Co-authors of the popular Les Petits Macarons demonstrate classic French techniques for two-bite desserts with worldly flavors in new cookbook
Waukegan, Ill (September 2016)—When it comes to moderation, the French are experts. Sweets are central to the French way of life, but they are often packaged in two-bite form, providing just a taste of each dessert. And when it comes to the petite treat, professional baking instructor Kathryn Gordon is an expert. Gordon’s mastery of French technique and passion for small-yet-scrumptious desserts is the cornerstone of her new cookbook, Les Petits Sweets: Two-Bite Desserts from the French Patisserie(Running Press, September 2016).
Co-authored with Anne E. McBride, Les Petits Sweetswalks readers through the techniques used to make classic French favorites such as madeleines, éclairs, petits fours, caramels and more. After learning the basic techniques behinds each of these classic treats, readers can test their skills on new flavor combinations, such as Pear-Rosemary Madeleines, Strawberry-Matcha Tartelettes and Milk Chocolate-Lime Caramels.
“Understanding basic technique is the foundation of creating delicious pastries,” said Beth Nielsen, Chief Culinary Officer of Nielsen-Massey Vanillas, Inc. “In Les Petits Sweets, Kathryn and Anne demonstrate both the importance of technique and the creativity that comes from experimenting with flavors to give a new twist to a classic favorite.”
While the book’s recipes and inspiration come from France, where Gordon and McBride travel every year, the flavors present in the recipes hail from all over the world.
“When I am recipe testing, I turn to the variety of spices and extracts in my pantry to inspire a world of flavor combinations,” said Gordon. “I keep an assortment of Nielsen-Massey Vanillas products on hand for this very reason – the high quality of the products enhances each element of my recipes, making for a delicious end result that is worth each indulgent bite.”
Calissons are a French favorite built upon a no-bake, almond-based dough that is flavored with orange blossom water and glazed in a variety of colors. In the recipe for Orange Blossom Calissons, below, Gordon recommends using Nielsen-Massey Orange Blossom Water for the richest flavor.
Orange Blossom Calissons
Courtesy of Les Petits Sweets: Two Bite Desserts from the French Patisserie
Yield: About 20 (3/4-inch) calissons
1 ¼ cups (135 grams) almond flour
2/3 cup (100 grams) confectioners’ sugar, plus more for assembly
1/8 teaspoon (1 gram) fine sea salt
1 tablespoon (25 grams) apricot preserves
1 ½ teaspoons (7 grams) Nielsen-Massey Orange Blossom Water
½ cup (90 grams) orange confit (recipe follows)
2 (11 x 8 ½-inch) sheets wafer paper
Orange Blossom Glaze (recipe follows)
Directions:
Place the almond flour, sugar, salt, apricot preserves and Orange Blossom Water in the bowl of a food processor and pulse about 25 times, until a smooth paste forms. Stop and scrape the sides of the bowl every 5 pulses to ensure that all the ingredients are mixing smoothly. Add the orange confit and pulse it in, 5 pulses more. You should be able to press the dough into a ball with your hands.
Place one sheet of the wafer paper on waxed or parchment paper, shiny side up. Place half of the dough on the wafer paper, sprinkle it with confectioners’ sugar to prevent the rolling pin from sticking, and roll it out into a rectangle about 11 x 4 inches and 1/3 inch thick. Repeat the process with the second half of the dough.
With a calisson or diamond cookie cutter, a chef’s knife, or a sharp pizza cutter, cut the dough into diamonds. If using a knife or pizza cutter, use a ruler to cut ¾-inch-wide vertical strips parallel to each other. Then place the ruler at the bottom left of the dough on a 45-degree angle. Measure 1-inch-wide strips parallel to each other, and then cut the diamond shapes that form.
Dip the tops of the calissons in the Orange Blossom Glaze or use a toothpick to spread the glaze over the tops. The glaze layer should be about 1/16 inch thick. Return them to the waxed or parchment paper and let them air-dry for 24 hours. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Orange Confit
Yield: 1 ¾ cups, drained
Peels from 3 oranges (about 2 ½ cups, or 266 grams)
Pinch of salt
1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
½ cup (115 grams) water
¼ cup (85 grams) light corn syrup
Directions:
Cut the orange peels into ¼-inch-wide strips, then cut those into ¼-inch-wide pieces. Place the peels in a small stainless-steel saucepan. Add the salt and enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and blanch for 5 minutes once the water is boiling. Pour the mixture into a fine mesh strainer or a chinois and rinse in cold water. Repeat the blanching process 4 more times, without adding extra salt. The last time, leave the peels in the strainer and reserve.
Pour the sugar and water into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat with the corn syrup and blanched orange peels. Once the mixture is boiling, lower the heat to low and let simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and cover it. Let the mixture cool overnight in the syrup. Store the cooled confit in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. Drain the peel before adding it to recipes.
Orange Blossom Glaze
Yield: ½ cup
2/3 cup (100 grams) confectioners’ sugar
1 ½ teaspoons (7 grams) Nielsen-Massey Orange Blossom Water
2 ½ teaspoons (10 grams) water
1 to 3 drops liquid, paste or gel food coloring (as desired)
1 teaspoon (6 grams) glycerin
Place all the ingredients in a bowl and stir by hand, to avoid creating a lot of bubbles, until they form a homogenous mixture. Use immediately, or cover the glaze with plastic wrap placed directly on the surface so that the glaze does not dry before time comes to dip the calissons.
Note: Look for wafer paper online. It is available in rice (which will keep the calissons gluten-free) or wheat. Do not buy spring roll wrappers, which, while more readily available, are not the correct type of base.
About Les Petits Sweets
The French way is the petite treat: two delicious bites—just a taste—of a madeleine, sablé, petit four, nougat, caramel, or other dessert that packs a sweet punch. With the tiny desserts featured in Les Petits Sweets, you can taste more than one, or have a dessert-tasting party to try them all. And try them you must: with flavors like Earl Grey, lavender, cassis, cardamom, apple-yuzu, and more, it will be impossible to choose just one. Classic French techniques explain each recipe from start to finish. Go ahead, have dessert first.
About Nielsen-Massey Vanillas
Throughout its more than 100 year history, Nielsen-Massey Vanillas has earned its reputation as a manufacturer of the finest extracts in the world. The full line of Nielsen-Massey’s Pure Vanilla products include: Vanilla Beans and Extracts from Madagascar, Tahiti and Mexico; sugar and alcohol-free Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Powder; Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste; Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Sugar, Alcohol Free Madagascar Pure Vanilla, Organic Fairtrade Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract and Organic Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Beans.
Nielsen-Massey Vanillas also offers a full line of Pure Flavors: Pure Chocolate Extract, Pure Almond Extract, Pure Orange Extract, Pure Lemon Extract, Pure Coffee Extract, Pure Peppermint Extract, Orange Blossom Water and Rose Water. All Nielsen-Massey products are All-Natural, Allergen-Free, and certified Kosher and Gluten-Free. The company is headquartered in Waukegan, Illinois, with production facilities in Waukegan and Leeuwarden, The Netherlands.
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For more information about Nielsen-Massey Vanillas, please call Gardi Wilks at 847-578-1550.
