Hamantaschen, Hamantaschen, Hamantaschen

Hamantaschen - the traditional three-cornered cookie eaten on the Jewish holiday of Purim - have a terrible reputation. And there's a reason for that. I would say 90% of the hamantaschen I've eaten from bakeries and stores and even other people's homes have been terrible. Dry, tasteless, crumbling and with unappetizing filling, they seem a difficult thing to master. But they shouldn't be. After all, what distinguishes hamantaschen is their shape, not any particular dough or filling. So why not enjoy some seriously tasty varieties this year? 

Chocolate Caramel Thumbprints

Do you ever see a picture of a cookie and you just have to have it? Well that's what happened when I spotted these "Sandies by the Sea" in a recent issue of Cook's Country. But I wasn't really happy with any part of the recipe, more just the inspiration, so I set about to create my own, delicious, version.

Iced Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cupcakes

After six months of pastry school,  working with pulled sugar, wedding cakes, entremet, laminated doughs and the like, it is nice to go back to simple. And while these iced chocolate chip oatmeal cupcakes are simple, they're sweet, moist and packed with flavor. 

Cream Puffs and Eclairs

Cream puffs, eclairs, profitore rolls - even a croquembouche - all start from the same basic dough. And while it's fairly simple, it's really nothing like most cake or cookie doughs at all. It starts in a pot, then moves to a mixer, then a piping bag, then the oven. There's a fair amount of work involved, but the end result: Delicious.  

 

Six months later...

So about six months ago I told you I was dropping everything, moving country, and going to pastry school. Well, I did, and I spent six months creating breads, cookies, cakes, tarts, mousses, petit fours, chocolate truffles, candies, decorated cakes and even some pulled sugar. And last week, I had a week-long exam to test everything I'd learned over the semester. Here's a look back: