Our friends at America’s Test Kitchen recently launched a new baking series called “Let’s Make Dessert”, proudly sponsored in part by Le Creuset. The host of the series is Magda Bresson, the Managing Producer at ATK that has in her own words an “insatiable sweet tooth.” Even though she is usually behind the camera, Magda has learned a few things about baking and dessert making while working there. We love her attitude that if she can make show-stopping desserts at home, then anyone can do it too. We asked Magda to share with us some of her best baking tips and techniques, straight from their test kitchens to your home kitchen.
Use the Best Chocolate and Cocoa
Magda is a self-professed chocolate lover and several of the episodes in the series feature chocolate as the starring ingredient, like her Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes with Ganache Filling. We couldn’t agree with her more when she suggests to always use good quality chocolate in your recipes. This is especially true when a recipe is simple or has few ingredients – the difference in quality is easily recognizable in the taste and finish of your dish. The same could be said about cocoa powder as well. Dutch process cocoa (versus regular cocoa) produces baked goods with a “darker chocolate color and a more complex, deep flavor.”
Magda’s Pro Tip: “I use the best chocolate I can afford because it’s really, really worth it.”
Get the Recipe: Peanut Butter and Chocolate Lava Mug Cakes
Measure Accurately
They say that cooking is an art and baking is a science. While that isn’t always the case, it is true that ratios and proportions are important in baking recipes, so you want to be as accurate as possible when measuring your ingredients. Magda recommends using a digital scale to measure out both liquid and dry ingredients, and you will see that she uses that tool for just about every recipe she makes. When she reaches for her measuring spoons, another tip she mentions is to scoop the ingredient into the spoon, then use a paring knife to level the top of the spoon. That way, you always get exactly the precise amount every time.
Magda’s Pro Tip: “When I started weighing my ingredients, I really noticed a drastic improvement in my baking.”
Get the Recipe: Cast Iron Skillet Cherry Cobbler
Use Your Hands
Coming from the test kitchen experts at ATK, you might think that you need an army’s worth of equipment in the kitchen. And while a stand mixer or food processor is great for doing some heavy lifting, Magda finds that her hands are often the best tools for baking. Take the simple task of separating eggs – many use the egg shell to help separate the white from the yolk. But your hand has no sharp edges, so it gently cradles the yolk to keep it safely intact. This is a critical step when you’re separating lots of eggs for recipes like meringue, Magda's Chocolate Pavlova, or crème brulee. She also whips cream by hand so it always reaches the perfect consistency, and folds batters and egg whites with a gentle up and over motion to not overwork the batter.
Magda’s Pro Tip: “I found that when I use the shells, I end up puncturing the yolk…”
Get the Recipe: Lemon and Vanilla Crème Brulee
Use a Dutch Oven for Frying
Frying food at home can be intimidating, but Magda pulls out her Dutch Oven to make bakery-quality fried desserts like doughnuts, fritters and funnel cake at home. The excellent heat retention of cast iron maintains the oil at the optimal temperature for frying to create desserts that have a crisp, golden brown exterior and a light, fluffy interior that is not soggy or greasy. She also uses an instant read thermometer (another one of her favorite baking tools) to be sure that the oil remains at just the right temperature, batch after batch.
Magda’s Pro Tip: “Don’t crowd the pot, fry in batches to keep the oil hot and so the temperature doesn’t drop too much.”
Get the Recipe: Dutch Oven Fried Doughnuts
