How-To

Adventures in Mirror Glaze

Adventures in Mirror Glaze

Posted on by Katie Gaffen

I finally got around to trying out mirror glaze, and I must say that I am pretty pleased with the result.  You might recall when mirror glaze cakes took the world by storm last year (seriously, check out Olga Noskova’s Instagram if you’re in the mood for some major decorating envy).  I knew when I saw them that I would have to try it myself someday.  Of course, I put it off for about a year because it looked fiddly and precise, and I am lazy.  Finally, the inspiration hit me, the time was right, and the stars aligned to push me into finally making a mirror glaze cake.

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How to Make a Pie Crust Poinsettia

How to Make a Poinsettia Pie Crust

Posted on by Katie Gaffen

We’re wrapping up the pie crust embellishment series today with an impressive-looking (but still super easy) poinsettia.  Admittedly, this is a bit of a seasonal decoration, but with a little finessing, you can change the shapes of the leaves and petals and call it a dahlia or a pile of leaves to make it more appropriate to your current season.  Whatever you call it, you’re bound to get murmurs of admiration when you bust this baby out.

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How to Make a Pie Crust Leaf Border

How to Make a Pie Crust Leaf Border

Posted on by Katie Gaffen

Goodbye fork-pricked edges, hello leaf borders!  In today’s tutorial, I’m going to walk you through the super easy process of adding a leaf border to the top of your double-crust pies.  You can do this on top of a solid crust or on its own (I tend to do the latter).  Adding a leaf border is a great way to dress up your pie while also expending minimal effort.

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How To Make Vanilla Extract

How To Make Your Own Vanilla Extract

Posted on by Katie Gaffen

It’s been awhile since I did a how-to post, so here we are.  I bought some vanilla beans on an impulse in an unfamiliar grocery store while out of town (like you do) awhile ago, and then promptly crammed them into my baking supplies and left them for months because I was stumped about what to do with them.  The idea to make vanilla extract came upon me as I was planning my annual apple extravaganza, and oh, what a good idea it turned out to be.

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how to roast pumpkin seeds

How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds

Posted on by Katie Gaffen

It’s officially time to start carving pumpkins, and with carved pumpkins comes pumpkin seeds.  You could, of course, throw these away along with the skanky pumpkin guts with nary a second thought, but why waste such a tasty, versatile snack?  Roasting pumpkin seeds is is super simple, and doing it yourself allows to you use whatever seasonings you want (because let’s be honest, those salted ones you get from the grocery store can get a bit gross after about two seeds).

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how to make brownies in a hotel microwave

How to Make Brownies in a Hotel Microwave

Posted on by Katie Gaffen

Last week, Josh and I went to Boston for a conference.  In anticipation of my impending separation from my beloved oven, I came up with a challenge for myself: bake brownies using only things that could be found at or around the hotel.  I did buy a bag of brownie mix (after all, there’s usually a good chance that you can find a CVS, grocery store, or convenience store somewhere near your hotel), but everything else I used could feasibly be found in the hotel.  The availability of some items, like the banana, will most likely be determined by whether your hotel offers free breakfast or not, but hey, I managed to make brownies from a kludge of things, so I’m going to choose to suspend some disbelief here.

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How to Make Sweet Pie Crust

Posted on by Katie Gaffen

Two weeks ago, I brought you savory pie crust.  This week, let’s take a look at sweet pie crust.  Once again, this recipe is made much easier with a food processor.  I usually use this pie crust as-is without any additions to let the flavor of the filling stand out (and because it tastes sort of like a sugar cookie).  In this instance, I’ve used grated lemon zest to complement an apple lemon pie I make in the summer, but you could substitute spices, other citrus zest, or anything else you like as long as it’s not too wet.

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