lemon curd/cream, I like to emulsify the mixture as quickly as possible. Passing through the tamis not only helps to cool it, but makes it really smooth and I think prepares it to take the butter better. I pass it through twice. I let it cool in a wide stainless steel bowl before transferring to the food processor.

The food process with the steady speed incorporates the butter really fast. The high speed of the blade and open feed tube allows steam to escape while adding the butter. I add flatten the cubed butter at timed intervals to better emulsify. Once the butter is added I run the processor for about 2 minutes (I set the timer) to emulsify. I then transfer to a glass bowl and place plastic wrap on the surface to prevent a skin from forming.


I don’t change anything just the fruit juice when I make other flavors as the fruits I use are still tart or mixed with varieties that are tart. I use a mix of fresh cara cara orange and grapefruit juice or a passion fruit puree from The Perfect Puree, a local company that is a national restaurant and bakery supplier. Their passion fruit is doubled concentrated, so it is very flavorful and tangy. It is a favorite with many pastry chefs. Honestly, the passion fruit is my favorite cream filling.

I tried mango puree (I think it was from Trader Joe), but did not have much luck with it. It turned gray and did not set. But it may have been the brand. The Perfect Puree makes a so many quality purees, I should just experiment with their other flavors to see how they work.

The tamis is not a home baker/cooks tool in the US. They don’t sell it in the retail stores, or at least I’ve never seen them offered at a retail store here. It‘s sold in the restaurant supply stores. I’m not sure about internationally, whether they are sold in the retail stores. I learned how to use the tamis properly some years ago from one of Thomas Keller’s cookbooks, The French Laundry. Up to that point I had used my tamis as a shifter—afterall, I am a baker. We used it to shift large batches of dry ingredients since they make. tamis in large diameters, so I used my handled mesh strainers for sauces and creams. I had no idea the French chefs were using it for sauces, creams, etc. Keller said they use the tamis daily in the kitchen to smooth all their sauces, and each is passed through twice, some thrice. He’s right, the tamis is a game changer. Now when I want to smooth something, I reach for my tamis and bowl scraper. I own four of them in various sizes. I still own nearly 1/2 dozen handled mesh strainers, but when it comes to smoothing, its the tamis.

Yes, pressing on the traditional mesh strainer will damage it. When using a tamis, a plasic bowl scraper is used to scrape across the surface, so it not as easily damaged. But it will wear in time. But they also make a commercial tamis with screen set in the center of a frame that can be taken apart so the screen can be replaced.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

A lot of pastry chefs will use frozen puree if they cannot get it fresh because the fruit is picked at its peak. Finding a good brand is key. If you have access to the restaurant suppliers, they are usually far better than what you get in the retail stores.

I’m really old fashion in that I prefer to use a double boiler when cooking the custards. Plus, I just don’t like metal and citrus—metal gives it an off taste.