- Classic French Buttercream -

Here's a recipe for Classic French Buttercream. Please note: Classic French Buttercream is based on egg yolks. Yes yolks! That is what makes it richer than both the Swiss or Italian Buttercreams.

To prepare enough buttercream to frost a two layer 9-in. round cake, you'll need:

1 pound of unsalted butter

4 large eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon table salt

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Start by cracking all four eggs into the metal bowl of a stand mixer. Add the sugar and vanilla extract to the bowl. Whisk until the eggs, sugar, and extract are evenly combined.

Find a pot that the mixing bowl can sit on without touching the bottom of the pan. Pour about 1/2-in. water into the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and place the mixing bowl over the water pot to form a double boiler. This will allow you to heat the eggs slowly, minimizing the chances that the egg proteins will tighten up (forming scrambled eggs). Whisk continuously over the steaming water until the eggs reach 160°F.

Once the mixture reaches 160°F, take it off the heat and beat on medium-high with the flat beater attachment for five minutes. The egg mixture will turn light yellow and fluffy. The mixture should have cooled by this time. Touch the side of the mixing bowl to check the temperature. If the mixture is too warm, it will melt the butter while you add it and the buttercream might not come together.

Reduce the mixer's speed to low and begin cutting pieces of butter into the mixer, waiting for ten to fifteen seconds before adding the next piece. One pound of butter should be cut into about 16 to 20 pieces (about 2 Tbs. per piece). During this process, the mixture will become lumpy, but don't worry about it, continue to cut pieces of butter into the mix until all the butter has been incorporated.


After all the butter has mixed in, continue to run the mixer until the mixture turns smooth and silky.

The final buttercream should be easy to spread onto the cake and should taste distinctly of sweet butter without any lumps or grittiness.

This is the last of the Buttercreams. As you can see they each require alot of work so I guess that is why so many people turn to store bought frostings but there is no comparison to homemade. Give it a try and you will see what I am talking about. ~ Chef Wilkinson ~

~ Italian Buttercream ~

Italian Buttercream is made by beating softened butter into Italian Meringue. It is the lightest and sweetest of the buttercreams. Italian Buttercream holds a piped edge well. This recipe will cover a 3-4 layer 9-inch cake.
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Italian Meringue ingredients:
5 eggs (large)
1 1/4 cups extra-fine granulated sugar
1/4 cup water

Plus you will need 1 pound (4 sticks) softened unsalted butter
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NOTE: Whether you are making Swiss, Italian or French Buttercreams you can use the above ratio of eggs, sugar, water and butter. Tomorrow ... French Buttercream ~ Chef Wilkinson ~

* Swiss Buttercream *

Just like the delicacy of Swiss Meringue ... Swiss Buttercream is valued for its stability. It begins with Swiss Meringue and softened (not melted) butter is added to it until beaten completely. It should not be overworked when spreading or piping as it quickly melts. Should be stored in the refrigerator. Shelf life is approximately one week. May also be frozen. Before using make sure it stands at room temperature until completely softened then stir or beat until fluffy. Tomorrow ... Italian Buttercream. ~ Chef Wilkinson ~

* Buttercream *

Now that you have had some time to absorb the 3 techniques of making Meringues I'm going to give you some information concerning Buttercreams. Just like Meringue there are 3 types of Buttercream - Swiss, Italian and French. Butterceam is simply softened butter that has been gradually beaten into an egg foam until smooth, creamy and light. The butter is softened, not to the point of melting, and should be added in small increments to a running mixer. The egg foam should be close to the same temperature as the butter. During the beating stage the buttercream may briefly appear grainy and ruined but by the time all the butter has been added it should become silky smooth. More on Swiss Buttercream tomorrow.

~ Chef Wilkinson ~

- No Cooking Weekend -

This ended up being a "No Cooking Weekend" mostly due to the weather but also the Chef decided to sit back and take it easy. I did cook a meatloaf this morning for lunch but it was nothing to blog about. We spent all day Saturday keeping an eye on the weather. We were very blessed and nothing serious came our way. Unfortunately, there were many people in the State of Mississippi that were not so blessed. My prayers go out to everyone that suffered a loss of any kind. ~ Chef Wilkinson ~

Ending the week on a Sweet Note ...

Banana Pudding is a true Southern favorite! A creamy custard cooked to perfection and then poured over layer after layer of sliced bananas and vanilla wafers. As you can see the meringue was stiff peak and actually held it's form even after being refrigerated overnight. I guess my Meringue research paid off. Have a great weekend everyone and do lots of cooking. ~ Chef Wilkinson ~

~ Earth Day ~

Today is Earth Day and so I thought this would be an Earthy meal. Chicken Tenders with a Honey Mustard dressing, Brussel Sprouts in a Buttered Sauce, Whole Peeled Tomatoes and Skillet Fried Potatoes. Beans, potatoes, corn, peaches, brussel sprouts, lettuce, cabbage, etc. ... despite what some people think does not come from a can so do your part and Protect the Earth! ~ Chef Wilkinson ~

Minute Steaks

Some people call them Country Fried Steaks but down South they are also known as Minute Steaks. It's hard to prepare Minute Steaks anymore as there are very few butcher's left that know how to prepare them. They think if you keep running them through the meat tenderizer they will be tender. Not true! If the reason for them being tough to begin with is not removed tenderizing them will not make a difference. It will only make them fall apart when cooking. These that I fixed did just that. They were so badly prepared that I actually had to pat them out like hamburgers and cook them. But they did have a very good taste so all was not lost. Minute Steaks and Biscuits a simple but tasty meal. ~ Chef Wilkinson ~

~ Lasagna ~

In a blog recently I mentioned needing an authentic Lasagna recipe. I did not receive any from you readers so I went in search of one via my many cookbooks. I found what I thought would be a Rich Italian Lasagna recipe and took the time to prepare it. Frankly, I wasn't pleased with the finished product. When or if I prepare it again I will do some tweaking to it. It just did not have the Italian taste that I thought it should have. I can definitely see why that dish is so expensive in the restaurants as it takes a long time to prepare and several ingredients. ~ Chef Wilkinson ~

Last Lesson: Troubleshooting Meringue

An overcooked meringue will form beads of moisture on its surface from the proteins clotting so much that they squeeze out moisture. A meringue that did not cook through in the center weeps as it slowly dissolves and releases its liquid. The pie filling needs to be hot when the meringue is applied. For cold filling pies Italian Meringue will work best. A hot oven temperature (425F degree) for a short period of time will prevent over cooking. Shrinkage can also be a problem with meringue topped pies. Some Chefs (not I) have started adding a cornstarch-water solution to the French (basic) Meringue recipe. The addition of starch eliminates all these problems and also makes the pie easier to slice evenly. A teaspoon or two of this mixture stabilizes the meringue. The cornstarch must be brought to a boil in just enough water so that it can be beaten into the meringue without clumping. I personally have not used the cornstarch-water solution but have had more than a few episodes when I should have used it. This is the end of my Meringue series … I hope in some small way it helps you readers who have as much difficulty with Meringue as I occasionally do. ~ Chef Wilkinson ~

Lesson 3: Italian Meringue

The sweetest of the meringues. And in my opinion the most complicated of the three types. It is whipped egg white foam that is cooked with a hot sugar syrup. You will definitely need a free-standing mixer for this meringue as there is a lot of mixing to be done. The egg whites are beaten until they will barely hold firm peaks, then the syrup is poured down the inside of the bowl with the mixer running. The sugar syrup is cooked until soft ball stage, 234F to 240F degrees. To make sure that the egg whites reach a high enough temperature to be cooked (160F degree) a warm mixing bowl and room temperature whites are essential. The cooked meringue is then beaten until it has cooled to room temperature. Now I personally have never attempted to make Italian Meringue as I do not have great success with candy making such as Divinity and Fudge. Therefore, these pictures are provided by Judy of Seattle, WA. She has the Art of Italian Meringue preparation down to perfection. Tomorrow’s Lesson … Troubleshooting Meringue … this will be the last blog on the subject of Meringue. ~ Chef Wilkinson ~

Lesson 2: Swiss Meringue

Of the three types of meringues Swiss Meringue is the most stable. It is also heavier than the French (basic) Meringue and the Italian Meringue. Swiss Meringue begins with both the egg whites and the sugar in the mixing bowl together. The bowl is then placed on either a burner on low heat or in a sink of hot water. The eggs are stirred and warmed until the sugar dissolves completely. When there is absolutely no sugar left undissolved the mixture is then beaten at medium-high speed until stiff (but not dry) peaks form. Tomorrow's Lesson ... Italian Meringue. ~ Chef Wilkinson ~

Lesson 1: French Meringue

Also know as Basic Meringue. Pies are usually topped with basic meringue. Basic meringue is simply egg whites beaten with sugar. Keep in mind eggs are easiest to separate when cold but warm whites whip faster and provide better volume when used in cakes and souffles. Always use grease-free utensils when beating egg whites. A copper bowl will create a more stable meringue that will resist over whipping but be prepared to pay a hefty price for one of those. Price range 4.5 - 6 quart copper egg white mixing bowl will cost $60 - $100 and I am not sure that is the best quality available. When beating your egg whites medium speed will create a foam with lots of small bubbles. The sugar (superfine) is not added until the eggs are near peak stage. If the sugar is added too soon or too quickly the volume of the foam is reduced and the beating time must be increased to compensate. In small mixers, the sugar should be added to the running mixer a tablespoon at a time. In large mixers, the sugar should be added to the running mixer a quarter of a cup at a time. Beat for an additional minute once all sugar has been added. The meringue should be shiny and fluffy with no grittiness from undissolved sugar. Tomorrow's lesson ... Swiss Meringue. Once I have discussed each "type" of meringue I will then go into greater details such as the egg white .vs sugar ratios, bake times, etc. Hope you find this information useful. ~ Chef Wilkinson ~

~ The Art of Making Meringue ~

I don't know about you but making Meringue is my Achilles' Heal. After beating the egg whites to stiff peaks and spreading it on the pie I will bake it to set. Everything looks great and then once the pie cools ... it shrinks. So I have been doing some research to find that Meringue is a complicated subject. I had no idea that there were "types" of meringues: French (aka Basic meringue), Italian and Swiss. The difference being how the sugar is incorporated into the egg foam. In the coming days I will take each of these types and go into greater detail. It may take me several blogs to tell you what I have learned but when we are finished we will know everything there is to know about Meringue. Always in Good Taste! ~ Chef Wilkinson ~

French Meringue

Italian Meringue

Swiss Meringue