Pastryscoop

See fuzzy melon.

A homogenized mixture of milk and cream.

This is a confection bar from the Middle East made from honey and ground sesame seeds. Occasionally, it contains dried fruits or pistachios.

Hamantaschen are a triangular pastry that have apricot, prune, or poppy seed filling and are typically seen during the Jewish festival of Purim.

See cookies, hand-shaped.

A creamy mixture of either brown, granulated, or confectioners’ sugar, butter and flavoring that is chilled until hard. It is also known as “brandy butter” in England and typically accompanies plum pudding.

Referring to when boiling syrup reaches 250-265° F. Without a thermometer, one can tell if the syrup has reached hard-ball stage when it is dipped in cold water and literally forms a hard ball.

Referring to when sugar syrup reaches 300° to 310°F. Without a candy thermometer, one can test if the sugar syrup has reached hard-crack stage when it is dipped in cold water and separates into hard threads.

Referring to when sugar syrup reaches 300° to 310°F. Without a candy thermometer, one can test if the sugar syrup has reached hard-crack stage when it is dipped in cold water and separates into hard threads.

A large biscuit made with unleavened, unsalted flour dough and dried to last a long time. In the 1800s, sailors would often bring this biscuit on trips because of its long shelf life.

A cornmeal mush that is prepared with water. It is almost always served with syrup or honey and is sometimes prepared with milk instead of water.

These small, grape-sized nuts are found growing in clusters on hazel trees found in temperate zones throughout the world. These sweet nuts are surrounded by a bitter skin that can easily be removed. They can be purchased either chopped or whole.

A strongly flavored oil that comes from the pressing of hazelnuts.

A cream that has a milk fat content of at least 36%.

A whipping cream with a fat content of 36-40%. When whipped, it can double in volume.

A fatty buttery nut harvested from hickory trees—the pecan being the most popular, partially due to their soft shell. Other hickory nut varieties have an extremely hard shall and can be difficult to crack. These nuts are an excellent substitute for pecans and can be add to a variety of baked goods.

A meal of British origin served in the late afternoon or early evening. Served buffet-style or on a table, the spread usually consists of tea, a variety of meat and fish and other dishes, as well as buns, crumpets, biscuits, clotted cream, jams, and an array of cakes and pastries.

See johnnycake.

The process of breaking down fat globules in milk to attain a stable emulsion that will not separate.

A naturally sweet, viscous liquid produced by bees from flower nectar. Used as a sweetener to replace sugar in sweets, drinks, and baking.

A sweet muskmelon grown in California and the southwestern United States. The honeydew is an oval that has a juicy and sweet pale green flesh and a smooth rind of a cream/light yellow hue. Honeydews are in season July to September and weigh about 5-8 pounds. When choosing a melon, find one heavy for its size, as it indicates the fruit is juicy.

Very sweet drinks popular in Mexico and Spain that are made by steeping chufa or nuts in water. Horchata is served cold and sometimes cinnamon is added.

A leafy plant in the mint family, which is used to make brittle horehound candies that have a slightly bitter taste.

See kiwano.

Slightly sweet yeast buns made with raisins and currants. A cross is cut into the bun after proofing, then filled with icing after baking.

A small bluish-black wild berry that is in season from June through August. The huckleberry is similar to the blueberry, but is not as sweet and has ten hard seeds in the berry. They can be baked or eaten out of hand.

“Oil” in French, usually referring to cooking oil.

The fibrous covering of fruits or seeds, or the act of removing this fibrous coating.

A pie prepared with sugar and spices, apples, and deer organs. It originated in the 17th century in England.

A substance that forms a gel with water. It can be naturally present or added to control the functional properties of aqueous foodstuff, including viscosity, water binding, emulsion, stabilization, and prevention of recrystallization.