• Always keep the dough covered when you are not working with it to keep it moist and pliable, the secret to blistered, crispy shells.

• For the nicest-looking ends to show off the filling, look for the traditional Italian diamond-shape cannoli dough cutter. Or cut the dough with a round cookie cutter, then roll it with a pin to elongate the dough round into an oval approximately 4 inches by 5 inches.

• When using cannoli forms to make the shells, make sure the dough is loose rather than tightly rolled around the form. This creates a large enough opening to allow for plenty of filling, and it makes it easier to remove the form from the shell.

• The fried shells can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
• The quality of the ricotta is key to great cannoli; I recommend making your own, or purchasing sheep’s milk ricotta if you can find it.

• Be sure the ricotta is very well drained. I drain mine overnight in the refrigerator, in a cheesecloth-lined strainer set over a bowl and covered.

• For a filling with the finest texture, use a firm but flexible plastic bowl scraper or the back of a spoon to press the ricotta through the finest strainer or screen you can find. I use a splatter screen. Whipping the ricotta or processing it in a food processor will not make it sufficiently smooth.

• Make the filling the day before you will fill and eat the cannoli.

• To prevent the chocolate from bleeding, wait to gently stir the chips into the ricotta until you are ready to fill the cannoli.

• To keep the shells crisp, fill the cannoli just before you serve them. In Palermo, the best shops fill them espresso, right in front of you, so that the filling remains creamy and the shell breaks crisply under your teeth. Once filled, the cannoli are best eaten within a couple of hours.

_{Reprinted with permission from Southern Italian Desserts by Rosetta Costantino with Jennie Schacht (Ten Speed Press, © 2013).  Photo Credit: Sara Remington.}

Bakers think about proportion all the time as we are measuring and weighing, since baking is a science, but what about proportion from another perspective? This came to me while I was working on the Poppy Seed Cake with Orange Marmalade Buttercream. One look at this cake below and it is obvious that it’s about substance. I wanted to highlight the flavors of poppy seeds, which I love and don’t find enough of in baking recipes, so I made the layers of cake thick. You could torte each of those cake layers in half horizontally and make a four-layer cake, but what then there were be proportionately more buttercream. There’s nothing wrong with that if you love buttercream, but the point is that the experience of the cake would be very different even though you are using the same components!

Look at our image above. This is the same chocolate chip cookie dough. When measured out by the scant teaspoons, the cookies bake uniformly and crisp – which is great for accentuating the butterscotch flavors of the butter and brown sugar. When baked by the quarter cupful, you get zones to your cookie. Crisp along the edge, a little firmer as you move inwards, and then finally landing at the paler, chewy center. These variances are impossible in the smaller cookie. It is about baking proportions.

Same goes for commercial products. It took years, but eventually Nabisco tinkered with their Oreos and made a Double Stuf version with twice the filling. Same cookie, same crème in the middle, but by altering the proportions, a new cult product was made. (By the way we recently read an article about a bunch of schoolchildren who performed a scientific study and found that the filling in the Double Stuf was really only 1.86x as much and not actually doubled!)

Consider the following:

• Do you like 2 or 3 raisins in your oatmeal cookie, or a raisin in every nibble? A simple addition, or subtraction, of dried fruit or chocolate chips in a cookie batter can make a difference.

• Do you like the extra-sweet and extra-deep gooey filling of a pecan pie? Or do you prefer a more elegant version made in a tart pan, which provides less filling and more crust in proportion with each mouthful? This switch-up can change a homey pie into a chic dessert.

• Speaking of pie, a classic fruit pie has a generous fruit filling, which might leave crust-lovers feeling a bit left out. Try a slab pie next time, which reverses the proportions. These offer a generous top and bottom crust with a thin fruit filling – almost like a toaster pastry in scope.

• Crème brûlée can be made in narrower, deeper ramekins, in which case the creaminess of the custard will be showcased, or, it can be made in wide shallow dishes so that you get more crunchy caramelized sugar topping per bite.

• A nut cookie with coarsely chopped nuts folded into the batter will feel very rough and crunchy in texture, while the same cookie made with very finely ground nuts will have a sandy, elegant crumb.

• Cupcakes with a generous swirl of frosting on top will place the focus there. For cupcakes with a filling (additional frosting, ganache, lemon curd, etc.) we recommend a little less up top to create balance. And speaking of cupcakes, just when we thought the craze had reached its zenith, along came Baked by Melissa bakeries in New York. She popularized the mini cupcake and carved out her own cupcake empire niche, simply by addressing proportion.

The next time you are baking, think about proportion from several angles and you just might be able to see some recipes in a whole new light.

_{Images: Peter Muka}

When you have a typical 8-inch or 9-inch layer cake or smaller, you simply cut it into wedges and you are good to go. With round cakes of larger diameter, a different technique is required because wedges would be overly long and unwieldy. Wedding-cake bakers and caterers know the tricks of the trade – and here they are presented in easy-to-read diagrams.

First of all, if you are dealing with a tiered cake (different-size cake tiers set on top of one another), such as a wedding cake or other very large cake, you will first separate the tiers into their individual cakes. (This is easier than it sounds because each tier will most likely be on its own cardboard support and you can easily remove it from the stand.) Then, you will treat each cake as the cake it is – a 9-inch as a 9-inch, a 14-inch as a 14-inch – referring to these diagrams to help you assess how many slices to make.

With larger-diameter cakes, we want to maximize the number of people served and also want to simplify the serving process. You essentially cut a center circle out of each larger cake as shown in the diagram and in the image above. Then, you are left with that circle to be cut into wedges as you would any old smaller round cake and the outer edge is cut into blunt wedges. Just use a sharp slicing knife (seen below) to cut the round cake from the center of the your large tier and follow the diagrams for whichever size you are working with.

Look at the picture. See the layers of cake, pastry cream, fruit and whipped cream? What you can’t see is the addition of liqueur. Those are the components of a trifle and once you understand the concept, you can make it without a recipe. A trifle bowl will show off your pretty, tasty layers to their best advantage, but any clear bowl with relatively straight sides could be used. We generally start with cake followed by liqueur, pastry cream and fruit, then repeat those layers once or twice and top with whipped cream. This can be varied, as you like. Below are some general guidelines and some flavorful combination recommendations for your trifle desserts.

• You need cake or some type of cake-like absorbent base; it can be fresh or a bit stale. Consider pound cake (purchased is fine), sponge cake, génoise, soft ladyfingers, chocolate cake or even gingerbread. You need enough to make two layers on your chosen dish or three layers if the bowl is especially deep.

• Alcohol is typically sprinkled over the cake as liberally as you like. Sweet sherry is classic, but you could use Amaretto, cognac, limoncello, Frangelico, Grand Marnier, etc. – it all depends on your other flavors. If you want to forego the alcohol, you can use fruit juices or flavored-sugar syrup, like lemon simple syrup. Don’t skip this step though. You want the cake to be very moist. In our Gingerbread Trifle with Caramelized Pears recipe, we used the liquid from our poached pears.

• You need a couple of cups of something creamy like pastry cream or custard. Don’t limit yourself to vanilla. Try coffee pastry cream, chocolate mousse, mascarpone mousse, lemon mousse or … you get the idea.

• You could use jelly or jam interspersed as well. If you do, we recommend using an all-fruit spread. You don’t need the extra sweetness from traditional jelly.

• We like to include fruit. Try poached pears, plums, apricots, or sweet or tart cherries in sweet syrup. Even some canned fruit like apricots are a great convenience product. Fresh or frozen raspberries work well, too.

• Top the whole thing off with a nice, thick layer of lightly sweetened whipped cream.

• Layer all of the above the day before serving. This allows and encourages the parts to come together in flavor and texture and the dessert is actually better after this rest.

_{Image: Nathan Jones}

This is really the crux of building good dough strength at home. Rather than kneading and kneading and kneading the dough at the mixing stage, it is more beneficial to most dough (and to most home bakers) to develop its strength over the course of the entire fermentation period. By giving the dough a series of timed folds interspersed by periods of rest, we can build a beautifully developed dough while monitoring its progress throughout the fermentation period. And it’s incredibly easy, it keeps you in touch with your dough as it moves along so that you can learn from it and it makes great bread.

This technique is used within the Cinnamon Swirl Bread recipe.

Here’s how it works:

1. Using your fingers or a bowl scraper, gently turn the dough out onto a floured counter.

2. Using the pads of your fingers (not the sharper tips), grasp the left side of the dough and bring it about two-thirds of the way across the rest of the dough (seen above).

3. Brush away any excess flour that may have come from the table. Do the same for the right side.

4. Bring the bottom section up toward the middle.

5. Finally, bring the top down. Roll the dough over so the seam is on the bottom, and place it back into the bowl. Return it to its warm spot.

6. Repeat this procedure every 30 minutes until the bulk fermentation is complete, according to your recipe.

That’s pretty much it. Can’t you just feel that gluten developing and fermentation chugging away right under your fingertips? That’s the stuff of life right there.

_{Reprinted with permission from Baking By Hand: Make the Best Artisanal Breads and Pastries Better Without a Mixer © 2013 by Andy & Jackie King, Page Street Publishing.}

We love baking pies for gatherings with family and friends, and since freshly baked pies are always better, we have gathered a few of our favorite tips that will help you during dinner parties and the holiday season that can be used all-year round – because as far as we are concerned, every day should be pie-eating day.

• Make pie-crust dough well ahead so that it has time to chill – at least 2 hours, but we like overnight; it will roll more easily, as the gluten (protein) will have time to relax. Ever had a pie crust fight back, where every time you roll it out it seems to want to shrink back? Chilling and resting the crust will eliminate this problem.

• Lightly flour your work surface for rolling; too much flour will toughen the pie crust. If the room is warm or your hands are warm, lightly flour your rolling pin and hands as well.

• Use the proper-size pie plate as suggested in each recipe; they are not interchangeable. A standard 9-inch will give you different results from a 9-inch deep-dish.

• Coat your pie plate with nonstick spray to make serving easier.

• Make sure your oven is preheated properly. Many pies need a very hot oven in order to set the crust quickly. Some bakers get good results placing a baking sheet or pizza stone in the oven as it preheats, then place your pie plate upon that hot surface.

• Classic pumpkin pie fillings and pecan pie fillings can be made the day before and refrigerated in an airtight container. Then just stir, pour and bake!

And our #1 Time Saver Tip:

• Crusts can be rolled out on parchment, rolled up, wrapped well in plastic wrap, then frozen up to a month ahead (or refrigerated for up to 3 days) – this is a huge time saver. We like to store them in round mailer tubes (get the 18-inch) so that the crusts don’t get crushed. It’s like having refrigerator crusts on hand at all times – but homemade and so much better. Then just defrost, unroll, place in pan and you are ready to bake!

_{Images: Dédé Wilson}

The creative part of making a wedding cake is envisioning what it will look like, designing it and choosing what flavors you will incorporate, but unless the dessert arrives at its destination safely in one piece, then your work has been for naught.

If your cake has been stacked properly, the easiest way to transport a cake is to find a box that is the same width of your bottom cake board, this way it will not slide around. You can find large boxes from appliance supply stores or even construct your own using large pieces of cardboard. The box should be accessible on two sides so that you can slide your cake in, rather than dropping it in from the top. Then, you can tape the box back up and use plastic wrap to seal the top.

Depending on where you are delivering the cake, make sure that it has been refrigerated for a while so that the buttercream remains hard. Soft buttercream can be marred too easily.

When I worked in NYC for the Sugar Flower Bake Shop, we used cabs to deliver our cakes when it was within the city limits. Even if you’re driving yourself, it can be a very stressful experience, but if the cake has been stored and boxed properly, then allow yourself to relax a little. Dédé used to post a sign in her car window when she was transporting wedding cakes. It said “Caution: Wedding Cake on Board” and it helped a lot! With the sign, other drivers didn’t seem to mind her driving slowly with her flashers on.That said, you should always bring a pastry bag with you filled with back-ups of buttercream or extra flowers just in case something does happen.

Once the cake is delivered, you should be the one who takes it out of the box; no one will take as much care with the cake as you! If the event is a wedding, there will usually be a special table for the cake. Once you have the cake in position, and everything is fixed to your liking, you are all done! Now the cake is ready to be enjoyed by the bride and groom and all of the guests.

This article is part of a week-long series by Culinary Institute of America student Stephanie Zauderer on wedding cakes, from the beginning stages through delivery to the event. Check out the articles from earlier this week.

I’m a bit of an expert when it comes to cake balls. In fact, I’ve written a book on the subject called Cake Balls (Harvard Common Press), and since we are about to bring you our first recipes for them, I wanted to share with you Cake Balls 101.

At their most basic, cake balls are a base, a binder and a coating. You might know cake balls as mashed up cake and frosting, rolled into balls and dipped in chocolate, but they are so much more than that! You do usually begin with cake, although you can start with something cake-like (think brownies, doughnuts, or muffins, for instance), but I think the most variable part of this dessert is what holds the cake together into a spherical form. Frosting and buttercream are typical, but I refer to this as the “binder,” as that is what it does and also because I suggest branching out beyond frosting to jam, peanut butter, lemon curd, even pastry cream. Anything that moistens and helps the cake bind together can be used. As far as the outer coating is concerned, white, milk or dark chocolates are the most popular, but a simple confectioners’ sugar glaze can be used, or a dry coating like a crunchy covering of nuts or sparkling cinnamon-sugar.

Dipping and coating in chocolate is the most common, however, and because of that, and because the binder is usually sweet, I like to reduce sugar as much as I can. This is why you might come across recipes on Bakepedia that say something like “cream cheese frosting for cake balls.” This is because I developed that recipe intending the cream cheese frosting to be combined with cake, and that ball would be further embellished with a chocolate shell. Thus, the frosting recipe doesn’t need to have the amount of sugar that I would use in a classic cream cheese frosting (as the latter needs to cover a cake smoothly and bring a layer of sweetness). So, the cake ball component recipes will always be clearly labeled where a special accommodation has been made (and that cream cheese frosting should just be used for cake balls and not used to frost your next carrot cake, for example).

Also, the cake recipes for cake balls will tell you how many golf-ball sized balls you will most likely produce as your yield, as opposed to saying a “this makes a 9-inch cake/12 slices.”

By the way, what’s the difference between a cake ball and a cake pop? A stick! Who needs a stick? I like to put cake balls in fluted paper cups.

Cake balls are very easy to make but there are a few things that will make the process even easier and more fun.

• Definitely invest in a #40 food disher. This makes those golf-ball sized balls quickly and easily; all of your cake balls will be the same size and look very professional.

• When dipping your cake ball in chocolate or chocolate coating, allow as much excess to drip off as possible before placing cake ball on prepared baking sheet. This will eliminate a thick shell and a thick puddle of chocolate around the base.

• Sprinkle on any decorations while chocolate is still wet so that they adhere.

• For storage, most cake balls are best refrigerated in single layers, but should be brought to room temperature before serving.

The literal definition of crème brûlée is “burnt cream;” the burnt part refers to the crunchy, caramelized sugar topping that crowns this elegant custard. In restaurant kitchens you will often hear the term turned into an action as in, “we need to brûlée the custards.” The word “brûléeing” has come into use.

While a broiler may be used, we find we have more control when using a hand-held torch. Then you have your choice of either a standard propane torch from the hardware store, which has many uses around the house, or a smaller butane powered torch (seen below),usually found in kitchenware stores. Either one of these torches allows you to move the flame around the sugar at will while you keep an eye on the progress. This degree of control helps get the job done well. Sometimes when using a broiler, the entire custard can heat up, liquefying it, which is why some recipes suggest placing your ramekins in an ice bath.

There are also tools called salamanders(seen below), which are like a branding iron and used in some professional kitchens. As they are not typically used at home, we will just make a brief mention of them here. They are typically made from cast iron, which is heated until red hot, and then the surface of the iron is pressed directly onto the sugar. They work best when the salamander and the sugar-covered surface are the same size, which is limiting.

For either the torch or broiler approach, make sure that the custard (or whatever you are brûléeing – like a pumpkin pie) is chilled or at room temperature. Spread sugar for topping in a thin, even layer over the surface and brûlée right before serving. Follow the tips below on how to brulee with a torch or your broiler.

Using a Torch

• Depending on your specific torch, you might want to adjust the heat level.
• Hold the flame just over the surface of the sugar and move slowly back and forth as the sugar bubbles and eventually caramelizes, turning amber brown and glassy. Sometimes it seems to work best if the flame is above the surface; sometimes it works best with it just touching. Experiment.
• You might have to go over sections repeatedly, which is fine.
• The caramelization can take seconds, or minutes, depending on many factors. Timing doesn’t matter as much as appearance. Sugar should be evenly melted, glassy and amber in color.

Using a Broiler

• The broiler must be preheated to high with the oven rack positioned on the highest level.
• Place ramekins in a roasting pan and fill with ice water to reach halfway up the ramekins. This will help prevent custards from melting.
• Place roasting pan in your oven and broil just until the sugar melts and caramelizes. Watch carefully, as it can caramelize quickly.
• If the sugar is melting unevenly, rotate the pan front to back.
• For brûléeing a pie, cover pie crust edges with aluminum foil, taking care not to crush the crust. Set the pie in roasting pan and fill with ice water to reach halfway up side of the pie plate. Proceed as above.

Making puff pastry from scratch takes time and skill. Luckily for busy and/or inexperienced bakers, there’s no need to do it yourself. The same all-butter Dufour-brand frozen puff pastry used by professional pastry chefs in 4-star kitchens is available at specialty stores and many supermarkets. It comes in handy when you need some quick but elegant cookies.

• To make Sacristans, roll a sheet of puff pastry into a 12-inch square, brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with finely chopped almonds and sugar. Slice into 1-inch strips, and twist before baking.

• For Pinwheels, brush with beaten egg, sprinkle with sugar and simply roll the square into a tight cylinder. Slice, and bake.

• Palmiers, otherwise known as elephant ears, are a sort of double pinwheel: Brush with butter and sprinkle with sugar, then roll one side in towards the center, then roll the other to meet the first spiral. Slice into the classic shape, which some say resembles a butterfly.

It’s fun to experiment with fillings, adding cinnamon and other spices the to the sugar, using different kinds of nuts and finely chopped dried fruit or spreading some jam over the pastry. Take care not to overfill, especially with sugary ingredients, which will ooze and burn.

To prevent sticking, always bake puff-pastry cookies on parchment or a silicone baking mat. For the puffiest puff-pastry cookies, chill them before baking (or shape them ahead of time, freeze and bake straight from the freezer). A hot oven, about 400°F, is best. Bake the cookies until they are well browned, 15 to 25 minutes depending on their thickness, so their interiors will by crisp, not soggy.

_{Image: Lauren Chattman}