Monday, June 24, 2024
HomeCakeCookbook Recipe Testing, Vol. 4

Cookbook Recipe Testing, Vol. 4


Welcome to a different put up in my Newest Recipe Testing sequence, and the 4th put up particularly about testing cookbook recipes. See quantity 1quantity 2, and quantity 3.

I like sharing behind-the-scenes with you. Producing high quality and well-tested baking recipes is quite a lot of work, however I’m grateful I can name this my job. Thanks for being right here, and for becoming a member of me on this baking journey. Let’s dive into some thrilling cookbook information!


Fourth Cookbook Coming September 2025

In the event you haven’t seen it but, I’ve been sharing quite a lot of behind-the-scenes about my cookbook on my web site and Instagram account. I’ve been engaged on this e-book for two+ years thus far, and it’s going to be my largest, most polished e-book but: 100 recipes overlaying many baking classes like breads, pies, desserts, cookies, brownies, muffins, cupcakes, and extra. It is going to be in your arms September 2025, and after pouring my coronary heart and soul into this venture, I’m assured saying you could count on the most effective.

Sally styling a French toast casserole scene.

And it feels so good to be sitting down and typing this…

I imply, unbelievably good…

My Manuscript Has Been Submitted!!

This manuscript took me over a 12 months of intense work to write down. (And a couple of years of creating recipes!) Although that is my 4th cookbook, producing this one felt very totally different. Since my final cookbook in 2017, I’m now 7 extra years into my profession, I’ve youngsters, I’ve an even bigger viewers and staff, I’m with a brand new writer, and I’ve extra expertise within the kitchen. I felt extra self-induced stress, and I actually needed to dig for some artistic inspiration.

I discovered it, and I’m actually actually proud.

The manuscript is out of my arms and with my editor. I really feel a really massive 75K phrase weight off my shoulders!!!!

Not solely am I the writer of the e-book, I’m additionally the photographer. This previous spring, I photographed my complete cookbook with a staff {of professional} stylists, prop stylist, Giulietta, and meals stylist, Diana plus my video and way of life images staff, the Paragraphic. (Extra on that to come back!) Proper now, I’m ending up some step-by-step images after which the e-book will actually be out of my arms. Ahh!

behind-the-scenes photo of Sally taking photo of cinnamon rolls.
behind-the-scenes photo of Sally styling a quiche scene.

Since I’ve been so immersed on this e-book, you haven’t seen quite a lot of new materials on my web site the previous 6 months. My mind is normally frazzled (I’ve younger youngsters on high of all this… LOL), so I gave myself quite a lot of time and house to create thrilling materials.

I took a couple of breaks over the previous month, and now I’m pumped to get again into creating new content material for my web site. (I ship out updates and recipe collections on the common to my e-mail subscribers, so remember to subscribe should you haven’t already.)


Let Me Present You Some Recipe Testing & Outcomes

A handful of recipes within the e-book shall be from my web site, however most (about 75) shall be fully new and unique to the e-book. I don’t wish to give an excessive amount of away, however on the identical time, I’m thrilled to point out you ways some recipes got here to life.

The final I left off, I used to be practically completed the Pies chapter, and able to dive additional into the Desserts chapter and the Brownies & Bars chapter. I ended up including a couple of additional recipes to the Pies chapter, altering a recipe within the Yeast chapter, and possibly 600 different small adjustments to the Desk of Contents that I can’t keep in mind at this level. It’s been a chaotic few months!

peach-topped pie.

Right here’s a sneak peek at a number of the recipes you’ll see within the e-book. This isn’t the images for the e-book; these are images taken for reference.

The peach pie above is a take a look at recipe that ended up engaged on the 4th strive. It’s a calmly sweetened creamy peach delight with a crunchy crust and possibly one in all my favorites within the e-book.

Millionaire Bars

Have you ever ever had millionaire bars earlier than? They’re a preferred layered bar with a shortbread crust, thick caramel heart, and decadent chocolate topping. The caramel layer took essentially the most work as a result of it’s troublesome to strike the proper stability between gooey caramel and sliceable caramel. I’m completely happy to report that this recipe labored on the third strive, however we actually went by means of quite a lot of butter that day. These are VERY wealthy… therefore the title.

millionaire's bars.

Most likely the Greatest Bread I’ve Ever Made

After I thought I used to be completed with a glazed pull aside bread recipe, I made a decision to provide it yet another go. What you see beneath is a fluffy, flaky, walnut-studded, glazed bread. It was splendidly scrumptious:

maple bread.

However I had a sense I might intensify the flavour (maple) and thicken the glaze. The ensuing pull-apart bread is likely one of the finest do-it-yourself treats I’ve created. I truly mentioned these phrases to my kitchen staff member, Beth: “that is the most effective factor we’ve ever made.” LOL.

I’m excited so that you can do that one.

maple pull-apart bread.

Unhappy Hat Cupcakes Into Hello-Hat Cupcakes

Ahh, the day my marshmallow-like meringue simply wasn’t working. It was humid outdoors, and the meringue was cussed—it wouldn’t attain stiff peaks. I attempted, consider me!

Hello-hat cupcakes are frosted cupcakes that you simply dip in chocolate. I rushed by means of the frosting, knew very nicely that it was droopy, and wound up with a tragic, deflated mess! Apparently I’m as cussed as this meringue was.

frosted cupcakes with frosting that has melted.

I lastly determined to modify the frosting to one thing a bit extra secure, and one thing that tastes unbelievable with the opposite flavors within the precise cupcake:

frosted cupcakes.

I ended up freezing the frosted cupcakes briefly so they may dip seamlessly. Right here they’re the day we photographed the step-by-step images:

behind the scenes photo of Sally with chocolate-topped cupcakes.

Baked Alaska-Impressed Deal with

Don’t fear, the marshmallow-like meringue was redeemed! Right here I examined it on a Baked Alaska-inspired deal with full with peanut butter ice cream. That is DELICIOUS and also you’ll discover it within the Pies chapter:

Baked alaska with peanut butter.

Tremendous Fudgy, Chewy, & Thick Brownies

I’ve made PLENTY of brownie recipes earlier than. My purpose for this e-book was to supply a recipe that produced a 9-inch sq. pan of fudgy, chewy, and thick brownies made with cocoa powder.

Although I like brownies made with precise melted chocolate, brownies made with cocoa powder are a bit simpler, and supply distinctive chocolate taste. I examined recipes with dutched cocoa powder, pure cocoa powder, with a mixture of butter and oil, with a splash of sizzling water to assist bloom the cocoa, with extra flour, much less flour, and just about each variation in between.

brownies compared together with notes on variations in recipe.

It was a CHOCOLATE HEAVY week. I’m excited to share this new brownie recipe, and it’s additionally a improbable base for different bars like brookies and layered brownies. (I’ve a few these within the e-book, too!)


I’m going to share some behind-the-scenes concerning the huge cookbook photograph shoot quickly, so keep tuned.

Q: Which of those new recipes are you most excited to strive?



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