Who would have thought that baking could be more than just the bread and pastries that we eat, and that there is a lot of history behind the things we love to pop into our home as well as bakery ovens. To continue our series on baking information and trivia, here is the third part of such a series.
Croissant – this is a very popular French pastry that is made with buttery dough, and can be made plain or with fillings. Croissant means crescent shaped, which is exactly what these puffy, light, buttery pastries are. Legend has it that these tasty breads were first made way back in 1686 in Hungary, but there seems to be no substantial documented proof of this. Recipes for this French pastry were first seen in cookbooks in the early part of the 20th century. This is what people say is the true beginnings of this bread.
Fudge – when you hear this word, the usual thought that enters the mind is brownies. What some people may not realize is that fudge is more than something that is associated with brownies. It is actually a stand-alone candy that is said to have been the result of a botched attempt at creating caramel. There are many different kinds of fudge, with the most popular one being chocolate fudge, which is often seen being used as toppings for ice cream sundaes and brownies. Chocolate fudge is essentially a mixture of sugar, chocolate, light cream, butter, and salt.
Gingerbread – this particular type of pastry is very popular during the holidays, and is in fact the kind of “bread” used in creating decorative houses and sceneries depicting Christmas scenes. What you may not be aware of is that this type of pastry actually comes in two types – the cookie type that is often used for creating those amazing Christmas displays, and the soft, moist, cake-like one that is spicy and sweet. Both types are served during the holidays though, and is said to have been introduced to the populace by the Crusaders.
Ganache – those who are fond of cakes and sweet things know that ganache is a very popular type of coating for cakes and other similar desserts. There are many versions of where this came from, with some people saying that this first made its appearance in Switzerland, and others saying that was first invented in France. The term itself, ganache, is actually French for a velvety smooth mixture made out of cream and chocolate. This smooth mixture can be used to cover cakes and pastries, but when cooled substantially, it can be used as a filling or frosting.
Stay tuned for more baking trivia in the coming weeks.
