That's How I Roll

I am loving Advanced Baking... more than I should. I always thought that I liked the flexibility of hot foods more than the rigidity of baking. I am slowly going to the darkside (baking, that is). Of course, it doesn't help that our teacher, Chef Catherine Hallman, is the most amazing person/chef/instructor I think I've ever had/known. She can fix anything that I might ruin (like if I were to try to soak instant dry yeast in water when you are only supposed to soak active dry yeast...). Yes, she's a miracle worker.

The above photograph is of the spread that our baking class created for a continental breakfast at school. It includes cinnamon rolls, donuts, cherry cream cheese danishes, cinnamon pecan twists, grissini breadsticks, and mini bagels. We were so proud of ourselves. :)

Some things I've learned so far in Advanced Baking that I thought I would share:

1. The best cinnamon sugar mixture, according to Chef Hallman is 1 lb. granulated sugar, 1 lb. brown sugar, 4-5 T cinnamon, and enough canola oil to make it moist. This makes for the perfect sugar:cinnamon ratio that will not fall out of whatever it is you are making.
2. The key to delicious homemade bagels is organic barley malt syrup in the dough and in the water that you boil them in. This can be purchased from King Arthur Flour's website. The ones we made tasted exactly like real live bagels... not the kind you buy in a bag at Food City.
3. The best icing/glaze for cinnamon rolls or danishes is so simple! Just pour one 16 oz. box of confectioner's sugar into a mixing bowl. Then add about 1/2 cup of clear Karo Syrup and a couple glugs of whole milk. Then mix until it is the perfect consistency for what you need it for. Not only does it taste delicious, it won't crack/crumble once it dries... a common problem with other glazes.

Next week we are making something I have always wanted to make... petit fours!