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Also in these Amazon stores:
Canada |
France |
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Also in these Amazon stores:
Canada |
France |
Germany
Japan |
UK
Also in these Amazon stores:
Canada |
France |
Germany
Japan |
UK
Also in these Amazon stores:
Canada |
France |
Germany
Japan |
UK
Also in these Amazon stores:
Canada |
France |
Germany
Japan |
UK
Also in these Amazon stores:
Canada |
France |
Germany
Japan |
UK
« Why not just use a cake mix? | Main | What is the best chocolate to use for baking? »
Butter is the fat that melts closest to body temperature so there is no perception of greasiness on the palate. Not only does it offer its own lovely flavor, it also enhances the flavor of other ingredients.
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in cake bible there are instructions for keanding butter in ice water to squeeze out as much water in the butter as possible. alternatively use the butter you have.
Reply to this Posted by: rose levy beranbaum | June 5, 2008 9:00 AM #
I cannot find high-butterfat butter (Plugra) here in the Philippines. Is it possible to mix butter with something else to compensate with the high water content of butter? I know it is a crime for you to substitute anything less but I really would like to try make your puff pastry.
FYI I used our local butter in the all-butter pie crust but the crust turned out to be tough. I ended up using margarine which turned out better textured. At least it taste better than shortening pie crust.
Reply to this Posted by: Katherine See | June 5, 2008 8:18 AM #
i don't make eggless cakes but in general too much butter results in a dense and greasy texture.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | July 21, 2007 11:21 AM #
hi rose,
i was wondering, i'm making an eggless cake... what happens if too much butter is added to the mixture??
i'm a beginner as you can tell!
Reply to this Posted by: arvinder | July 21, 2007 9:44 AM #
Gee - 5 days is a very long time for a cake to survive, let alone stay moist. If you want to make your cake layers that far in advance, I'd suggest double wrapping in plastic wrap, then wrap in foil, then freeze for up to a month. Thaw overnight in the fridge before decorating.
Reply to this Posted by: Patrincia | July 19, 2007 1:47 PM #
Though I am not new to baking, I've only discovered the problems with butter in cakes now that I've started more professional cake decorating. I understand the taste advantage of butter versus oil but am frustrated by the fact several of my butter based cakes have dried out within 5 days of baking. Is a short shelf life normal for butter cakes? Is there a way to store cakes made with butter to prevent dry out? Are "professional cakes" made with butter or do they use oil (which I've found to hold moistness longer) or something else to prevent them from drying out? HElP!
Reply to this Posted by: Cris | July 19, 2007 2:24 AM #
Ok guys I would like to share a piece of chemical information with you. Shortening as well as Margerine contains Mono and Diglycerides. These are chemicals that are IDENTICAL to fat with a missing molecule. However, your body recognizes it as a "FAT" and replaces adds that molecule. These are known as synthetic fats and they are very unhealthy and harmful. Butter on the other hand contains natural fats that your body does recognize. these fats are not as unhealthy as Marketers may have you think(Yes I am a Marketer). I may have brought up a past subject but I just wanted to share some of my experiences in chemistry class. Oh and by the way, stay away from anything that says fat free because IT IS NOT!
Reply to this Posted by: Ace | June 19, 2007 2:36 PM #
Great, I'll use the ghee. Thanks everyone--you all just saved me from doing several very greasy dishes!
Reply to this Posted by: AnnieBlue | June 2, 2007 11:00 AM #
all this is true, noisette does indeed mean that the milk solids have been allowed to turn deep golden brown which adds a richer flavor. but ghee will certainly work.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | May 31, 2007 9:54 PM #
Actually, I've seen Ghee recipes that call for toasting the milk solids, and others that tell you specifically to avoid toasting them (this is also known as clarified butter). BTW - noisette in French means hazelnut (most likely referring to the color of the milk solids in this recipe, but maybe referring to the nutty flavor the browned bits impart, then again maybe both???).
Reply to this Posted by: Patrincia | May 31, 2007 7:23 PM #
AnnieBlue,
I think they are exactly the same. If you read Rose's description at the back of the Cake Bible, that is exactly how you make Ghee. I always keep it on hand too. It is wonderful to brush on freshly baked bread.
Reply to this Posted by: Matthew | May 31, 2007 2:38 PM #
Rose, I'm about to attempt your Classic Genoise recipe and noticed that beurre noisette sounds similar to the nutty and fragrant Indian clarified butter, ghee. My online searches are pulling up conflicting information on whether they taste the same, so I was wondering if you have ever experimented with ghee. If so, do you think it would be an appropriate substitute? I always have ghee on hand and would love to use it if I can.
Reply to this Posted by: AnnieBlue | May 31, 2007 2:12 PM #
they are two different doughs entirely. fillo is much thinner and has less butter. for more information about dough please consult the pie and pastry bible.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | May 25, 2007 2:10 PM #
Is there a difference in Filo(sp?) dough and puff pastry that you buy at the store?
thanks!
Reply to this Posted by: Susan | May 25, 2007 12:09 PM #
it's killing me that i've finished the book and production takes so long what with editing and all the photos! i want everyone to have all my new favorites RIGHT AWAY!!! unfortunately we all have to wait. but i think it will be worth it.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | May 10, 2007 2:24 PM #
oh keep me in suspense! until your book is ready i'll have to get to work myself. thanks
Reply to this Posted by: kris | May 10, 2007 2:21 PM #
i did some massive recipe testing for the new book and found that replacing butter with oil in a butter layer cake did not give any flavor. i finally arrived at one cake that i'm really pleased with but i'm afraid you'll have to wait for that one til the new book comes out.
if you want to try experimenting, simply keep in mind that oil is 100% fat and butter is about 81% fat, 15.5% water and the rest milk solids.
or you could make a génoise which has the wonderful flavor of butter and a moistand light texture.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | May 10, 2007 2:19 PM #
I have been haveing a very hard time finding a white/yellow cake that is both light and moist. I find butter, whiel tasty really weighs down the cakes. I woudl like to try replacing my butter with oil in a layer cake recipe but was wondering what the ratio is for doing this?
Reply to this Posted by: kris | May 10, 2007 2:10 PM #
I lived in Germany for 2 years. I never saw any self-rising flour. Look in the cake Bible for "cake flour". The book tells you how much baking soda and salt are in American self rising flour. Then, buy some German 405 weissen meile and add in the salt and bs to fit your recipe. You can't get bleached flour in Germany, so your recipe won't bake up exactly the same.
What's a rock cake?
Oh, if you have any friends in the Army, they can probably get American flours at the commissary. I didn't know anyone in the Army, so I just had to go it on my own.
Mona
Reply to this Posted by: Mona Lyn Reese | February 25, 2007 4:10 AM #
I have just moved to Germany and want to bake rock cakes. Do you know the mame of flour that would be self raising?
Reply to this Posted by: Deborah | February 25, 2007 3:18 AM #
after one day room temp, you need to refrigearte.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | February 17, 2007 1:32 PM #
what is the better storing method for butter cream gateaux?
Reply to this Posted by: Janny | February 17, 2007 1:27 PM #
since that was the original posting at the top of this thread i thought i didn't need to repeat it!
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | February 16, 2007 10:39 PM #
It's more than that. Butter melts at body temperature, but margarine doesn't. Thus a croissant or other pastry made with margarine will taste oily or greasy in the mouth.
In a crust, butter and margarine can be balanced to determine how tender or flakey the crust is. That's why some chefs use a mixture, and why lard has (or had) such a good reputation in pie crust.
Reply to this Posted by: David Chessler | February 16, 2007 10:18 PM #
because margarine has no flavor.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | February 16, 2007 2:41 PM #
dear rossie, i have been wondering why croissant made with butter is more palatable and has a better flavour than croissant made with margarine?
Reply to this Posted by: lyphine | February 16, 2007 2:39 PM #
my butter cakes are like that but only when just baked. after a few hours the crust will soften. no--oil won't do it.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | February 4, 2007 4:58 PM #
I remember when I was a little girl, pound cakes had a crusty outside and a tender inside. The cake had a buttery taste. Will using vegetable shortening instead of butter give this kind of crusty outside to the cake? Do you know what will?
Thanks!
Vicki
Reply to this Posted by: Vicki Cilley | February 3, 2007 7:56 PM #
it's entirely possible that the carrots vary in moisture so try wrapping them in paper towel to absorb excess moisture. i trust you are doing everything else consistently . do let me know how it works.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | January 23, 2007 8:30 PM #
Dear Rose,
I made the carrot bread from your bread bible yesterday. It was very wet and like a pudding rather a bread after it's cooled. I have made it 4 times. Fail for the first time and after seeing Marie's blog I tried again and had 2 times success but yesterday I failed again. I weighed the ingredients carefully. One thing I noticed was that the carrot may be too wet. Do you think I shoud squeeze the water from the carrot shreds before adding to the batter?What else could I have err? This recipe calls for safflour oil rather than butter. Does it make a differece? Hope you can spot out the vital key to rebuilt my confidence. thank you.
Reply to this Posted by: Cindy | January 23, 2007 8:23 PM #
you'll need to consult a book on baking for the diabetic as this is not my area of expertise and my personal and professional choice is to avoid (as in eat something natural that's on the diet)rather than to substitute.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | January 23, 2007 11:07 AM #
I am an amateur in baking and I would like to bake for my diabetic friends, please let me know the best shortening i can use as substitue.
Reply to this Posted by: Meso Beta | January 23, 2007 11:01 AM #
there are only two reasons i would recommend sifting flour:
if you measure instead of weigh
when you're adding the flour to a light
mixture in which case you would sift the flour directly onto it
i see no benefit in sifting into a container.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | January 15, 2007 10:14 AM #
Rose,
I'm wondering... if I sift my flours before storing them in Tupperware containers, how long will the flour retain the benefits of sifting?
Reply to this Posted by: Lori | January 15, 2007 9:53 AM #
Here a a question for the person who just moved to France and is using UK flour. What part of France do you live in and what are you trying to make? I used to live in Germany close to the French border. I often shopped in France because it was fun, I speak French well and German only so-so, meat cuts are nicer etc. HOWEVER, the flour in France and the flour in Germany are very similar, but are labeled differently. I bought flour in either country, and after a little experimenting, could make all my recipes just fine. You can't get bleached flour in Europe (at least not where I lived and shopped--'mauvais pour la santé" (bad for health, as if all those croissants are good for it!!!)
French flour type numbers (type de farine) are a factor 10 smaller than those used in Germany, because they indicate the ash content (in milligrams) per 10 g flour. Type 55 is the standard, hard-wheat white flour for baking, including puff pastries ("pâte feuilletée") Type 45 is often called pastry flour, but is generally from a softer wheat. Types 65, 80, and 110 are strong bread flours of increasing darkness, and type 150 is a wholemeal flour.
The preceding paragraph came from wikipedia. Good luck with the baking.
Reply to this Posted by: Mona Lyn Reese | January 15, 2007 4:13 AM #
the answer to your question about flavor is at the very top. as for texture, margarine has a different melting point which affects the spread of the cookie. (i do hope i am not adding to your impression of nonsense!)
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | January 14, 2007 11:32 AM #
I think it is totally absurd! all this nonsence about everything! i went through the whole thing and i could find the most simple question, Why when baking cookies does the texture and taste change when substituting the Margarine? my daughter is going frantis trying to find the answer for her report!!
Reply to this Posted by: Leah Shnidman | January 14, 2007 11:03 AM #
the only reason i can see for using margarine is if one is kosher and serving it as dairy free although most brands of margarine have a dairy component in them. they are designed to simulate butter as far as water content and milk solids so no changes would need to be made.
hershey's does make a dutch-processed or alkalized cocoa but many chocolate experts use the two interchangeably. i find that the dutched cocoa is more mellow which you may be perceiving as sweeter. that makes sense!
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | December 27, 2006 7:07 AM #
Hi Rose! I hope your having a wonderful holiday! I made a few cookies from your Christmas cookie book and everyone adored them! It was the best sugar cookie I ever had!
Now, I was wondering, if a recipe should call for butter, and I use margarine must I alter the recipe in any way to make it as close to possible as if I was using butter?
And about unsweetened cocoa. Does Hershey's make both unsweetened and Dutch-processed cocoa? My grocery store only carries Hershey's unsweetened. And I've seen in recipes cocoa be called Dutch-processed unsweetened. I always thought Dutch-processed was a tad bit sweeter. If you could clear things up for me, I'd greatly appreciate that. Thanks again Rose!
Reply to this Posted by: Tyler | December 26, 2006 11:49 PM #
half and half should be great!
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | December 20, 2006 10:29 PM #
When baking cookies or sweet breads, I notice some recipes use butter and some use oil. What would happen if you tried using half and half?
I like the flavor of butter but the moist texture from the oil. Can I use both in the same recipe?
Thanks,
Kitty
Reply to this Posted by: Kitty | December 20, 2006 1:05 AM #
Hi,
I have only just found this wonderful site after putting pastry into 'google'.
I am searching for the melt in the mouth butter desert pastry that my nan (now sadly passed away) used to make. Every Christmas she would make the mince pies and the pastry was always soft and sprinked with caster sugar. I only remember that she used an egg yolk and and lard but everything else is a mystery. It would really make my day is someone knows of the correct recipe.
Thank you.
Debbie
Reply to this Posted by: Debbie Connelly | December 6, 2006 10:44 AM #
i'm sorry allan, i guess i got confused bc i though elicia was giving instructions re using my puff pastry. i guess you guys will have to work this out on your own bc i'm embroiled in writing my cake book with occasional detours into bread and other detours answering questions to which i already have the answers!
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | November 16, 2006 9:00 PM #
Elicia,
Thanks for the tips. Regarding the low and slow baking, if you look at the latter 2 photo links I provided, the custard on the tarts has turned a deep golden color which I think may indicate that they have been baked at a lower temp. I've heard somewhere that the way to make the custard surface soft and shiny is to brush some syrup on them after remov