Hey!
Today’s post marks the start of our baking and dessert unit! We’re going to start with some ingredients, types of desserts, and materials you may need to get started! So this first post will be mostly informational, with actual recipes starting next week. We’re starting with cheesecake, then moving to macarons, then finishing with mochi (a popular Japanese dessert).
Note: The tools mentioned in the following text are ignoring many common kitchen tools such as large spoons, mixing bowls, and some mixing spatulas. Make sure you have the basics to continue!
Cheesecake
Cheesecake is an American favorite dessert and one of mine personally as well. While it’s rich and not efficient calorically, the flavor definitely compensates – as with most comfort foods! It’s a little different than most cakes, with cream-cheese-based batter filling up a usual graham cracker or cookie-based crust. Cheesecake is fairly simple to make but can be endlessly customized, with many fruit variations also popular. Tools you will need to make the cake include an oven, springform pan, and spatula to serve. Ingredients will be addressed in the recipe post for this food.
Macarons
Macarons are an Italian and French cookie variation that has become another American favorite over the years. The outside shells of the cookie are made out of meringue (whipped egg whites with sugar), and they are often filled with buttercream frosting or ganache. The perfect consistency is difficult to nail, but with practice, it’s fairly easy to get the hang of making macarons – and the pay-off is worth it. Tools you’ll need to make these delicious and delicate cookies include an oven, baking pan/ cookie sheet, parchment paper, a stand mixer/ whisk, and a piping bag. Ingredients will be addressed in the recipe post for this food.
Mochi
Mochi is yet another Japanese dessert that has taken the United States by storm in recent years, often appearing at Japanese Restaurants and Sushi Bars. mochi is a gelatinous rice cake created with short-grain glutinous rice flour, being soft, bouncy, and neutral in nature. The snack is often flavored with ice cream and other natural flavorings to make it more interesting! Mochi is a somewhat easy dessert to make as it requires somewhat simple ingredients, with the process being a majority of the work. Tools you will need only include a silicone baking mat, as the mochi can get pretty sticky. Ingredients will be addressed in the recipe post for this food.
I hope you enjoyed this information dump on the desserts we will be covering in the next few weeks, and I hope you stay tuned for the next post when we start making cheesecake!
