Building block recipes are tried-and-true recipes that I often use as a starting point to create something new. For example, you'll find dozens of recipes here that use my favorite, no fail pastry cream.
The same is true for my favorite dinner roll recipe. Not only does it make the very best homemade rolls, I use the dough to make cinnamon rolls, doughnuts, cinnamon swirl bread, and several other delicious baked goods!
Learn to make a classic Napoleon then swap out the vanilla pastry cream for pistachio pastry cream or us a ricotta pastry cream with pistachios and chocolate chips to make a cannoli napoleon.
Master choux pastry and you can easily make profiteroles, eclairs, and French crullers.
This simple vanilla loaf cake can be used to make 4 delicious variations and you can add anything you like to this recipe for anything cookies.
You get the idea. Master these recipes and then use them to create anything your heart desires.
- Lemon Bundt Cake with Tart Lemon Glaze
- Chocolate Snack Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting
- Banana Snack Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting
- Peanut Butter Frosting
- Candied Lemon Slices
- Pistachio Pastry Cream
- Peach Crumble with Coconut and Almonds {Gluten Free}
- Chocolate Spice Cake Three Ways
- Brown Butter Cake
- What to Make with Buttermilk: 24 recipes for baking
- Candied Orange Slices ~ Easy Recipe
- Mascarpone Frosting
- Easy Berry Sauce with Fresh or Frozen Berries
- How to Make Chocolate Ganache
- Milk Chocolate Buttercream
- How to Make Choux Pastry {Pâte à Choux}
- Simple Vanilla Icing Recipe {Vanilla Glaze}
- Vanilla Loaf Cake Recipe + 4 Flavor Variations
- Almond Thumbprint Cookies
- New York Cheesecake with Classic Shortbread Crust
- Cherry Sauce Made with Sweet Cherries
- Peach Preserves Recipe {No Pectin}
- Berry Cobbler with Sugar Cookie Topping {Fresh or Frozen Berries}
- The Ultimate Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits {All-Butter Recipe}
- Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Buttercream & Caramel Rum Sauce
- Everyday Buttermilk Pancakes
- Toasted Almond Pie Crust {All-Butter Recipe}
- Easy Peach Cobbler with Chewy Cookie Topping
- Foolproof Pie Crust with Egg and Vinegar
- Perfect Pound Cake
- Roasted Fruit Sauce with Maple Syrup and Brown Butter
- Anything Cookies {One Basic Cookie Dough, Endless Kinds of Cookies}
- Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe
- Best Pastry Cream {Crème Pâtissière}
- Sinfully Rich Chocolate Devil's Food Cake {or Cupcakes}
- Spice Cake with Chocolate Frosting
- Quick Chocolate Buttercream with Heavy Cream
- How to Make Profiteroles {French Cream Puffs}
- Homemade Dinner Rolls {Soft and Buttery}
- Easy Apple Butter Recipe {Crockpot Recipe - No Peeling Required}
- Salted Caramel Sauce ~ All Cream Recipe
- American Buttercream {with Butter and Heavy Cream}
- Best Tasting Vanilla Cake Recipe {Soft and Flavorful}
- Perfectly Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Napoleon Dessert | Mille Feuille Cream Pastry
- Vanilla Sugar Cookies {Soft & Chewy, with Cream Cheese}
- Italian Meringue Buttercream {Step-by-Step Instructions}
- 1 Hour Buttermilk Caramel Cupcake Recipe
- Homemade Flour Tortillas Made with Butter
- One Bowl Banana Bread
- Honey Wheat Bread Recipe with Oats
- Simple Homemade White Bread {made with butter!}
- Cream Cheese Buttercream
- Homemade Maple Almond Granola
- Oatmeal Raisin Cookies ~ Thin, Soft and Chewy
- Moist Yellow Cake with Chocolate Buttercream
- Champagne Cake with Champagne Italian Meringue Buttercream
- Best Butterscotch Sauce {3 Secret Ingredients}
- Homemade Cheese Crackers ~ Buttery, Tender, Flaky Crackers
- Doughnut Recipe | Overnight Homemade Doughnuts
Years ago, when I first started learning how to write good recipes, I was struck by the realization that most recipes assume that the person baking the recipe has a basic understanding of baking terms and techniques.
Phrases like "grease and flour the pan", or "cream the butter and sugar" make perfect sense to someone who's been baking for a while. But, if you're a new baker, they can leave you feeling uncertain about what to do and how to do it.
Here are a few fundamentals.
