Claire Saffitz Answers Your Burning Baking Questions in a Q&A | Claire-ified

Claire Saffitz Answers Your Burning Baking Questions in a Q&A | Claire-ified
Welcome to "Claire-ified" with Claire Saffitz! In this episode, join Claire as she dives into a Q&A session, addressing all your burning questions. From revealing her favorite baking books to sharing behind-the-scenes insights on Dessert Person, she leaves no stone unturned. Need tips on scaling down baking recipes? Claire's got you covered. Don't forget to share your kitchen fails in the comments below, and Claire will choose the most interesting ones to answer in the next episode of "Claire-ified."
#clairesaffitz #dessert #baking
What's for Dessert by Claire Saffitz is out now: geni.us/WjcIbfp
Dessert Person Online: www.dessertperson.com/
Claire on Instagram: csaffitz?h...
Claire Merchandise: www.dessertperson.com/buystuff
Penguin Random House Books: www.penguinrandomhouse.com/
Video Series:
Producer/Director: Vincent Cross
Camera Operator: Calvin Robertson
Editor: Hal McFall
Assistant Editor: Asher Rogers
Theme Song: Michael Guggino
Animation Credits:
Character Designer/Animator: Jack Sherry
Character Rigger: Johara Dutton
Background/Prop Designer: M. Cody Wiley
Background Illustrator: Jagriti Khirwa

[@CSaffitz]

Thank you for subscribing to our KZbin channel! We appreciate all the questions you've been asking in the comment/community section and we're excited to provide you with answers. More exciting content coming soon!

[@HanaTheRussell]

It would be really helpful if you could put text graphics of the questions on screen as you read them. I couldn’t understand what you were saying in a couple of the question read alouds and it would have been helpful to see the question on screen. Love your work!!

[@stevechance150]

The Bear Season 2 drops on June 22!!!!! One week from today!!!

[@TherealDanielleNelson]

One thing that I've been trying to get right is lemon meringue pie. The filling never sets up. I follow the directions to a T. Am I not cooking the filling long enough? Not enough cornstarch? What am I doing wrong?

[@laurenschenck5355]

Thanks so much for answering this our questions LUV U ❤

[@Carmen-oc2uf]

Hi Claire! Quick question: is there a fix for brioche dough that gets a little greasy? It's quite warm and humid where I live and I'm not sure if that's the reason why butter often leaks out of my brioche dough. Love you and your videos! You're like my Julia Child! :)

[@rommie557]

Who made the cutting boards in the background blink?! Adorable. Love Felix time, too.

[@SummonerGER]

Somebody must've baked some hash browns

[@rileycat97]

It’s at 7:22 for anyone who didn’t notice (I knew I saw SOMETHING out of the corner of my eye there but didn’t think to look!)

[@aznkillermage4774]

3:18 as well

[@lauramontoya2222]

I thought I was tripping 😂😅

[@hallie1070]

right?!!! LOVE them

[@zomerkoninkjes]

“Sometimes I think about a bakery and then Harris is like don’t do that” he’s right. He’s very right

[@benmottershaww3114]

This is so slay who doesn’t love claire

[@lechatbotte.]

Everyone loves Claire they just don’t know it yet

[@thehecticglow_]

She’s so mother

[@amalgamidol]

she's serving

[@funktastically]

werk

[@andrewmccrea37]

I love these personal moments- and I really enjoyed hearing about "Camp KZbin" with the production schedule and behind-the-scenes info. It probably wouldn't fit in with the two-episode-a-day schedule, but I'd love to see the recipe development process (jumping off point, vision, trial, tasting, note taking, through to publishable recipe).

[@deMonasKiss69]

Yes!!! We would LOOOOOVE that. Hope Claire sees this. 😉

[@heretic3334]

I love how the video just randomly focuses on Felix’s shenanigans and things that happen outside. 😂

[@artleitch]

For frozen cookies, I shape the dough into a cylinder/tube shape and freeze that, then cut off rounds and bake those when I want cookies. I find that saves freezer space instead of freezing individual portions

[@TroyBrinson]

Same. I also use this trick to get ahead on Christmas cookies. I make one batch to freeze per week starting in October and I’m good at Christmas time.

[@Nosilla928]

Ooh good idea, thanks! We did this with Christmas cookies too but I never thought to do it for “everyday” cookies

[@asugarholicslife]

Such a great idea!

[@jazeolo]

How long can they be kept in the freezer?

[@ren0387]

ouuu love this idea! i usually flatten my dough balls a bit before freezing because i find they bake more evenly from frozen that way without having to adjust temp/time, and i imagine this would achieve the same thing too. that's a great space saving tip, i think i'll start stacking the flash-frozen pucks into a tube shape for storage :)

i love the bear and marcus' character as his journey in the baking world, i just cant believe i never noticed 'dessert person' hidden in there. my two fav things!

[@Selah_hommel1023]

You know I have baked like three mediocre cakes in my life and I have watched all your baking videos for fun haha

[@lisaanderson135]

I feel that most bakers are artists. I’m not a professional baker, but my love for it is almost as intense as my passion for art!

[@cynhanrahan4012]

I adore finding the editor's surprises, and I usually do. Much more subtle now than in the beginning of the cabin shoots. Right now my living situation doesn't allow for an oven, so I really miss baking. Hopefully that will change in the not too far future.

[@ColinAndShishka]

WFD has an entire chapter on stovetop desserts, if you have access to a stove!

[@MaureenDrees]

Learning about your production schedule for shooting You-Tube videos was fascinating, thank you. Two questions: 1. Will you and your team ever create an animated introduction that shows your cabin kitchen instead of your NYC apartment kitchen? 2. Is Mia, the rather rotund, but in a beautiful way, cat we got used to seeing in the apartment, still with you? We see Felix and Archie in the cabin, but I don’t think we’ve ever seen Mia there.

[@pyrezime]

Thank you for sharing your mindset of growing from being goal-oriented to more just prioritizing your own happiness. Definitely something that resonates with me and I'm sure a lot of 30-something year olds. 💚

[@tootswoots]

Love hearing about the "behind the scenes" stuff. Also, I really appreciate your production value! It's steady, informative and also whimsical! The cutting board 'face' winking killed me. 😁

[@rachaelhoffman-dachelet2763]

Can confirm portioning cookies! Every year my daughter makes 8-12 batches of holiday cookies and portions and freezes them for my parents (her grandparents) and they bake them 4-8 at a time and have a warm cookie or two after dinner, or a morning coffee break with cookies. They love it!

[@lifeofsome]

I dont know why but I'm obsessed with the face the cutting boards make. 😌

[@humanoidcat9633]

Claire encouraging Felix to jump hit a spot in my heart I didn't know I had

[@cptntwinkletoes]

I think the mindset of not having specific directional goals but more mindset and dare I say 'vibes' has definitely been something I work more towards as I get older, you think about how you'd like your day to be more than 5 year plans.

[@bluedrummajor2876]

You are such a joy to watch. You're so down to earth, and come across as someone we could all be friends with in real life.

[@wit6665]

The cutting board face edit 👌 *chefs kiss*

[@user-zh7gc8wu7m]

Yaaaas for felix❤

[@zackashcraft9712]

I love these videos, but just a thought that it would be helpful if you could write out the questions on the screen as Claire reads them. Sometimes I don’t quite understand and have to rewind or just sort of miss it altogether, especially the longer questions. But always love these!!! ❤

[@SUPERSTUDIO17]

YES FINALLLLLY Another Claire Q&A video

[@adeleshade5066]

i love the personal answers 🤍🤍 thank u for the answers claire. we love u!

[@user-ko2wd2nt5c]

I love how you recommend and respect other bakers! Your videos just brighten my week! Love seeing anything bts and getting to know more about Claire! Btw, great advice about freezing the cookie dough!

[@Sozlimo]

love the blinking cutting board at 7:22

[@Rancor0143]

I saw a blink at 3:17 and couldn't stop smiling the rest video ❤️

[@PoseidonArts]

I love how homey these videos feel! Thanks Claire for answering :D

[@janehowe25]

She is just so great! Very well spoken and also a great baker.

[@rjlyle1]

I’d love to see more Q&A videos!

[@melaniebraun5443]

love the animation of the chopping board :) the small details are much appreciated :)

[@kmnkmn23]

My baking issue is with one of my favorites recipes from Dessert Person, the Almond Poppy Bundt. I have made this recipe is 10 times 😂 but the issue I have the majority of the time is when the bottom of the bundt has that dense layer like yours did in the video. In the video you said it was because you didn’t wait long enough to unmold the cake. I always wait the amount of time that was listed in the original recipe to unmold the bundt, but still get that dense layer. I have tried a bunch of different things to avoid this issue such as not mixing the batter as long as suggested in the book, increasing the bake time, mixing wet and then adding dry, and waiting longer to unmold the cake, but I still get the dense layer. Clearly, this issue hasn’t stopped me from making the cake because it’s delicious either way, however, when I bring the cake to people, I feel a little embarrassed that there’s a section of the cake that looks dense. Can you help?

[@clem719]

How do you let it cool?

[@kmnkmn23]

@@clem719 according to the directions, so the resting time in the Bundt pan, then turning it out onto a wire rack to cool

[@bailarinasesina1752]

excited to see whats for dessert on tv soon!!!!

[@minipott]

Love the Claire Q&As! You're so insightful and generous, and love hearing about the behind the scenes shooting schedule! My question would be, do you have a sort of shortcut or any tips for including sourdough starter discard into recipes, I'm thinking specifically loaf cakes like your almond banana bread. I hate throwing discard away feels so wasteful, and it would be fun to be able to incorporate into some of your recipes. Thanks Claire!

[@KatherineCooper]

Oh I so needed this!

[@kayep2616]

I thought I was imagining it, it is blinking! Love this Clairified episode 💗

[@bug6854]

the cutting board blinking made my day, thank you for the lovely video!

[@jpalarchio]

Those cutting boards. So perfect.

[@camhillunc]

Bravo in the background is so relatable! I also love to have movie versions of broadway musicals playing when I bake

[@lauralarsen5830]

Thank you. Love Claire ❤

[@553zz]

the intro is ADORABLE!!!

[@sandralow984]

Hey I love your videos and how much knowledge you manage to impart in such a light and easy to understand way, Thank You! I have never managed a good meringue. Would you have any hints/tips/tricks for getting them right? Thanks for the great content

[@laurenschenck5355]

I love you Claire and I appreciate you so much and today was amazing fun video ❤

[@furbyfurbs]

This is so helpful

[@EatCarbs]

Thanks for the video

[@memo8guiller]

I was like “did the cutting board in the back just blink?!” 😂

[@thomasnache]

Love you so much Claire thank you for being so amazing

[@00notsmart00]

love the blinking cutting board in the background!! Kudo's to the editor(s)

[@Nosilla928]

Loved the answers to small kitchen and solo baking, but combining the two, what if our kitchen is too small to partake in your tips? I.e., my freezer is no bigger than a microwave, and I have no microwave! Also, love the anthropomorphic cutting boards ;)

[@AntoniaMorris]

you can make cookie dough and shape it into a cylinder to save freezer space. Whenever you want to bake cookies, just slice some rounds off the roll of dough :)

[@tiffanycash5218]

Love the Q&A! Can you tell us where you got Felix's window perch??

[@saraha.9837]

I love your show and your wonderful cookbooks. I make your apple tart two or three times every autumn, and you have been my biggest baking inspiration. I’ve done your apple tart, and since then I developed a recipe for a pumpkin tart after hearing a bit about your process in a video, and cream puffs inspired by Anne of green gables “Marilla Cuthbert’s Matchless Plum Puffs.” I’d like my next step to be a laminated dough for Kouign Amman, croissants, or danishes. I’ve seen you cover laminated doughs in your previous video, but I’d love some advice about that subject specifically, since laminated dough is so versatile. Personally, I question what the best type of butter would be for different budgets, like land o lakes vs a French or Irish butter, as well at the differences/challenges in working with butters with differing fat contents

[@ks7343]

I’d love any tips you have for baking in the humidity of summer! I have trouble getting my dough to rise

[@JWood56066]

For the sweet tart dough I made it for your Meyer Lemon tart from Dessert Person. The first batch I made it just as the recipe says but it was very brittle and when I baked it in the tart pan it cracked and broke apart quickly. I made it again but instead of the egg yolk the recipe has I used a whole egg and it turned out much better. And weirdly enough the dough looked a lot more like what you had in your video the 2nd time around with the whole eggs vs just the egg yolk. Love your videos and cannot wait to see more from you!

[@d-l-d-l]

Love the different intro music

[@1nfern0MEH]

I love the original Law and Order, there's something about watching McCoy battling with words that's so satisfying.

[@silnovak]

Hey Claire! I would love it if you did a gelatine masterclass. 😅 I always have issues with mousse and creams or fillings that call for gelatine, because so often you're supposed to mix all the cold ingredients together and then it just says to mix in melted gelatine at the end which ALWAYS results in clumps of gelatine that just firms up real fast. Just making mousses and very light an airy creams that hold their shape are such a fail for me most of the time 😅

[@_jjtt9066]

im early! btw i love q&a videos, we can get to know claire more!

[@yolkyolk3148]

claire is a gift!

[@mwwhatever]

Love your green tiles

[@AmeliaBell28]

I commented one baking fail question on the community post so here's a baking fear question for the comments section! I'm super intimidated by any recipes involving gelatin and any recipes involving yeast. What are some good places to start with both of those ingredients (recipes of yours, or others! I have both of your books though so I'm ready on that front!) or tips/tricks you have for working with them? For a while I was scared of puff pastry (or any kind of flaky pastry!) and your recipe for palmiers helped me get over that. Thanks so much, love the show and love seeing the kitties!!!

[@kjdude8765]

For yeasted stuff I would suggest maybe a no knead bread or a yeasted cake (old style coffee cake). For Gelatin, just start with stabilized whipped cream.

[@megabiggs]

baking anything with yeasted puff pastry is time-consuming and on-and-off. it’s delicious but keeps me in the kitchen/at home all day! what do you do when you’re waiting for things to rise/chill/proof all day? any tips for how to make the most of those 15 minute intervals?

[@macaoron]

I love that the cutting boards behind her are just like :0

[@maddiewolff7375]

CROISSANTS!!!! I’m so scared but I’m so tempted to try

[@Jaylilah]

The cutting board🥰😍

[@mandismitht2265]

laughing at the cutting board blinking behind you! LOL!

[@laurenschenck5355]

Happy Thursday Claire hope you have a great weekend LUV U ❤❤❤

[@MrGamerCaptain]

thank u!

[@user-mn1dy6hr1m]

Hi Claire, love that you keep doing these question videos! My question for next time is: could you go over some common swaps that won’t ruin your bakes? I’m always trying to use up ingredients I already have to help prevent food waste. For example, I rarely have cows milk in my fridge and have found that oat milk works great for choux, but not so much for custard. I also always have lemons but not always oranges, is it ever okay to swap those? Any thoughts on these or other easy swaps to help us bake more sustainably would be awesome!

[@laurakf]

Not Claire but for me personally, since I usually don't have cow's milk in my fridge, what works is comparing two things: protein and fat contents, since that's I think what it comes down to. Oat milk often is too watery for stuff and doesn't have enough fat, so I'd try maybe keeping barista oat milk on hand to kind of combat that a bit? :) Lemons and oranges should be okay to swap if you're fine with the flavour being obviously different, since both are citruses and share the same percentages of stuff - lemon juice likely won't be WAY different in acidity than orange juice, for example. Could also swap lime for either of these, just note that it might be a non-delightful flavour combination! :) Maybe if you swap in lemon/lime, personally I'd up the sugar just a bit to combat that lemon and lime *feel* a bit more tart/acidic to me than oranges. Might be that oranges have higher sugar content? Idk. Hope this helps a bit!

[@HanaTheRussell]

I love the Claire-ified title ❤ so cute

[@amyrodie4287]

Hi Claire, I'm a long time fan, and on vacation so just heard about the flooding in Hudson Valley on Sunday, July 9. Hoping to hear that you, your family and beautiful home are all ok.

[@radarada2069]

Love this woman fr

[@Pshfrk]

The cutting boards blinking made me do a double take, I thought I was going insane.Truly the Vinny experience

[@aronc24]

Why can’t I stop looking at the cutting boards behind Claire and seeing Santa? 🎅🏻🔪👀

[@apendol1]

2 questions! First, what is the best temperature for baking frozen cookie dough balls? And should I use parchment, bare pan, silicone mat? I have trouble with them spreading too much or not enough. Second, do I need a food processor in my kitchen? I hate cleaning mine. I have a professional-grade blender... for baking, is there anything I can do in a food processor that I can't do in a blender?

[@elishatea]

I enjoyed the happy Santa hiding in the cutting boards in the background of the video

[@sarahameliagreen]

Hi Claire, thank you for these great episodes. Here's a question for you and the community: I tried to make your French 75 jelly recipe vegan using agar powder but I had trouble getting the mixture to set properly. Would love your thoughts on this. Thank you!

[@JJ-rl5qx]

Tried helping my gf make a peach cobbler. By help I mean peel them with the hot water method. Shits messy and I don't have patience. Much respect to you Claire. Love your vids.

[@longwindedwandering]

claire's videos are so therapeutic

[@grahamgeorge6731]

5:36 The cutting board blinks, like dude that was well played.

[@bongadong6088]

Hi Claire, I’ve always wondered if almond meal in macarons facilitate/serve an important chemical purpose, or whether they are included just for traditional sake. I would love to know you opinions on potential substitutes for those with nut allergies? Thankyou so much!

[@magdalena7976]

i’ve made them with ground and toasted pumpkin seeds! works just fine :)

[@laurenschenck5355]

Such a good idea love that you have ur own chickens 🐓 and fresh eggs good for the environment ❤

[@rezvanhashemi5115]

Thanks for such a joyful baking episodes; I watch you almost every day even though i am trying to give up Carbs in my daily diet. I started baking sourdough with you and even though i almost do all steps, still have a dough that can not be formed. it looks like good and forming when i have a short bulk fermentation but usually i dont have time to work with the dough so i put it in my fridge then start with it the day after. no success in forming the dough and i usually get a dense bread. would you please help me with this issue?

[@ksamol68]

hi claire! i made your lime squiggle cookies and the batter was too thick to come out of a piping bag. at first i thought maybe the butter wasn’t room temp enough but it sat out for hours and still wouldn’t come through the tip. i ended up using a cookie press and it worked out and they tasted great! but wondering what i can do next time

[@brujosol]

The eyes blinking on the cutting board in the back had me guessing for a second

[@MaureenStrong1]

My biggest dessert fail was a key lime pie I took to a dinner party which didn’t set. Worried to try again. Another note I loved the video with Natasha P and would love to see more. For the curd, whisk the whole eggs, egg yolks, sugar, lime zest and juice in a metal bowl. Whisk in the butter and sour cream and place the bowl over a pot of gently simmering water, whisking often, until the lime curd has thickened, about 10 minutes. Strain the curd and spread this gently over the cheesecake. Once fully cooled to room temperature, chill the cheesecake for at least 6 hours (do not cover with plastic wrap). Recipe 2 large eggs 2 large egg yolks 1/2 cup sugar 1 tablespoon finely grated lime zest 1/2 cup fresh lime juice 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces

[@MaureenStrong1]

1/4 cup sour cream

[@specialkthesoftballgirl]

Question for Claire: How come when I make chocolate glaze/ganache, it never sets (unless I freeze it; it then melts after being taken out of the freezer)? I thought it was my house temp. but I've tried in a cooler house too. The recipes I've tried are your chocolate glaze from the éclairs video (only I didn't add any corn syrup) and another which was only chocolate and heavy cream.

[@harrynorman23]

Blinking cutting board was the highlight for me

[@citylovelights]

Hi Claire! Question(vegan baking) I've been trying to master making a good vegan cake, but I always end up failing. Either the cake is too dense, or it just tastes bad. Can you recommend any tips on what a good cake recipe should consist of? Or techniques? Or maybe flour/other ingredients you recommend? I know I'm missing eggs..but I know good vegan cake exists!

[@stevelepage3121]

lol the blinking cutting board in the background @5:35

[@katherinelim3278]

I will travel far and wide to support a Claire Saffitz bakery!

[@RyzaX12]

I've attempted your hot fudge recipe twice now, the first time it was perfect, just like the video (i did realise after the fact that i accidentally used more chocolate than the reciepe asks for but oh well). The second time i made it using a slightly lower % coco chocolate (70% the first time and a mix of 70% & 45% the second) and it took forever to seperate and i ended up with clumps of suger throughout, it still tasted great but not sure what went wrong. My first batch seperated within about 25mins, the second was about an hour. (I've also used Rice syrup instead of corn syrup.)

[@mirosalmar6007]

The chopping boards that were blinking made me trip out for a sec there😂

[@hellogurl9]

I love your books immensely and have made many tarts, cakes, and cookies using your brilliant recipes, but I have one category I just can’t master….. bread! I tried to make your tahini challah and sour cream/chive rolls but they turn out too dense/doughy but not underbaked?? I assume it’s because I have not activated my yeast properly? Or maybe did not let it rest in the right temp? Any tips for bread making in general or one of your recipes you’d recommend to start out with would be appreciated !! Love you Claire and bake on! ❤🎉

[@christinabSF]

Hi Claire, I love Dessert Person so much! I've made several of the recipes and continue to reference it often. Could you please talk about outside factors that impact baking and how to adjust? eg, I found brioche difficult on a really hot day. It helped to switch to local butter w lower fat percentage. Do you adjust recipes for hot/cold days?

[@terenzo50]

Have been missing my all-time favourite cookie for decades since Archway stopped making them. Could you come up with a recipe for Date-Filled Oatmeal Cookies? They were of the "soft baked" variety, held together wonderfully and weren't at all crumbly. Special hi to Felix!

[@christinemascott8061]

I do my Christmas cookie trays with that freezing technique and then have one giant day of baking and decorating where they all get baked fresh.

[@masterphoenixpraha]

For the person who asked about small kitchen and a stand mixer. I had similar issue, as most of the stand mixers are really big. But found Bosch Mum5 - it's kind of squarish, which means that doesn't feel that big when you see it. But of course for the various accessories you'll need some space anyways.

[@shainazion4073]

Find a formica square/rectangle and cover your sink to give you room for equipment, it has many different uses, for blenders, food processors, stand mixers, etc.

[@amymiller8325]

Hey Claire! I absolutely LOVE trying your recipes. One I've been trying to master is your All Purpose Enriched Dough that is on the NYT website and you did a video for them on it. I've tried it I think 6 or 7 times now and I've only ever made it really successfully once. The dough is always either too wet and I end up trying to fix it by adding more flour which never really works or it doesn't rise. Its not my yeast as I always double check its good before using it. Please help as the one time it worked it was SO YUMMY!!!

[@ml5801]

Thank you…love when we find out some of those baking mysteries. I’ve had a question ever since I baked “The” chocolate chip cookie where you melt and brown the butter from Dessert Person. Those cookies were out of this world but they were also kinda flat. I also have made other chocolate cookies where they bake similarly …..I’m a stickler for measurements and temperature, so what’s the deal? What can I do to counteract that and have a picture perfect CCC.

[@kjdude8765]

Add a bit more flour (2 Tbs) to give the cookies more structure. And resist spreading.

[@illegalpoo2563]

Hey Claire !! I tried to make a croquembouche a few Christmas's ago, and it failed horribly :(. Firstly my cream puffs did something quite strange. They looked great in the oven, puffy and round but when i pulled them out and turned them over the undersides had sunken in towards the centre/top of the puff. So from a side profile they looked a little like boomerangs. My sugar crystallised as well for the caramel but i know what i did wrong there. Thanks !!!

[@eblake3617]

Have you ever made a cronut? Would you do a video where you try?