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Cream-Filled Pastries

You don’t need to hop a flight to Paris to enjoy patisserie-worthy cream-filled pastries, but you do need to learn a few key techniques. In this class, we’ll begin with pâte à choux, the classic French pastry dough used to make cream puffs, éclairs, and profiteroles. And since you can’t make a cream-filled pastry without cream filling, you’ll also learn how to make pastry cream—the classic rich, creamy custard—in different flavors. Then you’ll learn how to load a pastry bag and pipe the filling into pâte à choux to make some unforgettable desserts.

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  • Baking & Desserts

Savory Tarts and Galettes

Tarts aren't just for dessert. We love a hearty, vegetable-filled tart as a main course for dinner, a dinner party, or as leftovers for lunch. Tart fillings are also adaptable, since you can easily swap out vegetables or cheeses depending on what you have on hand. Since most of the tarts in this class can be made ahead, they are a stress-free way to serve an elegant meal. Learn how to make different crusts to blind bake and shape into a Mushroom and Leek Galette with Gorgonzola; a Caramelized Onion, Tomato, and Goat Cheese Tart; and a Camembert, Sun-Dried Tomato, and Potato Tart.

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  • Baking & Desserts

Creamy Custardy Desserts

In this course we'll cover simplified and streamlined techniques for making classic desserts like panna cotta, mousse, and semifreddo so that they can be enjoyed whenever the mood strikes. You'll learn how these desserts achieve their smooth, creamy textures, and what to watch out for when you’re working with eggs, whipped cream, or gelatin. And don’t count these classics out as old-timers—we’ve added bold flavors and methods to modernize the classic, creamy custard.

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  • Baking & Desserts

Brioche and Baguette

While many novice cooks may shy away from preparing these two French breads at home, producing homemade baguettes and loaves of brioche is incredibly rewarding. This online cooking class will teach the mechanics of yeast—the science of it and also the differences between instant and active dry yeast— and how these breads develop structure and flavor through kneading techniques and fermentation. We will also teach you about essential tools for making baguettes and brioche at home, including couche, lame, and instant-read thermometer, and what type of yeast and flour will make the perfect loaf. Then, of course, we will walk you step-by-step through our baguette and brioche recipes. In no time at all you will be making authentic Parisian bread at home.

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  • Baking & Desserts

Biscuits, Cornbread, and Soda Bread

In this online cooking class, we start by answering the question of what are quick breads? Like their name indicates, they’re “quick” because they’re leavened with baking powder or baking soda instead of yeast. The key advantage to this is that these breads are quick to make; with no waiting for dough to proof and rise, you can assemble and bake these breads in a snap. After defining and learning about the topic of quick breads, we teach you how to make three of the best quick bread recipes, for flaky buttermilk biscuits, Southern-style cornbread, and brown soda bread. You will also learn all about buttermilk, how to measure dry ingredients, and how to care for your cast iron skillet.

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  • Baking & Desserts

Crème Brûlée and Other Custards

With any recipe containing few ingredients, the devil is in the details. Custards are a good example of this. Here we demystify that process by answering important questions like why you should bake custard in a water bath, and why should you strain custard. We will also teach you the science behind these desserts, why custard thickens, as well as how to avoid a lumpy custard (and how to fix those lumps when they do happen) so that you can be successful every time. As always, we will share with you our picks for the best ingredients and essential equipment, including the best saucepan, whisk, and kitchen torch. You’ll understand how to temper the egg mixture to avoid curdling, and learn to make a water bath, or bain marie. By the end of this online cooking class, you will be able to prepare several classic custard-based recipes such as Crème Brûlée, Flan, and Pots de Creme.

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  • Baking & Desserts

Classic Cakes

Cake is the perfect way to say happy birthday or to celebrate weddings, anniversaries, and almost any other holiday you can think of. But most home cooks think it’s easier to order a cake from a professional than it is to make their own. Cake making requires precision and careful attention to detail, but armed with the techniques—like how to frost and decorate a cake—and recipes you’ll learn in this online class, you’ll be able to turn out foolproof bakery-style cakes—including ultimate chocolate cupcakes, authentic New York cheesecake, and moist yellow layer cake—for any occasion.

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  • Baking & Desserts

Sourdough for Beginners

Making a sourdough starter requires time but very little effort. Once established, this starter opens up a whole new universe of homemade breads with its trademark sourdough tang. In this online cooking class, learn how sourdough starter works—from making the starter to feeding it to turning it into bread. Discover what makes sourdough taste sour. Follow our step-by-step core technique video for an easy way to make sourdough starter, including when to feed it. You’ll learn what equipment to have and ingredients to use to make this foolproof, and as always we will share what common mistakes to avoid for success every time. When your starter is ready, add it to basic bread ingredients and turn out a delicious loaf of homemade sourdough bread.

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  • Baking & Desserts

Bakery-Style Pastries

Butter, flour, sugar: the ingredient list for the flaky pastries you see in bakery cases is often very short, but many home bakers are intimidated by the process of preparing these pastry recipes at home. The layered structure that characterizes pastries such as croissants, kouign amann, and other similar pastries is formed through a process called lamination. What is lamination? The method can vary slightly depending on the recipe and the pastry you're making, but generally lamination happens when a lean yeasted dough is wrapped around a block of butter. The package is rolled out and folded repeatedly to form paper-thin layers of dough separated by even thinner layers of butter. As the pastry bakes, the steam separates the layers, creating rise. The result is a flaky, buttery pastry that almost melts in your mouth. In this online course, you'll learn all about lamination and other key pastry techniques, as well as how to make croissants, kouign amann, and palmiers at home. These pastry recipes take some patience, but the delicious result is worth it.

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  • Baking & Desserts

Foolproof Pie Dough

One of the biggest complaints we hear from our students is about rolling out pie dough. Why does it tear? Why is it so crumbly? It won’t stop sticking! In this America’s Test Kitchen online cooking class, you’ll learn the secrets to pie dough that is easy to roll out and won’t stick to the counter. Discover what ingredient makes the process easy because of its ability to evaporate while baking (you’ll want to unlock the liquor cabinet for this). With the combination of mostly butter and a small amount of vegetable shortening, this dough ensures great flavor and a tender flaky crust every time, and works with your favorite pie recipe.

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  • Baking & Desserts

Intense Chocolate

Chocolate: It’s almost universally loved and craved, and it's a treasured ingredient that transcends trends. In the past decade, Americans have gotten serious about dark chocolate and the rich, complex, and bitter flavors that become more prominent when dairy is omitted from the mix. In this course we will share tips and techniques for getting the most intense flavor out of your chocolate. You'll use these techniques as you make Chewy Brownies, Chocolate-Stout Bundt Cake, and Chocolate-Espresso Tart.

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  • Baking & Desserts

Quick Breads

The term “quick bread” indicates just that: a bread that can be prepared quickly, thanks to baking powder and baking soda’s chemical-leavening abilities. These ingredients allow you to bypass the proofing and rising steps of yeasted breads, minimizing quick breads’ prep time and maximizing their popularity at breakfasts and brunches. You may not have to worry about the rise, but there’s still lots of technique involved in turning out impressive banana bread, scones, or muffins. In this class, we’ll teach you how to measure and mix your way to perfect quick breads with recipes for Banana Bread, Blueberry Muffins, and British Scones.

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