How to make cold cucumber soup
How to make cold cucumber soup
Cold cucumber soup makes the perfect starter for a summertime dinner party. This instructional video by Handmade TV shows how easy it is to make.
How to make classic vichyssoise
How to make classic vichyssoise
Vichyssoise is a creamy potato soup that can be enjoyed on the hottest of summer days. To learn how to make this chilled soup, watch Handmade TV's video for step-by-step instructions.
Whipping cream is another word for heavy cream.
Heavy cream has a high fat content -- between 36 and 40 percent -- that allows it to double in volume when whipped. Whipping cream is used to make whipped cream (or chantilly, which is slightly sweetened whipped cream).
Do not try to whip light cream, as it will not obey, no matter how hard you beat it.
A meringue is an airy mixture of stiffly beaten egg whites and caster sugar. Said to have been invented by a Swiss chef, the meringue was a favorite of the famously sweet-toothed Marie Antoinette, who introduced it to the French.
Some meringue, like that which is piped on top of a lemon meringue pie, is uncooked (or just browned), while other meringues are baked in a slow oven, at which point they crisp and can be eaten like cookies. Meringue can can be made plain or flavored with vanilla extract or ground almonds or hazelnuts.
Recipe: Meringue Cookies (Cookthink)
Recipe: Lemon Meringue Pie (Washington Post)
A pavlova is the national dessert of New Zealand and Australia. A light, elegant disk of meringue topped with whipped cream and fruit, it's a snap to assemble.
Cornstarch and vinegar are often added to the meringue mixture before baking to give it a crisp exterior and a pillowy interior. You can top your pavlova with whatever kind of fruit you like -- kiwi, passion fruit, raspberries, peaches, or pomegranate seeds for Christmas, when it is often served.
The pavlova was named for Anna Pavlova, a lightfooted Russian ballerina, during her visit to Australia in 1929, though the New Zealanders claim to have invented it first.
Recipe: Pomegranate Pavlova With Mixed Fruit (Cookthink)
What does it mean to cream butter and sugar?
What does it mean to cream butter and sugar?
When a recipe tells you to cream butter and sugar, it means that you should beat the two ingredients -- with a wooden spoon and a bit of elbow grease or an electric mixer -- until they form a light, uniform and creamy mixture. Once sugar and butter are properly creamed, the sugar crystals will have dissolved, resulting in a smooth texture.
