We chatted with recipe developer, writer, and host of the YouTube collection Dessert Individual about her just-published cookbook, What’s for Dessert. Whilst you’re right here, remember to take a look at Claire’s recipe for Candy Cheese Blintzes With Lemony Apricot Compote!
How did the method of growing and conceptualizing What’s for Dessert examine to Dessert Individual ?
It was a really totally different course of for lots of causes. Dessert Individual is so targeted on baking and on my explicit type, so the event had me in a cushty place. What’s for Dessert was actually about getting out of that consolation zone. There have been these different sorts of desserts and preparations that I wished to analyze and delve into—so, in lots of methods, [this made the] improvement trickier, as a result of I simply did extra testing of the recipes. It was a studying course of for me as nicely.
I additionally tried to push myself creatively. I’d have an concept for a recipe that felt like a very fascinating, new concept, after which I’d go to check it, and I’d understand that there’s a motive that factor didn’t exist—it’s as a result of it doesn’t actually work. I needed to abandon lots of concepts, truly. The manufacturing of concepts was at all times ongoing, so I believe that this e-book modified much more all through improvement than Dessert Individual did. It’s somewhat extra dynamic and somewhat bit extra exploratory. I believe that this e-book actually propelled me ahead [as a developer] as a result of I wasn’t simply staying on this space that felt comfy for me.
There’s extra of an emphasis on, perhaps not “simpler” recipes, however recipes that want much less tools or are extra streamlined. Did that make it more difficult to develop the recipes?
It actually did. A driving drive of the e-book was to method all the pieces with extra simplicity. You’re proper to level out that “simple” wasn’t actually the conceptual concept. It was extra about simplicity and a streamlined high quality. I do attempt to have recipes that really feel very simple, however there’s a spread. So even when a recipe does require just a few totally different steps, or two totally different parts, there’s nonetheless, I hope, a streamlined high quality to it. However that undoubtedly made it tougher—easy is tough! There aren’t parts you possibly can cover behind. Each motion and ingredient has a task.
It’s such an fascinating factor, the strain between one thing being technical and one thing being easy, as a result of I do suppose it may be each. It relies on what your perspective is on simplicity. There’s lots of approach within the e-book, however that doesn’t essentially imply it’s difficult.
Had been there any recipes, or sorts of recipes, that had been particularly enjoyable or particularly difficult to develop?
In some methods, “particularly enjoyable” and “particularly difficult” go hand-in-hand. If one thing is difficult, there’s additionally the next reward whenever you nail it. I had a lot enjoyable growing the chilled and frozen desserts chapter. I attempted to usher in a way of caprice to a few of the desserts—I wished them to really feel enjoyable and celebratory, along with feeling bakeable and achievable. That chapter [has] so many alternatives to mess around with texture—all the pieces from a silky, creamy panna cotta to an excellent ethereal mousse to icy granitas. It was enjoyable to be in that realm. When making desserts that aren’t essentially baked, the place the construction isn’t coming from flour however from egg, it opens you as much as so many various textures.
The stovetop desserts chapter was lots of enjoyable and difficult to develop, however I like the way it turned out. I’m fairly keen on the puddings within the e-book. I like the thought of the chocolate coupes as a result of it’s one thing so homestyle, chocolate pudding, however put in a elaborate glass. That’s precisely my finest type of dessert. I need to really feel fancy consuming it, however I would like it to be one thing very comforting on the similar time.
Puddings are so underrated!
I completely agree. I believe that the title provides it an old style, fuddy-duddy high quality, nevertheless it’s actually only a scrumptious, thickened custard. I really feel like the feel, when it’s made correctly, seems so silky and creamy and I like it. That’s been a enjoyable discovery by way of this e-book—I really feel like such a pudding-lover.
Inform me extra concerning the backstory behind the blintz recipe and the way you developed it.
I like that recipe. My grandmother liked making and consuming blintzes. She actually solely cooked a handful of issues, however she was superb at cooking these core recipes in her repertoire—often Jewish recipes. She made borscht, she made kasha varnishkes (the buckwheat and bowtie pasta dish), and a pair different issues, however certainly one of her specialties was blintzes. My mom had talked about reminiscences that she has of serving to her mom make blintzes in somewhat meeting line. My grandmother used to bang them out on the countertop, over a spread-out paper bag, and my mother used to fill them after which stack them into paper shoeboxes. Then they might freeze them, so that they at all times had blintzes.
I liked that reminiscence, and I like that blintzes are such an exquisite stovetop dessert. I additionally like that they pull double responsibility, as a result of they could be a candy breakfast or brunch dish as nicely. The blintz recipe is admittedly not very candy in any respect. The filling is barely very calmly sweetened, so it’s meant to be eaten with one thing candy, like jam. Within the e-book, I serve it with that compote, however you may actually have it with any type of fruit topping.
I truly developed the blintz recipe with my mother, as a result of my grandma had by no means written something down. I did lots of analysis and pulled collectively a recipe based mostly on what my mother had mentioned. Then, we made it collectively, and my mother mentioned they tasted fairly shut. So I felt like I had a stamp of approval there. I liked that I bought to share that with my mother. Along with simply being a private recipe, I like them as a result of they’re so enjoyable to make and scrumptious.
What savory issues do you eat whenever you’re within the technique of growing so many dessert recipes?
I used to be alone for lots of the event course of. My husband and I purchased this cabin within the Hudson Valley a pair years in the past and instantly needed to rip out the kitchen as a result of issues had been simply crumbling and falling aside. He was on the cabin, engaged on the home, however I needed to be within the metropolis for recipe improvement. So, I ate a colossal quantity of frozen dumplings. I’d simply pan-fry and steam them, and that bought me by way of. It’s such a straightforward, five-minute factor to organize. I’d often go to H-Mart and purchase some components for testing and luggage upon luggage of frozen dumplings. I subsisted on that for months. Since I [wrapped] improvement of the e-book, which was clearly a number of months in the past, it has been such an unimaginable pleasure to get again into cooking for myself and my husband. I like cooking for myself, and through these actually intense improvement durations, I’m not doing it a complete lot.
Is there something you’ve been making so much or gravitating in direction of?
I picked my sourdough bread apply again up, which has been so fantastic. It’s very grounding for me, truly. It simply makes me really feel linked to my being. This week I made a giant pot of French onion soup, which was scrumptious. Particularly now that the climate is getting colder, I like these sorts of dishes that simply bubble away on the range for a day. That was so satisfying to make. I make onion soup at the least annually, when the climate turns chilly.
You could have such an enormous following and I’m curious if rising such a big following has impacted the best way you method growing recipes?
I attempt to at all times observe my intestine and my very own measures of style and high quality, as a result of they’re the one issues I’ve. These are my touchstones, and it’s essential to me that the work that I produce measures as much as my very own requirements. So there’s a manner wherein it hasn’t modified, and it in all probability gained’t change. However then there’s a part of the reply that’s sure, it has, as a result of I’m extra conscious of a group of people that have cooked from Dessert Individual and watched the YouTube channel. What’s been so particular about that’s attending to have a dialogue and getting suggestions. I attempt to be inquisitive about how individuals are making recipes, and which recipes they’re making, and which of them appear to resonate, after which incorporate that into my improvement course of. A whole lot of What’s for Dessert took form based mostly on how I noticed folks obtain Dessert Individual. I wished to present extra of that makeability to folks [with the new book]. So in a way, the reply is sure, it has modified the best way that I method recipes and improvement, however not stylistically—extra in a procedural sense.
I attempt to at all times observe my intestine and my very own measures of style and high quality, as a result of they’re the one issues I’ve.
Is there something you’d wish to see extra of within the meals and meals media worlds?
Within the video that I do, I at all times attempt to usher in as a lot nuance as I can. I wish to carry somewhat little bit of vulnerability into [my work]. Generally issues don’t go completely proper once I’m baking at residence, or I used to be rushed, or I didn’t add the vanilla—that type of factor. I believe that vulnerability has at all times type of been lacking from meals media, and I perceive why. People who find themselves recipe builders and cooks and cookbook authors and cooks—the thought is that they’re alleged to be the skilled. I perceive that, however I believe managing folks’s expectations is so essential. I attempt to emphasize the method greater than the tip outcome, and I simply suppose there ought to be extra of that. Cooking and baking are onerous, and it takes lots of apply to realize talent. Not all the pieces is at all times really easy.
There’s such an emphasis on ease on the subject of meals media, and [so I just] need to acknowledge the alternative. I believe that transparency is essential. If I believe one thing is a 45-minute recipe, that doesn’t imply it’s going to take 45 minutes for everybody. I’d moderately not make the promise than have a sure slice of residence bakers really feel actually pissed off that it took them longer. I wish to give attention to delivering a high quality recipe that does the most effective job it could possibly at holding up my finish of the cut price as a recipe developer, moderately than promise one thing that it gained’t essentially ship.
This interview has been edited for size and readability.
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