Begin with Butter

Happy Thursday, Dearest Reader, Every Thursday evening, I send these Baking Deep Dive emails to invite you back to the counter—just you, the soul of your kitchen, and the rhythm of the work. These letters are part whisper, part science lesson, part kitchen altar call. Tonight, I want to offer you a new way of seeing sugar. Because unlocking a true understanding about sugar will improve your baking immensely. 🍬 Featured Article: The Science of Sugar Want to dive even deeper into sugar’s role...

The Quiet Work of Eggs—and the Legacy They Leave Behind Thursday Deep Dive A cozy note from my kitchen to yours Welcome to my Kitchen, Reader – Thanks for being here—you’re part of what holds our little baking community together, and I am ever grateful for your presence. These Thursday Deep Dives are my way of opening the kitchen door just a little wider—to invite you in for something nourishing and thoughtful. Each one is a pause button in the week: part baking science, part soulful...

Hey Reader! Good Morning! This year, we're rewriting our holiday story. No more being the blur in the background, rushing between kitchen and dining room. No more missing the family photos because we're still wearing our flour-dusted aprons. 2024 is the year we get to be in the pictures, relaxed and present for every moment. ✨ That's exactly what our Cozy, Curated Holiday series is all about – editing the holidays to work better for us makers and doers. And I'm excited to share two...

Hi Reader! Happy Friday! There's a brand new blog post on the Begin with Butter site. And because you're a Quick Tips subscriber, it's yours exclusively! Want to look at this special recipe? Type QTQuiche when you're prompted for the password and you're in! Enjoy this first look! Protected: Easy and Delicious Quiche Published on August 31, 2024 by Shani The post Protected: Easy and Delicious Quiche first appeared on Begin with Butter. Enjoy the article! Got questions or need guidance? Reply...

Don't want Quick Tips with Shani? Click here to opt out of this BwB newsletter! Hey Reader! Welcome to Quick Tips with Shani! Today's topic: How to Avoid a Wobbly Layer Cake How I do it: Oh, how I understand the frustration of a layer cake that wants to sliiiiiide while you're building it! Whether the cake's warm when you build it, the kitchen is too warm, there's too much filling, or the buttercream is too soft, there are a number of reasons why a layer cake might want to move about....

Hey Reader! Welcome to Quick Tips with Shani! Today's topic: Substitutions Why it happens: We're all guilty of it (myself included!). We are looking for a different taste, texture, or (fill in the quality here) than what the recipe actually calls for. So, we experiment. And the experiment doesn't get us any closer to what we wanted. 😂 That, friends, is because successful baking relies heavily on the scientific interplay between ingredients. Which is just a fancy way of saying that some...

Hey Reader! Welcome to Quick Tips with Shani! Today's topic: You don't need a recipe for fruit pies. There, I said it: Well, let me modify that a bit. You don't need a recipe for the pie filling. For the pie crust, my Easy All-Butter Pie Crust is perfect for any fruit pie that you might want to make (or quiche, or pot pie, or tart, or...) For fruit pies, you are only limited by your imagination. I much prefer cooked fruit fillings because you can control the amount that the pie filling...

Hey Reader! Welcome to Quick Tips with Shani! Today's topic: Sharing My Baking Mentors Why this is important: BB, I know you know what it means to have information overload. I mean, it's 2024. That's kind of our default setting. Because I take learning about baking seriously, I've significantly limited the number of baking education resources that I use. Because more is decidedly not better in this instance. Here are my faves: The Professional Pastry Chef by Bo Friberg - This is my baking...

Hey Reader! Welcome to Quick Tips with Shani! Today's topic: Five Baking Recipes Every Baker Should Master Here they are: I truly believe, that if you master the techniques behind these five recipes, you will be well on your way to achieving kitchen mastery! NOTE: achieving mastery often requires practicing something more than once, so if you don't have a perfect outcome the first time, don't worry! Congratulate yourself for being absolutely normal, take the lessons from the bake, and apply...