Pastry is quite amazing, but it does not happen by magic. Instead, each recipe is made through actual chemistry and science. And this category explores the science behind pastry techniques or ingredients because I believe that if you know just a bit of this science, you will understand pastry much better and thus become better at this craft.
Few doughs in the pastry world have a history and a story as fascinating, and an evolution as complex, as Choux Pastry (known in Romanian as aluat opărit). It is the foundation for some of the most beloved desserts in the world, from the classic eclairs and choux à la crème to the majestic Croquembouche…
 Gelatin is part of a pastry chef’s life as much as sugar, chocolate or vanilla are, especially when you’re making entremets or creams that require a stabilizer. Gelatin is used in many confectionary products, from the very simple marshmallows to jelly bears, gum paste, mousse, cremeux or stabilized whipped cream. It can also be found in many other products, as a food…
From the very first article on my blog to this day many years have passed, and in all these years I have learnt an enormous amount of techniques and continue to learn new things related to pastry and desserts every day. In fact, one of the aspects I appreciate most about being a pastry chef…
Basil is my passion and a staple in my baked goods and confectionery for quite some time now, and has become a true signature of mine. I adore using it in all sort of sweet treats, from entremets to tarts, cakes, eclairs or choux. However, in recent years I have also explored beyond basil, into…
I’m convinced that you’ve also encountered this situation where you open the fridge and notice that the buttercream-covered cake you just made has small or large cracks on its surface, thus ruining your expectation of a perfect cake. It’s happened to me quite a few times, and I’ve wondered what I did wrong and how…