between 117 and 120°C. Put the thermometer in the syrup before it boils and ensure the base of the thermometer or the probe (depending on what type of thermometer you are using) is covered.
GÜ TIP To accurately read the temperature on a thermometer, make sure that you look at it at the same level as the liquid you are measuring, rather than looking down or up at the thermometer.
MAKING MERINGUES
The most important thing when making meringues is to ensure that the bowl and beaters are spotlessly clean without a hint of grease. If possible, use a glass or stainless-steel bowl as plastic can be more difficult to clean thoroughly. Egg whites can be tricky to work with, so check out the Gü tips.
When it comes to whisking, beat the egg whites to soft peaks (when you lift the beaters from the egg white, they leave peaks of egg white behind that curl over slightly at the top and although they hold their shape, they will wobble a bit when shaken) before adding the sugar. You are looking to whisk in as much air as possible, so rotate the whisk around the bowl to help volumise the egg white. It also helps to start whisking on a slow setting to introduce small stable bubbles. You can then increase the speed to achieve the required consistency.
GÜ TIP Use older egg whites as they are easier to whisk than fresh ones and when you separate the white from the yolk you must make sure that there isn’t any trace of the yolk left.
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
You could fill your kitchen with electrical gadgets and other pieces of equipment designed to make cooking as straightforward as possible, but sometimes we think these can only get in the way. So in our recipes we have limited ourselves to a few pieces of the electrical paraphernalia and, wherever possible, we’ve given alternatives for doing things by hand.
ELECTRIC HAND MIXER: Also known as an electric hand whisk, these pieces of machinery are inexpensive, store away neatly and are very handy. Some come with different sizes of beater and also a dough hook.
You might want to consider using one with a higher wattage and the number of speed settings that are available.
FOOD PROCESSOR: A good food processor will come with many different accessories, which are helpful for chopping, mixing, puréeing, liquidising, juicing and grinding. Again, the power of the machine will vary, so if you like to use your food processor frequently it might be worth investing in something that is more powerful.
FREE-STANDING MIXER: If you have an electric hand mixer and a food processor, the chances are that you won’t need one of these as well, although they do make beating and whisking easier as you have your hands free for other important kitchen tasks.
ICE-CREAM MACHINE: This is certainly a time- and energy-saving piece of electrical equipment. Keep the bowl in the freezer, even when it’s not in use, to speed up the whole process. When you are making ice cream, follow the instructions that come with the machine, but remember that as the ice-cream mixture is freezing, it will expand – so don’t overfill the bowl.
STICK BLENDER: For the smoothest of sauces, custards and ganaches a stick blender is invaluable. If you don’t have one of these, what are you waiting for? Put it on your Christmas list. They are compact, affordable, simple to use and easy to clean.
OTHER USEFUL EQUIPMENT
Most of these pieces of equipment are used regularly in our recipes, so it’s worth checking if you need any before getting started.
BAKING PARCHMENT: It used to be the case that you could only buy greaseproof paper for baking, but times have moved on and while greaseproof paper still has its place in the kitchen for wrapping foods like cheese, baking parchment is what you need to use when, well, baking. It is non-stick and comes in a roll to cut to size or you can buy tear-off sheets or circles in various diameters.
Silicone products are also much more readily available, including silicone paper and mats, which can be wiped clean and re-used. The mats are fantastic for lining baking trays and are the perfect base on which to cook our meringues, cookies and choux pastry. You can also buy re-usable silicone cupcake and muffin cases. Just brilliant.
BAKING SHEETS AND TRAYS: This may seem obvious, but a baking sheet has no edges (just possibly a small raised lip along one side), while a baking tray is like a small roasting tin. We give dimensions whenever they are necessary, otherwise use an average sized sheet or tray.
CAKE TESTER: While the traditional way of inserting a skewer into a cake to see if it is cooked through works a treat, you might also like to know of the existence of a heat-sensing tester. The tip turns red when pushed into the centre of a cake and its ready.
MICROPLANE GRATER: In several of our recipes we suggest that you use a Microplane grater as we think they do the best job. These are flat, stainless steel graters that have sharp blades which don’t clog – always a boon when grating citrus fruits or chocolate in particular.
PESTLE AND MORTAR: You may associate a pestle and mortar mainly with crushing herbs and spices, but this piece of equipment has other uses, too. In this book you could use it to help make the Citrus Dust and the mint sugar for our White Chocolate Eton Mess. The heavier the pestle and mortar, the better, and marble and granite are the best choices of material as they are non-porous. They vary in size, too, but for the recipes in this book, you would only need a small pestle and mortar or an electric spice grinder would do the job just as well.
PIPING BAGS: Piping sets are easy to get hold of and come complete with different sizes of straight and patterned nozzles. Silicone or nylon bags are easy to use as they are flexible and quick to clean. Drop your chosen nozzle in place, fill it up and off you go. You can also buy rolls of disposable piping bags that can be cut to fit any size of nozzle or just snip off the end to use on their own. Don’t overfill the bags as this will make them difficult to handle, especially if you are doing some fine icing. It is much better to half fill a bag and then come back for more.
RAMEKINS: These little heatproof dishes used to be available in white, white, white or white, but like much else in the kitchen, their design has been revolutionised with the injection of colour and variations in shape: you can even buy heart-shaped ramekins. We are proud of the ramekins that we put some of our puds in, but it is important to note that while we are all for recycling them, they are not designed to be re-heated, so for all recipes in this book that require baking in the oven, please use other shop-bought ramekins of the appropriate capacity.
RUBBER SPATULA: In place of the good old wooden spoon we prefer to use a rubber spatula. They are flexible, come in various shapes and sizes, are easy to clean and kind to non-stick pots and pans. Furthermore, they are also available in wonderfully bright colours so you can choose one to team with your kitchen decor. Not something to overlook. Check what temperature they can be used to. It’s best to buy a heatproof spatula for higher temperatures to avoid leaving behind melted rubber in your pans.
SILICONE AND POLYCARBONATE MOULDS: Easy to use, especially when it comes to unmoulding baked goods, these types of moulds are just the biz! If you want to make traditional cakes with specific shapes, such as the financiers and madeleines in this book, you can buy these soft and durable moulds online or at good bakeware stores. Polycarbonate moulds tend to be used by professional chefs, whereas silicone is more readily available to the home cook.
SUGAR THERMOMETER: One of the most useful pieces of equipment in the kitchen. If you are going to be doing lots of cooking with sugar to make caramel or sweet treats, then it is worth buying a thermometer to help you on your way. Make sure that it has a metal body and that the mercury bulb is low enough for small quantities, but doesn’t actually