"pastry" news and stories

Why is it that when I read the name of this innocent little dessert, I hear it in a cockney accent? "Wench, fetch me the blood orange tart!" It's like something Tyrone Power's pirate character would have called for in The Black Swan before he took a huge swig from a stein, or a mug, or whatever pirates call their stout-drinking vessels.

Of course, this has nothing to do with this absolutely lovely way to marry fresh fruit with buttery pastry dough, but if it gets one more person to watch The Black Swan, my job is done. Blogger thedabble was inspired not by swashbucklers, but by a recipe from Santa Monica pastry chef Zoe Nathan (of restaurant Rustic Canyon and café-bakery Huckleberry), and the peak of blood-orange season. The salted caramel sauce is a rich addition, but if you're not inclined toward gooey caramel goodness, the tart is delicious completely unadorned (insert joke here). For more serious talk on blood oranges, see my recent post.

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Every pastry chef worth her salt (or sugar) has a rectangular pastry scraper in their bag of tricks – here's why you should, too.

Happy National Pastry Day!

Who knew that water, flour and shortening could create such a magical confection? Whether used as a crust for pies or tarts (savory and sweet, alike!), or savored on its own, stuffed or topped with a variety of ingredients, the pastry is a versatile ingredient set to serve any occasion.

For seasonal recommendations, check out the following recipes to get inspired by some of our favorites! Bon appétit.

• Roasted Butternut Squash and Caramlized Onion Tart
• Turkey Potpie
• Wild Mushroom Ragout in Puff Pastry Shell
• Butter Croissants
• French Apple Turnovers

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Until this Monday, Babbo Pastry Chef Gina DePalma was the Kate Winslet of the culinary world, earning six James Beard Award nominations for the honor of Outstanding Pastry Chef but never taking the cake. The seventh time, though, proved to be the ... er ... icing. We caught up with DePalma this morning to chat about victory, pastry, her battle with ovarian cancer and her boss, the boisterous Mario Batali (aka Mr. Fanta Pants).

What did it feel like to the finally win a James Beard Award?
I tried not to break down into tears. I tried to keep myself together up there. After seven years, you try to emotionally turn yourself off. In past years I thought it was such a big deal to win, but it still felt good.

Is that why you were emotional on stage? That was part of it. It's also been a very tough year for me. I don't know if you know, I have been battling ovarian cancer. I was diagnosed four days after my sixth loss. I had a huge operation and went through chemo and lost all my hair. I am still in treatment. It was stage four. It was end of the line, but they got it all in surgery.

Hear why salted caramels should die and why DePalma is afraid to rock orange crocs after the jump.

I have always been a huge fan of deliciously rich and creamy whoopie pies. So, when I read the recent New York Times article about its current popularity among New Yorkers, I was not too surprised.

The article traces the history of this delectable to pockets of New England, Pennsylvania and Ohio. And, it explains that due to their gaining popularity, supermarkets like Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and (specialty deli) Zingerman's sell them. But, my favorite spot for whoopie pies is at One Girl Cookies in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn.

As food historian Sandra Oliver states, the cake part that sandwiches the cream is not especially sweet and is often dry, because the frosting, the heart of the whoopie, is full of sugar and a gooey consistency. This characterizes One Girl Cookies' luscious whoopie pies. There is an amazing balances between the frosting in the center and the light fluffy dry cookie/cake.

Perhaps, one of the reasons why they're so special is that cream cheese frosting is sandwiched between pumpkin cake (see the photo above).

You can purchase a dozen whoopie pies from One Girl Cookies online for $27. The Times mentions another pastry shop in Brooklyn with whoopie fever called Trois Pommes Patisserie.