Unexpected Find: The Delayed Egg Wash

As you may know, my second attempt at croissants resulted in a quite pale version of the original. After realizing a little late in the initial baking process that I had not slathered egg wash atop each roll, I was disheartened at the pasty pastries that I extracted from the oven. As I gazed at their less-than-glossy surfaces, I wondered if I could apply the egg wash and try a second round in the oven. Would this ruin them for good, or revive them? I had to try!

At the same baking temperature as before – 360 degrees – I applied the wash to one previously baked croissant (using more yolk than white), and left one without to test the variation. In they went for roughly 6 minutes. At first there appeared to be no observable difference between the two but, after the time was up, there was a remarkable transformation for one. It became golden, the texture of the pastry more pronounced (and most certainly more appetizing).

What I did not expect was that the croissants themselves would thus feel so different. The egg wash infused the first with moisture, allowing for an easy tear reminiscent of the first croissants I had baked. The second “unwashed” version was difficult to separate into two halves, seeming to have gotten drier and tougher.

All in all, I now know that I could have popped out the croissants the moment I realized the wash was missing, painted it atop each proofed piece of dough, and the pastries ultimately would have been fine. A successful experiment, but one I hope not to repeat (by remembering the wash in the first place)!

Until next time,
SugarSource

Spotlight: Croissant Class – Take Two

After initially taking the croissant class at Mille Feuille in December, I thought I was ready to tackle baking croissants. The course may have left me a little overconfident, and my first batch proved to be less-than-appetizing. With that in mind, I wanted to share my top tips:

• Do not let the dough proof before you have rolled and assembled your croissants. Upon departing Mille Feuille, I proceeded to run errands for hours, allowing the dough plenty of opportunity to rise in my purse. Though it did not make it mess, it did complicate the rolling and proofing process once I was ready to make use of it.
• Related, but somewhat different: do not allow your dough to get too warm. The butter will start to melt, reducing the overall flakiness of the pastries.
• Do not attempt to use the dough after a few days. The yeast will slowly lose its ability to activate.
• Do use a good amount of flour to help with the rolling process, but do not forget to brush it off before you assemble or proof the pastries. Excess flour can lead to a bitter or distorted taste.
• If you do not have a convection oven, placing an empty baking sheet below the sheet with pastries helps to create a convection-like environment.
• Do not forget the egg wash step after proofing! Croissants have that beautiful golden-brown hue because of this step and it should not be overlooked. Otherwise, they may turn out like the above!

I will give croissants another shot, from start to finish in my own kitchen, using the directions provided by the instructor.

Until next time,
SugarSource

NYC Spotlight: High Tea at The Plaza

High tea is a rare indulgence, and The Plaza’s Palm Court is quite the decadent place for such an occasion. I finally took the plunge, as it was a bucket list item of mine, and did not regret it!

Nestled into one of the green velvety booths, we poured over the tea menu to make our selections while taking in the opulent dining room. Gorgeous flower arrangements, shiny mirrored surfaces and the clientele all provided quite the sensory experience.

After placing our order, we clinked our glasses – in a truly luxurious move, we chose to accompany our afternoon tea with champagne – and continued to take in our surroundings. Before we knew it, our individual pots of tea arrived with cards confirming our selections, followed closely by a three-tiered golden tray. The table provided a reflection of our miniature sandwiches – traditional crustless cucumber, lox (for a nod to the Big Apple), egg salad, turkey and cranberry, chicken salad and an itty bitty roast beef baguette. They were quite filling for being so small!

The scones were warm and enveloped in a silken napkin. The small pots of devonshire cream, lemon curd and preserves were quickly employed on the surfaces of the plain scones, adding a rich sweetness to the dense texture and melting from the subtle heat. The seasonal scones did not seem to warrant such an accompaniment, and were also wonderful (I saved mine for consumption later).

The desserts, the true highlight, were delightful. The miniature key lime tart was sweet, the meringue spongy and the filling had a bite to it. The fruit tart was tiny, and the berries made a strong statement. I am not a fan of cheesecake, generally speaking, but was happy to sample the Plaza’s version (though unfortunately it did not convert me completely). The tiny black and white eclair was quickly forgotten, while the intensely chocolately orange triangle was the highlight, flavor-wise. The most stunning execution was the white chocolate and cranberry cake, which made up for the lack of strong fruit notes with the beauty of the assembled package, while the pistachio macaron turned into my second to-go item.

It is quite the filling experience. I recommend replacing lunch with such an excursion, as the trays provide more than enough sustenance for a meal. Absolutely worth trying once, I don’t anticipate I will turn into a Plaza regular any time soon!

Until next time,
SugarSource

Spotlight: Croissant Class – Take One

I finally took the plunge, and signed up for a croissant class at Mille Feuille‘s Laguardia Place location in Greenwich Village this December. As a huge fan of their croissants for years, this felt like the appropriate place to begin my tutelage.

The participants slowly began trickling into the back of the small storefront. Our instructor introduced himself, provided aprons for everyone and started class. We began by shaping our croissants, as they needed to proof before baking. Typically baking croissants is a three-day process, but this has been condensed considerably for this three-hour course! Our instructor walked us through the basic shapes and techniques, and provided constructive criticism to improve our individual trays of treats. After we had worked our way through the dough provided, rolling as carefully as possible, he popped them into the proofing drawer.

From there, he demonstrated the butter-layering process. I am embarrassed to say I had no idea how much butter was added to these delightful breads. After beating our slabs of butter into rectangular shapes, we slowly began the rolling, folding and re-rolling process. It was quite the lower arm work-out, and I was thankful to be moving around, as the air-conditioning made the room chilly. Our instructor would later inform us that it needed to be relatively cold in the room to ensure the butter did not begin to melt, which would ruin the croissants. They do recommend bringing an extra sweater in the event it is too cold!

After the croissants were done proofing, we slathered them in egg wash, re-arranged them on our trays for optimal baking, and then he placed them into the oven. He used a few of the leftover slivers as “appetizers,” and they were a delicious way to create a natural break for the class. I only wish they had provided the hot drink (described online), but unfortunately one was never offered.

Finally, he showed us how to make the dough and how to test if the gluten has been activated. A pro tip: if the gluten has been activated, croissant dough can be used as pizza dough instead!

All in all, the session was very informative, and I left the bakery with over 15 croissants and my own butter-layered dough for baking my next versions at home.

I would absolutely recommend it to anyone looking to learn more about how croissants are made or to hone their baking skills. Next up will be the macaron class!

Until next time,
SugarSource