emulsion [ih-muhl-shuhn] noun

A mixture of two liquids that, without the proper technique, will not readily combine, such as oil and water.  An emulsion is produced by slowly adding one product to the other while rapidly combining them. This suspends one ingredient within the other. The result is usually thick, glossy and creamy in appearance and texture.

Common examples of emulsions include hollandaise sauce, mayonnaise and vinaigrettes, and in the sweet kitchen, ganache is probably the most common.

Bakepedia Tips

Ganache has a tendency to “break,” at which point it will look separated. Sometimes the chocolate will look lumpy or grainy and there will be an accompanying fatty oil slick. This means the ganache was not prepared properly or that the types of ingredients used, or the ratio of ingredients, prevented an emulsion from being created. Just as with mayonnaise, the use of a blender, food processor or stick blender can bring the ingredients together forcefully enough to aid in the creation of a proper emulsion. If your ganache has “broken,” try zapping it with a hand blender to bring the ingredients together into a silky emulsion, perhaps drizzling in some cold cream as you go.

extract [ik-strakt] noun

Concentrated flavorings made from foods and plants through the processes of distillation and evaporation, imparting powerful flavor to dishes without changing the consistency or adding to the volume. They can be naturally flavored or imitation. Vanilla extract is the most prevalent in sweet baking. Pure vanilla extract contains a minimum of 35% alcohol per FDA standards.

Bakepedia Tips

Make sure you store these ingredients in a cool, dry place and with the tops tightly closed, which will increase their shelf life. The Bakepedia test kitchen uses Neilsen-Massey vanilla and almond extracts as our “house” brand. For a non-alcoholic substitution, use pure vanilla bean.

enriched flour [en-rich flou-er] noun

Flour with added nutrients (B vitamins and iron) to satisfy FDA standards.  The manufacturing process used to produce white flour can remove these nutrients from the whole grain. You will find both bleached and unbleached flours that have been “enriched.”

BakepediaTips

While enriched flours have nutrients added back in, they begin with flour stripped of its natural nutrients. Most artisanal bakers do not consider enriched flour to be a natural, whole food and prefer flour that was not compromised in the first place.

éclair [ey-klair] noun

A long, finger-shaped pastry (similar to a cruller) made from pâte à choux (also known as choux paste).  The choux is piped into “logs” typically about 6 inches long. The logs are then baked in a high temp oven, during which the dough expands and dries out. After cooling, each éclair is typically filled with vanilla pastry cream or custard, but you might see them filled with whipped cream or with various flavors of custard.  Traditionally, the top is dipped in chocolate fondant. Éclair is also the French term for lightning, and many believe that the word was chosen for this dessert because of how light reflects in a wavy pattern on the surface of a glazed éclair.

Bakepedia Tips

Both chocolate and vanilla fondant are found in the traditional French pastry kitchen, but fondant is not that easy to make at home. In fact, many chefs begin with a commercially prepared product. Chocolate ganache is a good alternative for your homemade éclairs. As an aside, choux paste is also used to make cream puffs.