Kern - Dessert Mashups

Text copyright 2014 Dorothy Kern. Photographs copyright 2014 Dorothy Kern except as noted below. Design and Concept Copyright 2014 Ulysses Press and its licensors. All rights reserved. Any unauthorized duplication in whole or in part or dissemination of this edition by any means (including but not limited to photocopying, electronic devices, digital versions, and the Internet) will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Published in the U.S. by

Ulysses Press

P.O. Box 3440

Berkeley, CA 94703

www.ulyssespress.com

ISBN: 978-1-61243-379-0

Library of Congress Control Number 2014932299

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Acquisitions Editor: Katherine Furman

Editor: Lauren Harrison

Proofreader: Mary Hern

Design and layout: Ashley Prine

Photographs: Dorothy Kern except on page 147 Kirkpatrick Photography

Distributed by Publishers Group West

IMPORTANT NOTE TO READERS: This book is independently authored and published and no sponsorship or endorsement of this book by, and no affiliation with, any celebrities, trademarked brands or other products mentioned or pictured within is claimed or suggested. All trademarks that appear in directions, photographs, and elsewhere in this book belong to their respective owners and are used here for informational purposes only. The author and publisher encourage readers to patronize the quality brands and products mentioned and pictured in this book.

For Jordan, my #1 taste tester and little superstar.

And for Mel, without whom this adventure would not be possible.

Contents

Get in on the fun by posting pictures to Instagram using #dessertmashups and tagging @crazyforcrust!

I love crust. Those three words are what inspired me to start my blog, Crazy for Crust, back in 2010. The crust is my favorite part of the pie, and it deserved to be showcased and loved. I didnt think that crust was getting enough attention; it was usually reserved for pie, and pie was reserved for Thanksgiving. I felt something needed to be done about that. So I started crazyforcrust.com, figuring the pie lovers would find me and together we would make crust as mainstream as the cupcake.

Shortly after embarking on my blogging journey, I realized that I wanted to bake more than just pie. I loved all desserts! So one day I made what I called a Shortbread Piookie, a shortbread cookie that looked like a pie. I filled it with chocolate ganache, took some horrible photos, and posted my very first dessert mash-up. I had no idea that one day Id be writing a whole cookbook about putting two desserts into one delectable recipe.

Over the next few years, I discovered how much fun it was to put two desserts together into one amazing treat. Regular chocolate chip cookies were old news; every blogger had already done that. I needed to find something new, some recipe that hadnt already been written and passed around a thousand times. And more often than not, those recipes were mash-ups. Brownies with crust, blondies in pie, cake flavors in ice cream, pie flavors in Rice Krispies treats, smores anything. Standing in the candy aisle at the grocery store became a new adventure. What could I make with Reeses Peanut Butter Cups? What could I make that tastes like a Snickers? And, most importantly, what could I add crust to next? It was like a challengea big, fun, sugary baking experiment.

And then the mash-up became more than just a Pinterest and blog phenomenon; it became a household word. One little breakfast item, the Cronut, put the dessert mash-up on the map. With its launch in May of 2013, the Cronut became one of the most talked-about desserts in history. What was at one time thought to be strange and somewhat outrageous, eating two desserts in one, is now not only acceptable, its almost expected. My adding crust to fudge and stuffing truffles in brownies didnt seem like it was so out there anymore. (Thank goodness!)

The idea of writing a cookbook about dessert mash-ups wasnt so surprising to me: Its what I do every day. I think its one of the most creative ways to make dessert; youre not just making a cookie, youre making it taste like an apple pie. What can you add to that pie to make it taste like a chocolate chip cookie? Or add to that coffee cake to make it taste like carrot cake? Its letting your brain run wild with ideas and then turning them into a sweet reality.

Throughout the pages of this book youll find some of my favorite mash-ups. Enjoy a Sconut for breakfast, or maybe a slice of Milky Way Brownie Pie for dessert. I hope that you adore all of them as much as I do. Find some cookies that you love, some candy you have to have, and a cheesecake thats calling your name. Then do a double take, because you might be seeing two desserts where you thought there was just one.

Im not a trained chef, but Ive been baking since I could stand on a chair and stir brownie batter with a spoon. My mom had lots of bowls and wooden spoons in her kitchen, but no fancy equipment. We lived by her hand mixer, the blender was only seen when we were making banana bread, and I think I can count on one hand the times I saw her pull out the food processor.

When I was registering for my wedding several years ago, a whole new world of baking tools opened up to me. I remember walking through Bed, Bath, and Beyond with my scanning gun, my eyes big and mouth agape looking at it all, wanting all the things, and that was just the gadget wall. Then, in the early 2000s, the Food Network made me realize there were even more tools I needed. A whisk isnt just something chefs use. I needed one too. Better yet, I needed three.

Over the past several years of writing my blog, its felt like Ive baked enough for two lifetimes. In that time Ive had lots of practice with kitchen appliances and gadgets alike, and Ive come to find my favorites, the ones that I cannot live without, and the ones that just arent necessary (Im looking at you, cupcake corer).

In writing this book, I used my favorite baking equipment, so I thought Id share my must-haves. If youre reading through any of the recipes and question something Im using, just check back here. If you dont have it, you can probably find it at Target, on Amazon, at Sur la Table, or at Kohls (my four favorite places to shop). Leave a little sticky note for your significant other, and maybe youll come home to a bouquet of offset spatulas one day. You never know...

Pans

Its really important to have a wide range of baking pans. And, just a little tip, get two of each. There is nothing worse than needing to make a cake and realizing you only have one 9-inch round pan. Then you have to bake half a cake, let it cool, and bake the second half. Think of pans like shoes: They should come in pairs.

My must-have baking pans:

8 8-inch square

9 9-inch square

9 13-inch rectangular

9-inch round

Springform pan (9- to 10-inch)

Cookie sheets

Jelly roll pan (10 15-inch rectangular)