Good Things by David

❀  The Monthly Cookie ❀  Pots and Pans: The Basics ❀  Caring for Stainless Steel ❀  Ostrich Ferns ❀  Crafting Good Thing with Ferns ❀  Refreshing Summer Drinks ❀  Italian Rice Salad with Tonno ❀  Cornmeal Pate Sucree ❀  Blind Baking a Tart Crust ❀  Pastry Cream ~ C rème Pâtissière ❀  Deluxe Raspberry Tart

Every baker needs to have a jar of vanilla sugar in their pantry.  This flavored sugar gives so much depth to everything it touches, from cakes, cookies and custards, to a nice cup of tea or coffee.  Vanilla sugar is so easy to make and it's such a good thing to have on hand.  I almost always use a fresh vanilla bean and scrape out the numerous seeds (I like to think it's vanilla caviar), but if I've used a bean to infuse something like a  crème anglaise or crème pâtissière , I save it and add it to my jar of sugar; there's no reason to throw away a spent vanilla bean.  The split vanilla bean in the foreground was used to make a crème pâtissière .  I make sure the bean is completely dry before mixing it with my granulated sugar.  The rule of thumb for me is 4 cups of sugar for every vanilla bean (you can use superfine sugar with great results). Drop your bean into a jar with a tight fittin...

The third and last set of Noah's Ark Cookie Cutters gave us some more beautiful animals to cherish.  The product designers at  Martha by Mail put a lot of thought into these superb copper cutters and the coppersmith himself, put a lot of care in making them.  One of the aspects that I do so love about all three sets is the diversity of fauna from around the world.  How wonderful to have animals from various countries that span all seven continents; let your imaginations create one of a kind cookies for a baby shower, a child's birthday party, or for the holidays as Martha frequently does.  The label on the box. Catalog # CNA 003 The opened ark box.  Every single cookie cutter fits quite snugly. ~ Caring for Copper ~ The decorating & recipe booklets, along with the plastic ark template. Set III decorating booklet. ♦ Text below is from the decorating booklet. ♦ A Monkey...

Affogato is perhaps one of the easiest desserts you can make.  All you need is some ice cream (I love vanilla) and some piping hot, very strong espresso or coffee.  When the weather gets uncomfortably hot outside and you want a good scoop of ice cream, why not make it a bit more chic?  This is something you can serve to guests (the kids can get root beer floats) at the end of a large meal, when all you want is something light and refreshing.  It's as simple as brewing, scooping & pouring.  This is very delicious and very deluxe.   Scoops of vanilla ice cream (I like soy!) in a drabware tea cup and a shot of espresso. Simply pour your shot or coffee over the scoops.  You decide how much coffee to pour, but I like just 2-4 tablespoons per cup. The espresso cools upon contact and the ice cream begins to melt. So easy and so delicious! Your cups better look like this when you're done. The next...

This second set of Noah's Ark Cookie Cutters from Martha by Mail was offered shortly after the introduction of  Set I .  The nine animals from Set II included a slithery snake, a tall & regal ostrich, a cute hippo, a single-humped Arabian camel, a gorgeous tiger, a seal, a large moose, an adorable rhino and perhaps the most memorable of all, the antarctic penguin.  This charming penguin became one of Martha Stewart Living's iconic images for the holidays and was used in several publications.  In fact, the cutter became so popular with customers, that the company decided to offer it exclusively as a promotional item for magazine subscriptions.  Collectors and bakers take note, these make wonderfully shaped cookies not only for the holidays, but for many other occasions as well.  Enjoy! ♦ From my collection. ♦ The label on the box. Catalog # CNA 002 All of the cutters are carefully nested in...

This set of Noah's Ark Cookie Cutters was first offered through Martha by Mail back in 1997.  Martha and her team of designers commissioned this menagerie of adorable animal cookie cutters from one of America's foremost coppersmiths.  The charming creatures quickly became collector's items when Martha showed us how she decorated her Christmas trees with scores of frosted cookies from this set.  That they are highly sought after today is a testament to their quality and enduring beauty.  Take a look at how each of these is unique in shape, size and character.  ♦ These are from my personal collection. ♦ The original label on the box ~ Set I. Catalog # CNA 001 The cookie cutters themselves were so thoughtfully packaged.  The box is shaped like a compartmentalized ark that is lined with paper "hay".  ~Caring for Copper~ Original pamphlets with recipes & decorating ideas.  ...

I have a good amount of collectible  Martha by Mail copper cookie cutters that I love to use throughout the year, whether for birthdays or the holidays.  Since these are heirloom pieces for the next generation of bakers in my family, I like to treat them gently in order to maintain their beauty. A few cutters from my collection.  Copper is wonderfully lustrous when absolutely clean and since it's a rather expensive metal, it should be taken care of properly.  Tarnish is almost always inevitable, but easily manageable if you polish gently & effectively.  I know people who own different types of copper kitchenalia, from pots & pans, to decorative molds and trays; all of these require attention every now and then.  Below, I'll show you how I care for my cookie cutters made of solid copper. These are Martha by Mail copper leaf canape cutters in the shape of gingko, elm, oak & maple ~ they measure approximately ...