tips to a successful pastry run

The cookbook is extremely streamlined in its steps, which means you shouldn’t miss one if you want a successful result.

1. Heat isn’t the only thing to consider in the kitchen – cold plays an important role, too, particularly for a pastry chef. There is something in the belief that good pastry chefs must have cold hands to prevent things from melting when they shouldn’t. And when a recipe asks you to chill something, there is a good reason for it and it’s just as important as baking something in the oven!
2. Pastry requires patience. A lot of recipes need as little as 10 minutes to make, but you must also factor in prepping, chilling, baking and cooling times. One way to approach this book is to devote time to making lots of different things (which could take a whole day). Another approach is to fit the pastry making into your daily routine, so you’re not tied to the cake pans. For example, while your pastry cream or your doughs are chilling, start making a quick pasta dinner or stir-fry. Pop things in the oven while you’re clearing the table and you can have warm financiers or cookies ready for after dinner.
3. Baking is a craft: the more you do it, the better you get, so don’t ever feel discouraged if your first try comes out funny. Cookbooks are like textbooks – they serve as guides but can’t replace years of practice. You will learn techniques inherently and create your own tricks for success.
4. Electric stand mixers are a big investment but they’re the best investments you’ll make. I still have my home KitchenAid mixer and it’s currently 13 years old and counting. Spread out over 13 years, that amounts to negligible sums. And the amount of time you’ll save? Days and days...
5. Blowtorches are cool. That is all.
6. Many say it’s really dangerous to alter recipes because they can come out badly, like a bad chemistry experiment. With regards to ratios of baking powder, sugar, salt, butter, eggs and liquid measures, they are on the ball. However, with things like adding spices and different chocolates, and playing with citrus zests, you can really be creative. The recipes in this book are foundational, so play around a bit until you find something that really works for you.
7. Don’t overfill a piping bag – unless you like mixture all over your shirt in a nice straight line.
8. Having a proper oven thermometer is super-important. It’s always best to make sure your oven isn’t off by 25–30 degrees, which could drastically change the outcome of a recipe.
9. Best of all, remember that you are surrounded by sugar, butter and probably chocolate and fruit. Nibble some sugar when things look hairy.