PASTRY TIPS BY KIRK PARKS
Always add a pinch of salt to your desserts - This is for balance.
When making bread add small amount of sugar to your water that you are blooming the yeast in - It helps feed and stabilize the yeast.
When making fruit sauces for desserts add a touch of lemon juice at the end - This helps balance the sugar and also rounds out the sauce.
When slicing a cake always wet the knife with hot water before each slice - This makes the cleanest cut on the cake.
When blanching citrus zest for candying add a pinch of salt to the water - This helps breakdown the zest to make it more palatable in your mouth.
When making ice cream make sure all equipment is free of water - This will make sure you don’t have ice crystals in your ice cream.
When making bread I always pick a container that is double the size of the pre proofed bread - That way I know when the proofed bread has doubled in size - no guessing
When your bread comes out of the oven let cool for a couple of minutes and then tip out on wire rack to cool - This helps with the condensation that forms on the sides and bottom of the freshly baked bread.
Never take a baked cheesecake out of the oven and put in the refrigerator - Rapid temperature change is why most cheesecakes crack.
The creamiest Crème Brule are when you cook the custard on top of the stove then baked in a water bath again in the oven.
Anything with eggs (cheesecakes, crème brule, flan) that is baked in a water bath has to be cooked at 300* or lower - Above 300* will break the egg custard.
When making bread add small amount of sugar to your water that you are blooming the yeast in - It helps feed and stabilize the yeast.
When making fruit sauces for desserts add a touch of lemon juice at the end - This helps balance the sugar and also rounds out the sauce.
When slicing a cake always wet the knife with hot water before each slice - This makes the cleanest cut on the cake.
When blanching citrus zest for candying add a pinch of salt to the water - This helps breakdown the zest to make it more palatable in your mouth.
When making ice cream make sure all equipment is free of water - This will make sure you don’t have ice crystals in your ice cream.
When making bread I always pick a container that is double the size of the pre proofed bread - That way I know when the proofed bread has doubled in size - no guessing
When your bread comes out of the oven let cool for a couple of minutes and then tip out on wire rack to cool - This helps with the condensation that forms on the sides and bottom of the freshly baked bread.
Never take a baked cheesecake out of the oven and put in the refrigerator - Rapid temperature change is why most cheesecakes crack.
The creamiest Crème Brule are when you cook the custard on top of the stove then baked in a water bath again in the oven.
Anything with eggs (cheesecakes, crème brule, flan) that is baked in a water bath has to be cooked at 300* or lower - Above 300* will break the egg custard.