Homemade Marshmallow Chicks

The taste and texture (to say nothing about the all-natural ingredients) of these homemade Easter treats are so much better than the store-bought variety that it would be a shame not to make them from scratch. Though some recipes call for gelatin and egg whites, this non-egg white version is much easier to work with. Not every homemade chick will be perfect, nor will they all look the same. Once they are coated with sugar and the little eyes are in place, they will look adorable.

• 4 jars (3-1/2 oz. each) colored sugars
• 1-1/4 cups water, divided
• 3 packages (1/4 oz. each)unflavored powdered gelatin
• 1 large vanilla bean, seeds scraped, or 1-1/2 tsp. pure vanilla bean paste
• Pinch of table salt
• 2 cups (14 oz.) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• About 96 mini chocolate chips or mini M&M’s®

Line two cookie sheets with nonstick liners and lightly grease. Put the colored sugars in separate shallow bowls.

Pour 3/4 cup of the water into bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with whisk attachment and sprinkle the gelatin over the water. Let sit until the gelatin is moist and plump, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla bean seeds and salt. (They’ll stay on top of the gelatin for now.)

Put the remaining 1/2 cup water, the sugar, and corn syrup in a medium heavy saucepan. Cook, stirring, over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Set a candy thermometer in the pan and increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Boil, without stirring, until the hot syrup is 258°F.

With the mixer on medium-low speed, slowly pour the hot syrup into the gelatin mixture in a thin stream down the side of the bowl (avoid pouring syrup onto the whisk, as it will splash against the sides of the bowl). Gradually increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the mixture is very thick, about 10 minutes. The outside of the bowl will still feel quite warm. It’s important to work with the marshmallow while it’s still warm—it’s difficult to pipe when it’s cold and stiff.

Fit a large round tip 1/2- or 2/3-inch (I use an Ateco #5 or #7) into a pastry bag and fill the bag with some of the marshmallow. Pipe the marshmallow into 3-inch-long by 1-inch-wide logs, spacing them about 1 inch apart on the prepared cookie sheets. As you reach the end of a log, keep pressure on the bag and in one continuous motion, lift the pastry tip up and pipe more marshmallow on top of the log going back about 1 inch. Release any pressure on the pastry bag and pull the tip up and out to form a beak. Reload the pastry bag with marshmallow as needed.

Sprinkle each shape with colored sugar, using your fingers to pat the sugar onto the marshmallow to cover almost completely, then set the cookie sheets aside until the shapes are completely cool but still tacky, about 1 hour. Using your fingers and working with one marshmallow at a time, lift the marshmallows from the sheets and roll in the bowl of colored sugars, pressing the shapes into the sugar lightly to cover completely. Return the shapes to the same sheets. Dap a bit of the remaining marshmallow from the bowl onto the flat side of the mini chocolate chips and press onto the shapes to form “eyes.” Set the sheets aside until the marshmallows are completely cool and no longer tacky, about 2 hours. Stow in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Salty Caramel Croquembouche with Ricotta Cream

This modern version of the French classic features ricotta cream filling for the puffs and a sea salt caramel coating. Serve this festive dessert the day it’s assembled.Watch the two-part video series on How to Make Croquembouche to see this centerpiece dessert come together step by step. The videos include detailed instructions along with tips to ensure success—even if it is your first time taking on this recipe. 

For the pastry cream

• 1-1/2 cups whole-milk ricotta
• 3 cups whole milk
• 3 large eggs
• 3 large egg yolks
• Table salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 6 Tbs. cornstarch
• 1 Tbs. pure vanilla extract
• 2-1/4 oz. (4-1/2 Tbs.) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

For the pâte à choux puffs

• 7-1/2 oz. (15 Tbs.) unsalted butter
• 2-1/2 Tbs. granulated sugar
• Kosher salt
• 11-1/4 oz. (2-1/2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour, sifted
• 10 large eggs

For assembly

• 2-1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 Tbs. sea salt
• One 4x12-inch (approximately) foam cone, covered in foil (ideally gold)
• Toothpicks

Make the pastry cream

Drain the ricotta in a fine sieve set over a small bowl in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and up to 1 day.


Warm the milk in a heavy-duty 3-quart saucepan over medium heat until steaming, 3 to 4 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, egg yolks, and 1/2 tsp. salt in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in the sugar. Whisk in the cornstarch and vanilla until smooth.


Slowly whisk a little of the hot milk into the egg mixture to warm it, then whisk the mixture into the pot of milk. Whisk in the butter and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the pastry cream is very thick and registers 165°F on an instant-read thermometer, 2 to 3 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve into a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it onto the surface of the cream, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.


Purée the ricotta in a food processor until very smooth, about 8 minutes. Stir it into the pastry cream and refrigerate until ready to use or for up to 1 day.

Make and fill the pâte à choux puffs

Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 425°F.


Bring 2-1/2 cups of water and the butter, sugar, and 1-1/4 tsp. salt to a boil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-low heat. When the butter melts, remove from the heat and add the flour. Set the pan over low heat and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a smooth ball that pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 2 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on low speed until cool to the touch. On medium-low speed, beat in the eggs one by one, mixing until each is fully incorporated before adding the next.


Let the dough cool for about 10 minutes. Transfer half of the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip (Ateco #806). Onto 2 parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets, pipe small, 1-1/2-inch-high mounds (like chocolate kisses) at 2-inch intervals. Smooth the surface of the mounds with a wet finger.


Lower the oven temperature to 375°F and bake, rotating the sheets from top to bottom after 10 minutes, until the puffs are evenly golden-brown, 20 to 25 minutes total. Turn off the oven and remove the puffs from the oven. Prick the side of each puff with a paring knife to release the steam. Return the puffs to the turned-off oven with the door ajar to dry them for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the puffs from the baking sheets and transfer to a rack to cool.


Repeat with the remaining dough on freshly lined baking sheets.

Assemble the croquembouche

Sort the puffs according to size: small, medium, and large. Transfer about half of the pastry cream to a piping bag fitted with a 1/4-inch plain tip (Ateco # 802 or #10). Poke the tip into the bottom of each puff and fill with the pastry cream, being careful not to overfill. Refill the pastry bag as needed.


Have a large bowl of ice water ready. Put the sugar and salt in a 3-quart heavy-duty saucepan. Add 2/3 cup water and swirl to moisten the sugar. Cover and boil over high heat until starting to turn golden around the edges, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the lid and cook, swirling occasionally, until the caramel is light golden, 1 to 2 minutes more. Immediately put the bottom of the pot in the ice water to stop the cooking. Remove the pot from the water and put it on a heatproof surface.


Have a small bowl of ice water nearby. Put the foil-wrapped cone on a serving platter. Insert a toothpick about 1 inch from the base of the cone. Dip the side of a large cream puff into the hot caramel to coat the side and about a third of the top of the puff. Immediately press the cream puff onto the toothpick, with the top facing out. Insert another toothpick parallel to the first pick, positioning it so that the next puff will fit snugly against its neighbor. Dip another cream puff and nestle it against the first. Repeat, making your way up and around the cone, working from the largest to the smallest puffs. If you get any hot caramel on your fingers, immediately dip them into the ice water to stop the burn.


As the caramel cools and thickens, it will begin to spin into long, thin threads as you pull the puffs from the pot. Before attaching the puff, circle the cone with the puff so the spun caramel drapes the croquembouche. When the caramel becomes too thick to dip, swirl it over low heat to thin it—it will darken a little each time you do this.


When the cone is completely covered with puffs, dip a fork into the caramel and continue to pull the caramel threads from the pot and spin them around the croquembouche until you’re happy with its appearance. Serve any extra cream puffs on the side.

Jelly-Filled Doughnuts

This recipe uses a leaner, less sugary dough than your typical American jelly doughnut. For the best results, use either homemade preserves or best-quality local jam you can find. If your jam is very chunky, purée it in a blender or small food processor so that it will pass without effort through the tip of a pastry bag and into the doughnut.

• 17.62 oz. (4 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1⁄3 cup sugar, plus more for coating the doughnuts
• 1 Tbs. plus 1-1⁄2 tsp. instant yeast
• 3⁄4 tsp. fine sea salt or kosher salt
• 1 cup room temperature milk (70°F to 78°F)
• 2.5 oz. (5 Tbs.) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 tsp. grated lemon zest
• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 6 Tbs. raspberry jam

Combine the flour, sugar, yeast, salt, milk, butter, eggs, egg yolks, lemon zest, and vanilla in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (the hook is not needed here, since this is a rather loose batter) and mix on low speed until smooth, 8 to 10 minutes.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl or dough-rising container, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let stand at room temperature until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper. Brush a thin layer of vegetable oil on the paper. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured countertop and divide into 16 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a round and then flatten slightly with the palm of your hand. Place the rounds seam side down on the oiled paper. Let stand uncovered at room temperature until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Add 3 inches of oil to a deep pot. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pot and heat the oil over medium heat until it reaches 350°F. Line a large platter or baking sheet with several layers of paper towels.

Place a few of the doughnuts in the hot oil, being careful not to crowd them in the pot.

Fry until golden brown on one side, about 1 minute. Turn and continue to fry until golden on both sides, another minute or two. Don’t worry that there is a line of light-colored dough around the perimeter of each doughnut. This will be the “soft spot” where you will insert the tip of a pastry bag to pipe in some jam. Drain the cooked doughnuts on the paper towels, roll them in sugar, and repeat with the remaining dough, keeping an eye on the thermometer to make sure the oil stays at a steady 350°F and adjusting the heat as necessary.

To fill the doughnuts, place the jam in a bowl and stir it thoroughly so that there are no lumps. Scrape it into a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip. Insert the tip into the soft spot of each doughnut and squeeze about 1 tsp. of the jam into the center. Serve immediately.

Crumpets

Like many Americans, I always assumed that crumpets were close relatives of English muffins (an assumption that apparently infuriates the British!). When I tasted my first crumpet at the Crumpet Shop in Seattle, I was blown away. It was a little bit spongy and had beautiful holes on top, perfect for absorbing farm-fresh butter and local honey.They were so delicious that it’s a shame there’s not a Crumpet Shop on every corner. But there’s a reason why most bakeries shy away from making crumpets. They’re best when made to order. If they sit around for even a couple of hours, to me they won’t have the same just-griddled goodness.At that moment, I knew I wanted to develop a yeasted crumpet recipe of my own. It thought it would be so much fun to stand around the kitchen with friends and family on a rainy day and serve them hot from the griddle, with cups of steaming tea. The result more than lived up to my fantasy. Try them. If you are like me, you will always remember where you had your first crumpet! 

• 6.11 oz. (1-2⁄3 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 8.04 oz. (2 cups) unbleached bread flour
• 3⁄4 tsp. cream of tartar
• 1 Tbs.plus 1⁄2 tsp. fine sea salt or kosher salt
• 2 cups room temperature water (70°F to 78°F), plus more if necessary
• 2-1⁄4 tsp. instant yeast
• 1⁄2 tsp. sugar
• 1⁄2 tsp. baking soda
• 2⁄3 cup room temperature milk (70°F to 78°F)
• Unsalted butter, for greasing the cake rings

Place the all-purpose flour, bread flour, cream of tartar, and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Stir to combine.

Whisk together the water, yeast, and sugar in a medium bowl and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.

Pour the water mixture into the flour mixture and mix on low speed to combine. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 1 to 1-1⁄2 hours.

Dissolve the baking soda in the milk, and then pour the milk mixture into the bowl with the batter. Stir gently to combine. The batter should now be the consistency of pancake batter. If it’s too stiff, your crumpets won’t have enough of those characteristic bubbles and holes, so, if necessary, add more water, a tablespoon at a time, to reach the right consistency.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Grease several 4-inch cake rings with butter.

Place the cake rings in the skillet and pour some batter into each ring so they’re three-quarters full. Cook until holes begin to form on the surface, 7 to 8 minutes. Remove the rings, flip the crumpets, and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, until nicely toasted. Serve immediately with butter. For longer storage, freeze in a zipper-lock plastic bag for up to 1 month. To defrost, place on the countertop for 15 to 30 minutes, and reheat in the oven at 350°F for 5 minutes before serving.

Cider Doughnuts

When my children were small, cider doughnuts were one of the only sweet treats they were allowed. How could I say no to such special yeasted pastries, especially when they were available only briefly in the fall? Now that the children are grown up and connoisseurs of all things sweet, including éclairs, tiramisu, and gelato, they still come running when I make these childhood favorites at home. The recipe is straightforward and relatively simple. Reducing the apple cider before adding it to the dough gives the doughnuts full apple flavor.

• 1-1⁄4 cups apple cider
• 17.62 oz. (3-1⁄2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. instant yeast
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1-1⁄3 tsp. fine sea salt or kosher salt
• 2.5 oz. (5 Tbs.) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large egg yolks
• 2⁄3 cup room temperature buttermilk (70°F to 78°F)
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• Cinnamon sugar (about 1⁄4 cup should do it)

Bring the apple cider to a boil in a medium saucepan. Boil until it is reduced to 1⁄4 cup, 7 to 10 minutes. Pour into a glass measuring cup and let cool to room temperature. Combine the flour, yeast, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.

Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream together on medium-high speed until well-combined, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice as necessary. Add the egg yolks and beat, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice as necessary, until smooth. Add the cooled cider and the buttermilk and beat until combined. Stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Do not overmix!

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl or dough-rising container, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let stand at room temperature until it is puffy and slightly risen, about 1-1⁄2 hours.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper and sprinkle generously with flour. Turn the dough out onto one of them and sprinkle the top of the dough with flour.

Flatten the dough with your hands until it is about 1⁄2 inch thick, sprinkling on more flour if necessary to prevent sticking. Place the baking sheet in the freezer until the dough is slightly hardened, about 20 minutes.

Remove the dough from the freezer and use a 3-inch doughnut cutter to cut as many doughnut shapes as you can. Place the cut doughnuts and the doughnut holes on the second baking sheet. Re-roll and cut the scraps. Refrigerate the cut doughnuts and holes for 20 to 30 minutes.

Add 3 inches of oil to a deep pot. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pot and heat the oil over medium heat until it reaches 350°F. Line a large platter or another baking sheet with several layers of paper towels.

Carefully add a few doughnuts to the pot, being careful not to crowd them. Fry until golden brown on one side, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Turn and continue to fry until golden on both sides, another 30 seconds to 1 minute. Drain the cooked doughnuts on the paper towels, and repeat with the remaining doughnuts, keeping an eye on the thermometer to make sure the oil stays at a steady 350°F and adjusting the heat as necessary.

Roll the warm doughnuts in cinnamon sugar and serve warm.

Butter Cookies

• 9-1/2 oz. (2 cups plus 1 Tbs.) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. table salt
• 8 oz. (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1-1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Several hours before baking:

Combine the flour and salt in a medium bowl. With an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture just until combined. Remove the dough from the bowl, gather it into two disks, wrap each in plastic, and chill until firm, 2 to 3 hours.

To bake:

Heat the oven to 325°F. Cover your cookie sheets with parchment. Flour a work surface and have a little extra flour on hand for the rolling pin. Roll one dough disk 3/16-inch thick. Cut out the shapes you want (decorate with sprinkles before baking, if using) and transfer to the sheets, arranging them about 3/4-inch apart. Reroll the scraps to make more cookies. Bake until the edges turn golden, 13 to 16 minutes, depending on size. Let cool before transferring or decorating with icing. Repeat with the second disk of dough.